1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about building a good morning routine. Because 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: this podcast is called Before Breakfast. I know a lot 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: of listeners already have great morning routines. I know other 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: listeners would like to build them, But what exactly makes 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: a good morning routine listeners? Zena wrote in with a 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: question along these lines. She asks, is it better to 8 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: start the day with productive work or should you work out, read, meditate, 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: et cetera. Sometimes I do those things, but then I 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,599 Speaker 1: feel anty and like I'm avoiding something, namely the productive work. 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: She's worried she should be doing well. First, I want 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: to say that I don't think anyone should create a 13 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: morning routine that makes them feel anty. That is not 14 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: the point. Also, there's no one right answer to what 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: makes a good morning routine. But to build a morning 16 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: routine that's right for you, it helps to know a 17 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: little bit about why mornings matter. The reason many people 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: like having a morning routine is that mornings set the 19 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: tone for the rest of the day. A wind scored 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: then creates a sense of momentum that can keep you 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: going until bedtime. Also, most people have more discipline and 22 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: focus in the morning. They also have more control of 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: their time before work and family demands stack up, So 24 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: that makes mornings a great time for doing stuff that 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: life tends to crowd out those important but not urgent 26 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: things such as strategic thinking and planning, creative work, spiritual practices, exercise, 27 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: or nurturing close relationships. So if you're thinking of building 28 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,839 Speaker 1: a morning routine or expanding one you already have, ask 29 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: yourself a few questions about the activity or activities you're 30 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: thinking of choosing. First, Do I enjoy doing this? A 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: good morning routine gives you a reason to get out 32 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: of bed. The image I like to keep in mind 33 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: is my children bounding out of bed on Christmas morning. 34 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: They're just so eager to see what the day will bring. 35 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: That might be tough to pull off three sixty five 36 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: days per year, but I do know that it's going 37 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: to be hard to get up early day after day 38 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: for something you don't want to do. In the throes 39 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: of a new resolution. You'll stick with it for a 40 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: few days or even a few weeks, but then something's 41 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: going to happen. You'll get busy at work, or you'll 42 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,399 Speaker 1: get sick, or a family member will get sick, you'll 43 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,399 Speaker 1: miss a few days, and then you'll have a hard 44 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: time starting up again. So, in other words, if you 45 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: hate to run, don't build a morning routine around running. 46 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: Maybe there's some other form of exercise you like, such 47 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: as taking a class, or going for a walk with 48 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 1: a friend, or doing yoga with a video at home. 49 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: All of these would be much better choices than attempting 50 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: to force yourself to do something you just don't like. 51 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: I mean, who wants to get out of bed for that? 52 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: The second question is whether morning time is the best 53 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: or only time for this activity you're considering. For many 54 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: people with regular jobs and families, morning is the best 55 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: logistical time for exercise. Probably you can find time the 56 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: rest of the day for the other activities that Zena listed. 57 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: You could meditate in your car in the parking lot 58 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: for five minutes before going into work. You could read 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: before bed at night. At least theoretically, you should be 60 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: able to do productive work at your desk during your 61 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,839 Speaker 1: actual work hours. So that's why exercise is a very 62 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: popular morning activity. But let's say you work in an 63 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: office with a gym and lunchtime classes that employees are 64 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: encouraged to take, or maybe you and your spouse go 65 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 1: for an hour long walk after dinner together each night. 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: I work for myself, so I can usually run in 67 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: the mid afternoon as a way to take a break 68 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: from work. If you fall in one of these categories, 69 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: then maybe you'd choose a different morning routine, like working 70 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: on your novel or meditating or taking an online class. 71 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: I think productive work makes the most sense in situations 72 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: where you have goals beyond your immediate job responsibilities. Perhaps 73 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: you'd like to do original research that would help you 74 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: become known as an expert in your field. You could 75 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: choose to get up early three mornings a week to 76 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: work on this and then focus on your normal duties 77 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: during the work day. I've also seen some leaders use 78 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: early mornings for thinking about the long term direction of 79 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: their companies. They need to be accessible to employees during 80 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: the work day, so they do focused individual work before 81 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: they show up at the office. Whatever you decide to 82 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: do as a morning routine, be sure to start small. 83 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: It's better to decide to walk for thirty minutes two 84 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: mornings a week and stick with it. Then aim to 85 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: take an hour long class seven mornings a week. Over sleep, 86 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: your alarm on day three and never go back and 87 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: feel free to switch it up. To a routine doesn't 88 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: automatically mean doing the same thing every day. You can 89 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: carve out time without dictating that the same activity happen 90 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: within it. So maybe some mornings you exercise, some mornings 91 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: you do to productive work, and some mornings you read. 92 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: There are enough days in the seven day week that 93 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: you don't actually have to choose between these things, and 94 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: that means you don't need to feel anty, always wondering 95 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: if you should be doing something else. If you've got 96 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: a good morning routine, I'd love to hear about it. 97 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: You can email me at Before Breakfast podcast at i 98 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. 99 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 100 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: our time.