Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” This advice can apply to many aspects of life, but one area of your day where this wisdom is particularly applicable is your morning.
Do you feel like you’re on defense from the moment you wake up? Like you’re always late? Always rushed? Always checking one thing off your list and adding two more? Do you feel like you don’t have any time to get yourself square away? These feelings can destroy your energy and sap the life out of your day before it’s even 10am. If this sounds like you, what you need is a tried-and-true morning framework to get yourself off to a strong start. Here is a simple morning routine you can follow to get your mind, body and spirit ready for a great day;
- Wake up one hour earlier than normal. Need more time in your day? This is the simplest solution. But don’t waste your new hours.
- 5-Minute Journal. Some of the world’s greatest thinkers keep a daily journal that they write in immediately after they wake up. Some journals offer prompts. Others are free flowing. But the benefits of decluttering your mind with whatever you need to get done or simply get out of your head are immense.
- Drink a large glass of ice water with lemon. This is not only hydrating and refreshing, but the lemon provides a nice dose of vitamin-C.
- Get outside. Within a half hour of waking up you should do your best to get at least 10 minutes of sunlight and fresh air. The sunlight will signal to the rest of your body that it’s time to wake up and get rolling.
- Millions of people swear by a pre-work exercise routine. Even if you’re new to exercise or typically workout in the afternoon or at night, try combining the above step (get outside) with a little light cardio workout. Could be a 20 minute walk with your dog, or a nice jog or some sprints. Either way, get outside and get moving.
- There are countless benefits to stretching, but two of the main ones are increases in overall blood flow and relaxation levels. Fitting in a quick full-body 10-15 minute stretch can work wonders for the rest of your day.
- Eat a healthy breakfast full of whole foods. A good rule of thumb is to have one source of grains and protein along with a fruit. For instance, one cup of oatmeal with two eggs and a banana. Whatever you choose, keep it simple and clean. No sugary cereals. No giant bagels or muffins or donuts.
Depending on whether you do a full workout or not, all of the above should take you less than 45 minutes. Does it seem like a lot? It’s not. Imagine starting your day having accomplished all of this by 8AM? You’ve cleared your mind. You’ve exercised and stretched your body. You’ve gotten sunlight and eaten a healthy meal? NOW, you’ve started your day on offense!
