- The philosopher Aristotle is credited
with saying, "Well begun is half done,"
meaning if you start something right,
you're already halfway toward completion.
Nowhere is that truer than how you begin each day.
However, there's no perfect formula
for how to begin your day.
What I'd like to do is offer some suggestions
for you to consider, and then you can implement these
and see what works best.
First, consider when you start each day.
The more consistent you can be with this,
the better it is for your body.
Seek to avoid having different times that you start
during the weekdays and the weekend.
Of course, this requires
that you've established a good routine
for sleep the night before.
Next, consider what you need to hear or read
in order to get your mind focused in the right direction.
For example, some people find it energizing
to listen to a certain type of music.
Others prefer listening to motivational
or educational literature or even a podcast.
Others find reading a helpful start to their day
in terms of inspirational text
or even articles related to their industry.
You don't need to spend a lot of time in this step.
For some, as little as five minutes is enough
to get their mind in the right place.
Next, some people find some value
in beginning their day with exercise.
While exercise certainly has value at any time of the day,
I've worked with leaders who find
that exercise get the blood flowing to their mind.
It also gives them more energy.
Also, take a close look at what you eat for breakfast.
Skipping breakfast is almost always a poor choice,
as you're not feeding your body the nutrients
that it needs to perform properly during the day.
I'm not a dietician, so I don't feel qualified
to tell you what to eat.
However, what I can tell you is to pay attention
to what you eat, and recognize
how those foods affect you afterward.
For instance, I know if I'm going to record a video
like this, it's a really bad idea for me to have sugars
in the morning, because it will drain me
and leave me without energy.
You may even want to keep a simple breakfast journal
for a couple of weeks.
Write down what you ate, and write down
how much energy you had two hours later.
There are also many other practices
that you should consider, things that might be unique
to your career or industry,
such as a writer starting every day by writing 100 words
or a salesperson starting every day
by reaching out and making one business contact.
No matter what you choose
for your morning routine, commit to it.
Calculate how much time you think all
of this activity is going to take,
and budget time for it on your calendar every morning.
Give yourself a little extra time in that budget
so that you don't feel rushed.
The more you experiment
with and implement your daily routine,
the more you will settle into a pattern
that helps you achieve the most every day.