Spark your day by investing in meditation, exercise and reading. Make this investment to bring your body, mind and soul into balance .
For established and aspiring leaders, having a ritual of some kind is essential to meeting day to day goals. Within any such program, instituting a formidable routine can be the difference between good and great.
For example, Apple CEO Tim Cook is known for waking up at 3:45 AM to get a head start on his day. Oprah Winfrey begins her morning with meditation and gratitude, setting a positive tone before diving into her work.
By investing the first hour of your day into your Self—into centering your body, mind, and spirit—you are not only better equipped to handle the challenges of the day ahead, but prepared to accept the outcomes with humility, flexibility, and humanity.
Here are 6 actionable steps to optimize this practice:
Step 1: Plan Your Day the Night Before
Commit to planning your next day an hour or two before beginning your bedtime routine. Having a plan in advance eliminates indecision and guesswork in the morning. Create a list with your top three most important priorities for the next day. This not only gives your subconscious time to process your tasks, but also helps you envision how you will tackle your responsibilities throughout the upcoming day.
Step 2: Get into Bed an Hour Earlier
Most people have trouble waking up early. In this case, the success of your morning routine begins the night before. The trick is to get yourself into bed an hour earlier than usual in an effort to program your mind and body into a rest state. To ensure a peaceful transition, turn off all screens as soon as you tuck in. If you’re the type who needs something to wind you down, read a calming book. Keep at it and eventually it will become a habit that will help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
Step 3: Avoid the Snooze Button
Giving yourself the luxury of hitting the snooze button conditions your body to gradually become immune to that feature of the alarm. So much so, that you may not even hear it in most cases. More importantly, it can often result in making your brain groggy and unfocused because of the stop-start nature of your awakening. Start your day clear, centred and in command by rising up as soon as the alarm goes off.
Step 4: Resist Your Phone
Don’t let notifications and emails hijack your morning. Avoid checking your phone for the early part of the morning. This time should be spent on activities that nurture your well-being and set the tone for a productive day. This is the perfect time to execute your body, mind, soul routine.
Step 5: Steadily Begin, then Gradually Build
Your first aim is to get started. Then, gradually build up to your optimum state. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to implement a complete routine all at once. Start with creating one habit, like waking up 10 minutes earlier to work on your body. Then, gradually add more practices, like your mind and soul, until your routine becomes a well-rounded foundation for your entire day.
Step 6: Be Open to Customizing Your Routine
This is not meant to be a rigid process. Feel free to design a routine that aligns with your energy levels, personality, and unique needs. If a particular practice doesn’t resonate or deliver the desired results, be open to adjusting it. In fact, build a regular review into your system. A place where you can assess your challenges and achievements. The aim is to develop a routine that empowers you to become the best, most effective version of yourself.
There are three things at the core of establishing this routine – intentionality, authenticity and consistency.
Intentionality – Staying true to your purpose which shapes your mentality toward your planned actions
Authenticity – Staying true to your nature to avoid compromising your beliefs and deviating from planned actions
Consistency – Leveraging your true purpose and nature to remain principled and steadfast in achieving your goals
Begin your day by investing in meditation, exercise and learning and let it SPARK you toward a brighter, more productive future.