It’s all about routine if you want to get your day started right
Talk to any entrepreneur and they have a secret for success. Some people find it natural to think outside of the box. For others it’s taking risks. Some will say that staying humble, even I the face of huge success is what it takes. Everyone is different, sure, but you won’t find it very hard to notice that there are some traits that successful entrepreneurs all seem to share.
Like this one, talk to most any successful business owner and they will tell you that building a solid routine will help with unlocking opportunity.
Here are some of the things that you could be doing to spend your morning like a successful entrepreneur:
A. Wake Up Early
No, you don’t HAVE to be the early bird to get the worm in business these days in business, but it can definitely help. According to Richard Branson, the entrepreneur behind Virgin, wherever he is in the world, he makes a 5am wakeup call a high priority.
- Branson believes that getting up early give him the time to spend with his family before having to get down to business
- Here are 2 tips to make getting up a little easier. First, do it in small increments. Get to bed 30 minutes earlier than you are used to. Then set your alarm to go off 30 mins earlier as well. As waking up starts to get a little easier do it again and again until you are waking early enough. Secondly, set your alarm for your new wake up time but, before you go to bed, pour yourself a cup of water and leave it along with an energy supplement on your nightstand. Then set an alarm for 30 minutes before your desired wake up time and take the supplement with the water when it goes. Then just go back to sleep until the next alarm goes off. At that point the energy supplement should be starting to kick in and make it much easier to get moving.
B. Be Prepared
Do you find yourself trying to figure out which tasks you should tackle first? The fog of the morning isn’t the time to be scheduling what goes where. That is part of why it can be so helpful to plan ahead.
- Take a few minutes at the end of each workday to put together an action list for the first things that need to get done the following day.
- This way you can start your day with a little preallotted focus to quickly get you on the path for getting things done.
C. Exercise
It’s no secret that exercise does amazing things for both the mind and the body. There are tons of studies out there that show that exercise improves energy and cognitive ability.
A few minutes a day spent sweating it out before work can also help you clear the mind and reduce stress before heading to the office.
- If you are wondering how to use the time you found in step one, 30 mins of exercise every morning could be what the Dr. orders.
- Follow that up with a healthy breakfast to nourish your mind, kick your metabolism into gear and supply you with the energy needed to handle the day. This is as good as time as any to start getting some what in too. 75{839a47db61e542da03686060922eb321ead1ec4c457b6fc765ea919194fc3d48} of Americas walk around dehydrated on a regular basis.
D. Do The Toughest Tasks First
Plan your day to best facilitate success. Start with the tough stuff. Eat The Frog as Mark Twain would say. Basically, meaning to do the things you least want to first.
- Overcoming the biggest challenge first makes the rest of the day seem a little easier by comparison.
- Additionally, knowing that easier tasks lie ahead can be motivating as you move though the day
- Gina Trapani, the founding editor of Lifehacker.com says your mind is clear first thing in the morning and you’re not distracted by the other demands yet. This is your chance to get things done!
E. Get Rid of THE DISTRACTIONS
Successful entrepreneurs know how important it is to avoid distractions as much as humanly possible. This often means not constantly checking your email and/or social media on the way to the office.
- Starting your day with a heavy dose of social media will actually make it easier to get distracted later in the day as well.
- Try starting the day with something that helps relax you while waking you up at the same time. If exercise doesn’t help lower your stress before work, then you need to find something else that does. Nobody wants to deal with cranky co-workers.
F. Illuminate the Possibilities
Finally, if you are still struggling to start the day on a positive note here is a way to brighten things up…literally. Turning on the lights around your house or opening your curtains (post getting dressed please) will actively wake you up. It is the best way to tell your brain that the day has started with or without you.
- Natural light tells the body to stop producing melatonin – an essential hormone for staying asleep.
- Getting outside for some fresh air and natural light is a get way to boost your mood before work.
- No way to get outside conveniently get outside before work? Don’t worry, brightening your indoors can help a lot too.
WHATEVER YOU DO, FIND YOUR ROUTINE
All of this is just to help get your mind thinking about what your morning routine could involve to start acting more like a successful entrepreneur. It is perfectly acceptable and even expected for you to put your own spin on this. No routine is worth anything if you don’t stick to it. So, find out what you like through a little trial and error and build some morning rituals of your own!
