Tough Week? How Successful People Maintain a Morning Routine...
...even during challenging times.
When I first sat down to draft this article, I wanted to do a piece on what successful people do as part of their morning routines. You know, looking at the famous 1% and giving you a low down on the common themes, so that we can understand what we can all do to match their potential.
Side note: If that’s what you’re looking for, I can sum it up in one sentence for you: Wake up early, set an intention for the day, meditate and/or do some form of exercise, spend quality time with loved ones, work on the big complex tasks first.
But as I started researching and reading the same things repeatedly (I swear if I read ‘getting up really early’ one more time, I’m going to lose it!), it became clear that this wasn’t purpose of my article. Sure, if your situation is all set, and you’re one of those people who can wake up naturally, with no alarm, no screaming children, no job to be late for, and no care in the world, then fantastic, I’m genuinely pleased for you and truth be told, a little envious!
But for the rest of us, how are we supposed to fit in all the things that ‘experts’ tell us we should be doing, to have a successful morning routine that ultimately leads to a successful life? How do we stay in control and remain productive, when our worlds feel challenging and uncertain?
The short answer is we adapt.
Even with the best will in the world, sometimes our days just don’t start off the right way, and a whole host of things could throw us off balance before we’ve brushed our teeth in the morning.
Here are five ways to adapt your morning routine when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed:
Prioritize self-care
Focusing on self-care, no matter what’s going on in your life, is crucial. This means getting adequate sleep, eating right, and exercising.
On her podcast and in her book Arianna Huffington often talks about the importance of sleep and self-care, especially during stressful periods. She’s an advocate for maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and incorporating relaxation techniques such as meditation to handle stress effectively.
I must agree with Arianna’s method, sleep is so essential for my ability to function, that I always prioritize it when life feels particularly challenging.
Quieten your mind
Mindfulness and meditation helps you to stay grounded during difficult times, and these practices help reduce stress and improve focus.
Oprah Winfrey incorporates meditation into her daily routine, which helps her preserve a sense of peace and clarity. When she’s having a rough day, she often increases the time spent on meditation to better manage her stress and maintain focus.
For me this transpires as needing to spend less time in meditation, as a stressful morning for me, leaves me with less time not more. But, even 5 minutes of careful breathing instead of a full-blown 17-minute meditation helps me tremendously.
Process stray thoughts
Journaling allows you to visually process thoughts and emotions, which can help you stay focused and resilient.
Richard Branson has written many articles about his daily routines. He says that he uses journaling to reflect on his goals and challenges. During tough times, he finds that writing down his thoughts helps him clear his mind and focus on solutions rather than problems.
What works for me, is to carry around a set of sticky notes, and when I can’t concentrate on the task at hand, just to jot down anything that comes to mind. Whatever order it transpires, or whether it makes sense or not, isn’t a factor. It simply lightens the load in my head. Those notes will sometimes go into my weekly plan as actions, or into a ‘to-do later’ list. When they’re done, it’s satisfying to put them straight in the shredder.
Sharpen your focus
Sounds obvious but adjusting your goals and priorities to be more realistic can help in maintaining productivity without feeling overwhelmed.
Warren Buffet focuses on setting a few key priorities each day. During stressful periods, he simplifies his to-do list to focus only on the most critical tasks, so that he can still be productive without overextending himself.
I have done this for as long as I can remember, and not just in challenging times, but as a regular weekly practice. What works for me is to use a simple weekly planner technique to map out what I do each week and the priorities for each day.
Reconnect with people (or animals!)
Staying connected with loved ones can provide much needed emotional support in times of need.
During challenging periods, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, makes extra time to connect with her children and loved ones, which helps her maintain emotional balance.
Physical connection works best for me. We like to hug for at least 20 seconds in our house. It instantly relaxes the huggers, and it feels wonderful to connect so intensely without needing to speak.
To sum up
It’s easy to have a great morning routine when you’ve got time and money aplenty. But it can unravel when you’re dealing with a lot either mentally or physically. Maintaining some form of consistency is key, but finding what works for you is the ultimate cherry on top.
I would love to be able to wake up leisurely and ‘prime’ my thoughts for the day with gratitude, a lovely undisturbed meditation, and a few strength training exercises to boot. But realistically, at this stage of my life (spinning a hundred plates at the same time) I have do what I have time for.
You do you.
What does that look like for you?
Let me know in the comments.
-Selda
P.S. If you found this article valuable, don’t keep it to yourself - spread the word! Share it with your friends, family, and colleagues, and let’s help everyone to navigate their mornings with ease, no matter what’s going on in their lives.
P.P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how to build a life you love, here are a few ways I can help you:
Personal guidance and coaching to find more hours each day:
Double your productivity and do more of what matters to you:
🚀Supercharge Your Productivity: Take the stress out of your week and juggle all of your jobs without working yourself to death
⚖️7 Proven Strategies to a Better Work Life Balance: Spend less time at work and more time on the things you really want to do
I love how you share about the shift of your intention and then outcome of the actual article - it reconnects to your explanation of "we need to adapt".
I recently shared my own morning routine and how writing it down made me realise that I took inspiration from others but adapted and refined it towards what WORKS for me and what SERVES me in my current life stage and circumstances.
I feel your way of breaking it down into the different aspects of what a helpful morning routine might contain is like a simple and easy to use blueprint to be curious and find the right habits that match to your distinct mornings!