“Are you late again?”
That’s the question my friend Fifi would ask me pretty much every morning on our daily commute call, as we both would be rushing to work. And trying to apply our foundation, fix our hair, while sharing yet another tip to get our lives together…
Between the both of us, we had two kids, two husbands, two demanding jobs, and not enough concealer to hide the evidence….And if there ever were a version of hell on earth, it would be laying right there between the time we fell off our beds to when we rolled in to work, aka, the “morning mess”…
Picture this…You set up your alarm for 5am, so you can get up at the crack of dawn in peace (read: without having to pee in everyone’s presence), pray, meditate, read, do something you love (read: nothing), and put on your shoes inside the house (read: not while hopping to the car as the retired neighbor watches you in disbelief)…But…
This is what really happens: Said alarm rings at 5am, you shove the phone under your pillow as you mentally promise yourself to get up in 5 minutes. Which turns into an hour, as you jump out of bed into the shower, clean up as the kids are screaming bloody hell because it’s Tuesday (or Monday, or Wednesday, doesn’t really matter), and tackle your monumental morning to-do list…
For the longest time, I thought that’s what mornings were supposed to be like. This frenzied race out of bed, into taking care of everyone else, before landing into some cubicle or office (hopefully mine), and rushing through a day as packed as my favorite chicken sandwich (the one with melted cheese dripping off the sides)…
According to scientific research, your mornings can really set the tone for the rest of your day. So is it really surprising that frenzied, rushed mornings set the tone for frenzied, rushed days? Or that productive, healthy mornings precede productive, healthy, and enjoyable days? I would say the latter…
Out of my “morning mess”, here are 7 lessons I learnt about making the most of your days, by making the most of your mornings, even if you have a gazillion things on your plate:
- Get up earlier. Yes, you’ve heard it before! Nothing beats getting an early headstart on your day. Whether “early” for you means 5am or 9am, give yourself some time before officially starting the day. Some of the world’s most prominent leaders wake up at least three hours before the rest of the world (that’s us) does.For many of us, it means resisting the temptation to hit the snooze button, or throw the alarm clock across the room, for that matter.
- Go to bed earlier. Speaking of getting up earlier (and this may hit you like a ton of brick), but you may also have to consider going to bed earlier. Which also means skipping the start of the “Game of Thrones” season, or the Real Housewives explosive reunion, or your late-night Facebook-checking routine. In addition to the fact that it can seriously help with those pesky fine lines too…
- Adopt morning rituals. Let me start by saying hitting the snooze button ten times in a row is not a morning ritual, just sayin’…Adopt morning habits that make you leverage that time. Prayer and meditation help get me centered early in the morning, before the day even starts. For others, it may be adding an exercise routine, or reading thirty minutes a day. President Barack Obama starts his day with a cardio and weight routine, before helping his daughters pack off for school.Vogue editor-in-chief prefers an hour-long tennis session early in the morning, while Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of the HuffPost, favors yoga and meditation as a starter. Whatever it is that helps you feel calmer, more focused and centered, do that. If you can do it at the same time every morning, it’s even better.
- Nurture your personal passions. In “What Successful People Do Before Breakfast“, author Laura Vanderkam lists working on your passion, as one of the things the most powerful people do early in the morning. I write this blog when everyone else sleeps, not just because it’s one of the only openings in my busy schedule, but also because doing it first allows me to honor my purpose and gift. Whatever it is that sets your soul on fire, do it first thing in the morning. Honor what makes you happy first, and watch it blossom in your life. In addition to making you immune to bad drivers on the highway, just sayin’…
- Show gratitude. Another thing successful people do to leverage their mornings is write down things they’re grateful for. This habit was taught to me by my first business coach. It took me a while to put it into practice, as I didn’t quite get the point at first. Writing down people, places and things you’re grateful for can change your outlook immensely as you get ready to tackle your day, and make you clearer and more open. If you haven’t already, give it a try…
- Plan your day. Before the distractions get in and you get your third cup of coffee, plan your day strategically. One of my beloved managers in Big Corporate used to say she does all her planning in her truck on her commute to work. I start planning my day mentally in the shower (something about the hot water and hearing your thoughts for once…). Reviewing your tasks for the day not only gives you a big picture of what’s ahead, but also helps you manage your time more efficiently.
- Spend quality time with loved ones. This is where you take the time to enjoy those precious moments that are too far and few in between. Breakfast is my favorite meal, and also my time to cuddle with the kids, help them make their beds or take a shower, and start my day on a loving note. Even if by the time we’re getting ready to leave, they have different shoes on and can’t find their jackets to save their lives…
How do you leverage your mornings to make the most out of your days?
To your success,
The Corporate Sis.
