Concentrate on getting a solid morning
I once thought that a perfect morning meant an efficient morning. ‘How do I get the most done in the shortest amount of time so that I can sleep the longest without being late?’ Over time it became clear that this kind of morning wasn’t efficient. Nor perfect. It was simply rushed. It meant waking up every day feeling like I was running away from the fast approaching phantom of ‘lateness’. The key lesson here was that there’s no ‘perfect morning’… There is only ‘my perfect morning’. This kind of morning was very different to the rushed, quasi-efficient, functional morning that I thought was a universal ideal. Indeed I know plenty of people who enjoy this sort of start to the day. Good on them. But I’d like to suggest that each person has their own perfect morning.
For me, being often rushed means I’m not on top of things. There’s a lack of agency there. A symptom of not living with enough balance. This in mind, its absurd to plan my first experience of each day as being rushed! It took some experimenting, but I’ve landed on a routine that sets a really good precedent for the day. That deserves saying twice: a great morning is a precedent to a great day.
Here are some tips on finding your best morning:
Set an alarm for your bedtime
The decision making center of our brain is the frontal lobe. At the end of the day, it slows right down, while many other parts of the brain keep firing normally. This is why we make poor choices at night. Try making the bed time decision before your frontal lobe slows down. Not when you’re half way through an episode of Rick and Morty.
Fuel up
That means protein and vitamins. Eating high-sugar cereal or carbs alone just doesn’t work. The body will feel full. For a time. But soon, your energy-hungry brain will run out of fuel, and you’ll be functioning on reserves until lunch. The brain uses 20% of the energy we get from food… Its worth spending an extra 5 minutes, and an extra $2 each day to have a decent breakfast. The fastest anger-management client relationship I ever had was with a guy who wasn’t eating breakfast. He started fueling up. No more issues.
Make your bed
In the event that you’ve gotten to bed at a good hour, woken up after your ideal sleep time and aren’t in a rush, this little trick can work wonders. A made bed is a precedent of the first task attempted during the day. The reality is that we don’t know what the day itself will hold, but "if by chance you have a miserable day, you'll come home to a bed that is made." - Admiral William McRaven.
I’ve recently asked a number of (successful) people what they do in their mornings. Although their answers varied, they all used the phrase ‘what works for me is…’
So find your own great morning. Keep your teas stocked and your fruit fresh so to speak. Experiment! And it might just have a sturdy impact on your day.