Secrets of Success—It Starts with the Morning Routine

{3:00 minutes to read} I find that rising before the rest of the house, even if it’s at 5:00 am, helps you ease into the day without all the disruptions that life can bring. In a recent article in Inc. Magazine, there was a list of the 8 morning rituals of the most successful people, which caused me to reflect on my own morning routine. The 8 rituals are listed as:

Wake up early;
Decide and review what to do for the day;
Work out;
Have a healthful breakfast;
Maintain a journal;
Meditate;
Finish difficult tasks with focused work; and
Outlearn the competition.

I tend to get roused early by my two hungry dogs who seek my attention for their morning meal, then I ease into the day by either taking the dogs for a walk or sitting down and reading the New York Times before anybody else in the house is awake. Sometimes I drink two glasses of ice water to jump start my metabolism.

As an entrepreneur, I like to determine my mood before creating my daily goal list—sometimes it’s best for me to work on more internally-centered things and not interact with clients.

I then spend part of my morning in my home office, where I use my whiteboard to write down the 3 most important things I need to accomplish that day, giving me a focus. Having a 20-item list is too overwhelming—breaking it down helps me determine what the next step is for each project, in order to move that project along.

This time of year, I like to reflect on how my company has performed over the last 12 months and determine what 3 things I might do differently in the coming year. This reflection typically leads me down a path towards developing specific goals, then translating those goals into daily tasks.

It’s important to be thoughtful and reflective of what you do on a day-to-day basis. Meditating or journaling helps to organize your thoughts and provides a record of what you want to do and where you want to go, so you can look back and see if there is a key step you may have missed.

What three things do you want to do differently in the coming year to support your business growth? Please share your comments or questions below.

Curtis C. Battles