1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,279 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about building a good morning routine. Because 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: this podcast is called Before Breakfast. I know a lot 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of listeners already have great morning routines. I know other 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: listeners would like to build them, But what exactly makes 6 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: a good morning routine listeners? Zena wrote in with a 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: question along these lines. She asks, is it better to 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: start the day with productive work or should you work out, read, meditate, 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: et cetera. Sometimes I do those things, but then I 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,639 Speaker 1: feel anty and like I'm avoiding something, namely the productive work. 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: She's worried she should be doing well. First, I want 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: to say that I don't think anyone should create a 13 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: morning routine that makes them feel anty. That is not 14 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: the point. Also, there's no one right answer to what 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: makes a good morning routine. But to build a morning 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: routine that's right for you, it helps to know a 17 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: little bit about why mornings matter. The reason many people 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: like having a morning routine is that mornings set the 19 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: tone for the rest of the day. A wind scored 20 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: then creates a sense of momentum that can keep you 21 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: going until bedtime. Also, most people have more discipline and 22 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: focus in the morning. They also have more control of 23 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: their time before work and family demands stack up, so 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: that makes mornings a great time for doing stuff that 25 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: life tends to crowd out those important but not urgent 26 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: things such as strategic thinking and planning, creative work, spiritual practices, exercise, 27 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: or nurturing close relationships. So if you're thinking of building 28 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: a morning routine or expanding one you already have, ask 29 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: yourself a few questions about the activity or activities you're 30 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: thinking of choosing. First, Do I enjoy doing this? A 31 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: good morning routine gives you a reason to get out 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: of bed. The image I like to keep in mind 33 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: is my children bounding out of bed on Christmas morning. 34 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: They're just so eager or to see what the day 35 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: will bring. That might be tough to pull off three 36 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: sixty five days per year, but I do know that 37 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: it's going to be hard to get up early day 38 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: after day for something you don't want to do in 39 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: the throes of a new resolution. You'll stick with it 40 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: for a few days or even a few weeks, but 41 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: then something's going to happen. You'll get busy at work, 42 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: or you'll get sick, or a family member will get sick, 43 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: you'll miss a few days, and then you'll have a 44 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: hard time starting up again. So, in other words, if 45 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: you hate to run, don't build a morning routine around running. 46 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 1: Maybe there's some other form of exercise you like, such 47 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: as taking a class, or going for a walk with 48 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: a friend, or doing yoga with a video at home. 49 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: All of these would be much better choices than attempting 50 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: to force yourself to do something you just don't like. 51 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: I mean, who wants to get out of bed for that? 52 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: The second question is whether morning time is the best 53 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: or only time for this activity you're considering. For many 54 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: people with regular jobs and families, morning is the best 55 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: logistical time for exercise. Probably you can find time the 56 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: rest of the day for the other activities that Zena listed. 57 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: You could meditate in your car in the parking lot 58 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: for five minutes before going into work. You could read 59 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: before bed at night. At least theoretically, you should be 60 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: able to do productive work at your desk during your 61 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: actual work hours. So that's why exercise is a very 62 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 1: popular morning activity. But let's say you work in an 63 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: office with a gym and lunchtime classes that employees are 64 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: encouraged to take or maybe you and your spouse go 65 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: for an hour long walk after dinner together each night. 66 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: I work for myself, so I can usually run in 67 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: the mid afternoon as a way to take a break 68 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: from work. If you fall in one of these categories, 69 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: then maybe you'd choose a different morning routine, like working 70 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: on your novel or meditating or taking an online class. 71 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: I think productive work makes the most sense in situations 72 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: where you have goals beyond your immediate job responsibilities. Perhaps 73 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: you'd like to do original research that would help you 74 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: become known as an expert in your field. You could 75 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: choose to get up early three mornings a week to 76 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: work on this and then focus on your normal duties 77 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: during the work day. I've also seen some leaders use 78 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: early mornings for thinking about the long term direction of 79 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: their companies. They need to be accessible to employees during 80 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: the work day, so they do focused individual work before 81 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: they show up at the office. Whatever you decide to 82 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: do as a morning routine, be sure to start small. 83 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: It's better to decide to walk for thirty minutes two 84 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: mornings a week and stick with it. Then aim to 85 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: take an hour long class seven mornings a week. Over 86 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: sleep your alarm on day three and never go back 87 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 1: and feel free to switch it up. To a routine 88 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: doesn't automatically mean doing the same thing every day. You 89 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: can carve out time without dictating that the same activity 90 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: happen within it. So maybe some mornings you exercise, some 91 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: mornings you do to productive work, and some mornings you read. 92 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: There are enough days in the seven day week that 93 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: you don't actually have to choose between these things, and 94 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: that means you don't need to feel anty, always wondering 95 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: if you should be doing something else. If you've got 96 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: a good morning routine, I'd love to hear about it. 97 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: You can email me at Before Breakfast podcast at i 98 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. 99 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 100 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: our time.