This is a universal problem, something we can all understand. Whether it be our teenage years of sleeping until 1pm or waking up to leave for work on Monday morning already looking forward to the weekends lie in.
Since I (Marky Bobs) joined Stewarts early this year I have become truly determined to make the most out of each and every morning, to try and wake up as naturally as possible and to have kicked a little bit of backside out of the day before I even get in to the roastery.
I’ve had mixed results but these are my top 5 tips for getting the most out of your morning.
1. Be Grateful
Start with the most important for me. I am truly, truly lucky to work in my dream job and that in itself has made getting up a whole lot easier. However life is about balance and even if career comes first in your life like it does in mine, there are so many things to be grateful of.
Cant think of any? Make it simple, be grateful that you are in this world and able to experience it.
So each morning shortly after getting up I just sit quietly remind myself what I am grateful for and this sets my mind to an instantly happier place.
2. Be Creative
In my life this is so important. Heading up a marketing department made up of just me means that my creative influences are up to me to find. I find that by taking just 15-30 minutes each morning to work on my own personal creative project that I get my brain in the creative sweet spot before I even leave the house.
Plus it also means that I don’t use up all of my creativity on work and have nothing left for my own stuff.
At the moment I am getting in to videography. I find myself obsessed with Vimeo and in particular all of the travel and surfing videos that you can find on there.
3. Be Mobile
This is mobile as in movement not phone. In fact this is a good place to note this – maybe don’t pick up your phone until you’re getting ready to leave the house? Leave yourself disconnected from social media (yes even the marketing guy is saying that) and focus on you and your family instead.
Back to moving around though! Not everyone wants to work out in the morning, I am one of them. Something about exercise and my morning routine that just doesn’t make sense. So I have managed to find a little compromise, I just walk over to the shops to pick up a paper and walk back.
My local shop are used to seeing me in the terrible morning state and I am used to getting my body working in the morning but getting all of joints moving. This also helps the digestive to kick in, which is super important to getting a good start to the day too!
Keep it simple, keep it quick and you’ll find that a bit of morning exercise is easy, rewarding and routine in no time.
4. Be Organised
I used to hide under my cover in the mornings dreading the amount of “stuff” I had to do. Genuinely used to hate facing the day even though I enjoyed what I was doing. The sheer unorganised nature of my day meant that it was all too much for me.
I unfortunately am a few years away from having a Pepper Potts type person in my life so it remains up to me to save me from my own bad organisation. For me it starts before I go to sleep the night before. I write out all the things that I want to do the next day. This isn’t my whole to do list – that stays updated somewhere else.
This is simply the stuff that if I do, business continues as normal and I finish the day feeling like I have achieved something.
I then leave this list out by my computer so when I get up the next morning I can see it, see how easy it is, see how achievable this is and then go about my morning relaxed in the knowledge it is not going to be a stressful day because I’ve already planned for it.
5. Be Respectful
Again, this is kind of a biggie. Please, please, please be respectful to YOURSELF each morning. Starting the day off in the right way has literally been a way through to changing my entire lifestyle to something that I really wanted but didn’t know how to get.
Go out late the night before to grab bread so that you have some breakfast in the morning, on weekends get something special in to allow yourself a little indulgence. Get to bed a little earlier the night before to make sure you get the hours you need.
If we don’t treat ourselves with a little respect each morning how on earth can we go into the world every day and be respectful of other people. Believe me, whoever you are reading this and whatever you’ve been doing – you deserve to be respectful of yourself. Start doing that from the first thing in the morning.
So those are my 5 top tips for a better morning routine and they work for me. They may not work for everyone so please get in the comments below and let me know what has been working for you and what hasn’t.
SECRET TIP 6
Start your day with a proper cup of coffee…I think I might know some guys that can help you out too 😉
Add great a coffee to your morning
Hi
Can I just say I totally agree with you on all the points you made. I am possibly a tad (cheekily) older than you but believe if you are thinking like this at this stage of your life then you are on to a winner my friend!! Whether you know it or not but these are all very Islamic things that you do. As a good Muslim you are advised to wake up that bit earlier and pray for being alive, for being grateful for it and for having all that you have in your life…going to bed early…being good to yourself and your body and feeding it well….being more effective in your day by being organised and keeping yourself active so that in later life you reep this all in the form of suppleness and movement in your body that you otherwise not have had. Oh and since I am a graphic designer and love things creative….number 2 really resonates with me to the max. Keeping it real bro!!! Take care
Hey Umber!
Glad the article resonated with you so much! Looking after yourself is such an important thing and people get caught up doing so many things and forget to take that simple step back.
Number 2 is a big one for me, now more than ever as I plan the marketing for 2016 to meet our growth goals. Where do you graphic design, freelance or part of an agency?
Marky Bobs