I don’t know about you. But I LOVE this time of year.
I love the “back to school” feeling.
The crisp fall air always feels like a fresh start.
After enjoying a bit more downtime in the summer, it’s a great time to dial in my habits a bit more.
Sometimes people sh*t on a seasonal focus (e.g. New Year’s). But life moves in seasons.
And this is a season to buckle down. To focus on a strong end to the year.
On that note, I’ve been thinking a bit about habits and morning routines.
A lot of entrepreneur talk focuses on morning routines. It’s cliche. But it makes sense.
For most of us, the morning is a chance to set the tone for the rest of the day.
We get to start the day with some wins. We can make progress on key self-care habits and business priorities.
(This is all the more the case if you have a little one or little ones. You can take advantage of an hour or two before they wake up.)
To that end, I wanted to give you a dead-simple time efficient system for making the most of your first 60 minutes.
I would never prescribe what you SHOULD do. So please take this only as a buffet of options to consider integrating into your own approach.
1) Win the Day the Night Before – The first step happens the night before. Set yourself up for success BEFORE you go to bed.
As part of your nightly shutdown ritual, identify your most important priorities for the next day. Schedule what will happen and when. “Lubricate” your day so you can hit the ground running: get coffee prepped, lay out your clothes, organize your browser tabs, etc.
Immediately upon waking, before you start work, you can accomplish these four activities in 45-60 minutes:
Meditate – 5-15 minutes of your preferred practice.
Start your day by breathing and connecting with the awareness behind your thoughts. Get some space between who you really are and the torrent of thoughts that are always rushing.
Move – 10-20 minutes of moving your body.
This could be a brisk walk, some light cardio on an at-home exercise bike, some yoga, or anything else to help your body wake up. This doesn’t need to be a workout. You’re just looking to elevate your heart rate slightly and wake up your body. Bonus points for getting outside.
Appreciate – 5-10 minutes of writing out appreciations.
Take your time to reflect on what’s going well. Write down achievements you’re proud of, things you’re looking forward to, and people you’re grateful for. Take time to feel into these items. Don’t rush through this.
Learn – 10-20 minutes of reading.
I’m all for audiobooks. But the discipline of reading a physical book is an important practice. Personal development or spirituality are best for getting your mind right. Alternatively, you could choose something related to a particular skill you’re working on (leadership, marketing, time management, etc.).
Dassit!
A dead simple routine to start your day with wins and get your mind right for the rest of the day.
One final note…
Sometimes you have a season of GRIND.
This past year has seen my workload get truly gnarly.
And with a (magical!!!) toddler (THAT I ADORE!!!), time is at a premium.
So you have my permission to dial this back as needed.
Are you crushed? Just drink coffee and go to work if a given season demands it. Don’t make this one more thing to be precious about.
But if you DO like positive morning inputs?
And you find it DOES lead to better health, mindset, and business outcomes?
Be careful your season of hustle doesn’t last forever.
At the very least, whether these particular activities fit into your morning or not…
You can’t pour out of an empty cup.
For your team, your clients, OR for any adorable 2-year-olds that live in your house.
Toasting you with that always magical first sip of coffee,
Mark
PS Speaking of learning…
Have you signed up for BFU’s Gym Lead Blueprint yet?
In this two-hour gym marketing masterclass, I’m teaching 5 ways to generate more leads this month…
All in less than 3 hours per week.
It’s going down on Monday Sept 9th from 10a-12p est.
Btw this one is JUST for those who sign up.
But we WILL send the recording to those who sign up and can’t attend live.
So if you want access, claim your spot HERE.