So they say it is all about the the routine, and I would agree. I had a rough routine before lockdown but now I have had a few months of following a set practice Monday to Friday and it has made such a difference.
I have been able to achieve more than I ever have and deliver on things that might have seemed a dream before. By optimising my first 3 hours and removing distractions I am able to get my most important thinking done and normally my most important task of the day.
I have been asked about my routine by a number of people and I share it with my Blueprint to Business Success clients during the program. So after a number of requests I thought I would share it with you here in my blog.
I start my day at 5.30 am, normally with a cat cuddling my feet. I always drink a glass of water to start my day. I wash my face and get into my gym gear and take my vitamins. My 3 key vitamins I take every day are:
Vitamin C – Immune system booster
Vitamin D – Combats my SAD and helps absorption of other vitamins
Vitamin B12 – Energy boost spray
Once I have set up, I go downstairs and start the day with a 10 minute yoga practice and 5 minute affirmations around 5.45 am. This will be done inside or outside if the morning is clear. Yoga and affirmations stretch my body and clear my mind – ready to focus on the day. Some mornings I will treat myself to tea on my mat and just relax before I get my heart rate going.
Then out for a run! I love running – well not the actual action but the feeling it gives me is amazing. I normally run between 2.5 – 5 km depending on how I feel. And I run from my house to the beach and back. It is the most stunning place to be early in the morning. Sometimes Jay comes out with me, other days I will listen to an audio book as I run. This morning I just started “Get rich lucky Bitch” after many recommendations. So I will let you know more about that as I get deeper into the book. I am normally home between 640 – 7 am
When I get home, I have a protein shake and jump in the shower and then make breakfast – either eggs or granola with yogurt.I normally sit in my lounge and look out into the garden while I eat my breakfast, letting my mind recap and process what I listened to while I ran. Or if Jay is up we will eat together and talk about adventures we want to go on and what our days have install for us!By 7.30 am I am well fed and ready to focus on my day and intentions so that I get the best out of my hours!
I then spend the next hour doing 3 things:
- Setting up and planning my Bullet Journal and Daily intentions – This is the list of actions, calls and main intention tasks that need to be completed.
- Setting up my work page in my notebook – this is a single notepad that houses all my notes, brain dumps, meeting minutes and ideas – and is indexed to an inch of its life so that I can continue to refer back to important information.
- Cracking out my first MOST IMPORTANT task of the day. This task is always the one thing I HAVE to do that will move my business forward in a big way. So by 8.30 am I have a plan for the day and have had my first success.
This routine sets me up with all I need to be successful, and even if something derails me later in the day, I have already take one step towards stabilising or growing my business.
The last thing to note is that I aim not to get on social media before 10 am and use an automated posting tool to ensure my posts go out at times that suit my audience but don’t disturb my focus time. There are exceptions to every rule and if one of my network ask specifically for a post to get some love I will log on, comment, share and like the post and then log off again. Without going down a wormhole of looking at notifications or scrolling.
This is the single most helpful idea I would share. Distractions are what stop business owners from being successful. But good habits are what make you strong enough to resist distraction!
I would love to hear your morning routines and what you find works really well for you. Please share them below!