I am the kind of person who loves systems. I do not just go with whatever goes my way in my day. Although I accept the fact that nothing is certain in life, I still love to organize. That is why establishing a routine comes easy for me.
I also believe that success is not accidental. One needs to have a lot of self-discipline to reach their goals in life. Self-discipline includes developing healthy and effective habits and getting rid of bad ones.
When I started in sales many years ago, I had many unhealthy habits, such as checking my phone when I wake up in the morning. Although my intention for doing so was work-related, I realized that it was not a good practice. Instead of having a fresh mind in the morning, I immediately became bombarded with work-related information and worries. My day would often turn out to be very stressful and a bit unproductive.
A change took place in this aspect of my life, just like other significant aspects of my life, when I started to attend personal and professional development training and seminars. All of my trainers and mentors recommended a change in habits and routines for growth and development to be possible. I definitely took all of those teachings by heart. I do the following routine that is inspired by the book of Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning.
- When I wake up, the first thing I do is to stay still while either lying down or sitting on my bed. I usually spend 10 to 20 minutes in that position while talking to God quietly, and taking in the fact that I am awake on a new day. Whatever I feel physically or emotionally at that moment, I always talk to God about it rather than complain and sulk.
- When my senses are finally fully awakened, I start to visualize my day – what I plan to do and what I want to accomplish. I do it by writing down the goals I have for that day. When I do this, I always feel motivated to act because I have a clear direction regarding what I need to do.
- After visualizing my day, I write a journal containing all the things I am grateful for on that day. This habit helps me maintain a positive outlook on life every day because it reminds me of all my blessings in life.
- After writing my gratitude list, I declare what I want to be and have – good health, a positive mind, a grateful heart, and more. This act is not just a mental declaration. I declare everything verbally and repeatedly.
- To inspire me even more, I allocate 10 to 15 minutes to read books that help my spiritual, personal, or professional growth. I find this particular habit very handy, especially when I need an idea or information about a project. Sometimes, I would even stumble on words of wisdom that I never thought I would need but eventually do.
- After priming my inner self, I then proceed to exercise. This activity completes the perfect morning routine for me because my body becomes energized after. It becomes ready to take on the challenges for the day.
These habits thus far are the most effective ones in helping me in being productive every single day. I am not saying that these are perfect for everyone because we are all different from each other, but these are worth a try.
How about you? What are your morning habits? Are those helping in your productivity?
by