By Laura Vanderkam
1. Track your time. Seizing your mornings means getting up at a
reasonable hour. Getting up on time means getting to bed on time. But
many of us putter around in the evening, surfing the web or watching
meaningless TV. Figure out your weak spots, then set a bedtime and stick
with it. I'll be writing another post this week about a woman whose
evenings were getting away from her, and what she decided to do about
it.
2. Picture the perfect morning. You need a
reason to get out of bed. What would you enjoy so much that the snooze
button wouldn't be so tempting? Your ideal morning could involve
anything from painting to biking to taking an online class. But be clear
on why you're trying to make over your mornings and you'll be more
likely to do it.
3. Figure out the logistics.
What time do you need to get up? What equipment do you need? Do you need
anyone's help (like a partner who will trade off early morning shifts
if you've got young kids at home)? What could go wrong? Identify
potential obstacles and develop a plan to deal with them.
4. Build the habit.
Start slow. Try getting up a little earlier each week until the new
time feels normal. Surround yourself with positive people who want to
see you succeed. Practice blatant bribery. Silly as it may seem to
reward yourself for a morning run with a doughnut, better to build the
exercise habit and switch out the doughnut for a healthier breakfast
later than never start exercising in the first place.
5. Tune up as necessary.
Life changes. Morning rituals can change, too. Much as I like to run in
the mornings, it doesn't always work for me for both work and family
reasons. But I do it when I can, and on the mornings when I can't, I'm
trying to do something else purposeful in the mornings that starts the
day off right.
The reason? As I learned from
interviewing scores of successful people about their mornings, a small
victory scored early sets off a cascade of success. You believe that
your actions matter. And that makes you want to take the next step
forward. Believing that your actions matter is how the brain learns
optimism or, to use a better word, hope. When you make over your
mornings, you can make over your life. That's what successful people
know.
What do you do before breakfast?