When you wake up each morning, what is the first thing you do? Be honest, do you look at your phone? The hardest thing about the fast-paced world we live in right now is the temptation to grab your phone right away to see what you may have missed. Don't fall into this trap!
Having a thought-out morning routine is key to your success for the rest of the day. As Steve Jobs said in 2005 while giving the Stanford commencement address, "for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."
Successful people tend to have a morning routine that they live by; some are straight to the point like Jobs' question to himself and others take a little more time and energy.
Here are a few morning routines that some of my favorite entrepreneurs do each day that may inspire you to create your own:
1) Tim Ferriss, Best-Selling Author and Entrepreneur
Within the first 60 to 90 minutes of his day, Tim makes his bed, meditates, exercises or hangs on a rig to improve grip strength and decompress his spine, drinks turmeric tea and writes in his journal.
2) Richard Branson, Founder of The Virgin Group and Investor
Richard makes sure to wake up around 5am so that he has time for a proper morning ritual. He exercises, meditates, reads inspirational texts, writes and spends time with his family before starting his work day.
3) Peter Davis, Co-Founder of IDEA Health & Fitness Association & Inspire360 Inc
Peter wakes up at 6:13am, a number combination that has had a special meaning to him throughout the years. He meditates and does breathing exercises for 30 minutes, then reads for 20 minutes and finishes his routine by writing in his journal for 15 minutes.
4) Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder of The Huffington Post and Best-Selling Author
When Arianna wakes up each morning she takes her time, breathing in deeply, practicing gratitude and setting her intention for the day. She then meditates for 20-30 minutes, goes on the stationary bike and cools down with yoga stretches.
5) Charles Poliquin, World-Renowned Strength Coach
Charles focuses on the power of breakfast when he wakes up in the morning. He says "what you eat for breakfast sets up your entire neurotransmitter production for the day" and rotates meat and nuts each morning for optimal leanness, energy and sustained mental focus. He has also studied other successful individuals and has concluded that the most common habits include setting daily goals, positive self talk, and keeping your morning ritual consistent.
6) Robin Sharma, Best-Selling Author and Leadership Speaker
Like Richard Branson, Robin wakes up at 5am and has created a movement called "The 5am Club." He dedicates 60 minutes at the beginning of the day to self-mastery and personal development. During this time he journals, reads inspirational books, works out and reviews his goals.
My challenge for you this week is to start paying attention to what you do each morning and create your own morning routine. You may want to start by trying out parts of other successful individuals morning routines to see what makes you feel the best. While meditating might be the perfect fit for someone else, you may find that journaling and exercising is the best combination to help you conquer your day.
Cheers,
Ravi
VP, Global Sales at ClubConnect
P.S. Did you know? ClubConnect is now the number one resource for health clubs and gyms. We power the education and development for over 4,500 health clubs and growing. Learn more about how we help health club managers, directors and owners here.