“I am so overwhelmed!” I declared to my business coach one Saturday morning.
“Why do you feel overwhelmed?” He asked patiently.
I proceeded to list a dozen or more things that I needed to do. I am also afflicted with a vision brain and I always have a list of ideas that I want to explore.
There’s just not enough time in the day.
And then he asked me a question that changed my life. “How do you win your morning?”
Huh?
"What do you do the first hour of your day to set yourself up for success?"
As I stumbled through my routine, I realized I was really doing nothing to set myself up for success. It was a jumble of stuff. Go to the bathroom. Drink coffee. Feed the dogs. Check email. Make to-do lists. Finish a blog post.
But there was nothing in that first hour or two that was for my own personal growth.
It is seriously annoying when he asks me profound questions that he knows I don't have a good answer for. ;-)
What I’ve learned, since that conversation, is that successful, happy people treat the first hour to two hours of their morning as sacred. They read or listen to something that grows them personally or professionally. Topics that further improve on who they want to be. A leader. A writer. A speaker. More productive. More patient. Happier.
They avoid to-do lists and email. They leave their homes if possible to get away from the pressure to “do something productive.”
It is really easy to say, that’s just about impossible for me, Jen. I have crazy busy mornings. I have to help get the kids off to school. Prepare for meetings at work. Do the dishes. Eat, shower and get dressed. Those first 2 hours are gone.
I hear you. I do. That was my resistance too. There are always “more important” things to do than take care of you, right?
Why in the world do we always put ourselves last?
Here’s what I started doing that I will admit is super uncomfortable at times, but I feel is worth it. I get up 30 minutes earlier than I used to. Yes, that means that I get up some mornings at 4:45am to avoid the noise in the house. From then, until about 7 when the house wakes up, is mine.
I wrote a post on Morning Rituals which is directly related to this post. Take a look at what I do in those early mornings.
Once I started focusing time for myself first thing in the morning, I’ve noticed that I am more focused throughout the day. I’m happier. More patient. And I don’t feel so overwhelmed with all the things to do. Those things are still there and will always be there. The list is never complete (another lesson for another time).
Maybe you don’t feel like you have an hour to spare. So carve out 15 minutes. Or maybe you really DO have an hour to spare, you just choose to do other things that can wait. Can they wait? Can you sit with your coffee and just be still? Let your thoughts focus on where you want to be in a year? 5 years?
Slow down. Take care of you.
Talk to you tomorrow!
*HUGS*
Jen Thoden
PS. Sharing is giving which is just good karma. Share this post so that others can benefit from this positive message. Thanks in advance :-)
Do you like this content? Enter your name and email below to receive Daily Confidence in your email. Give yourself a positive boost every morning!
“I am so overwhelmed!” I declared to my business coach one Saturday morning.
“Why do you feel overwhelmed?” He asked patiently.
I proceeded to list a dozen or more things that I needed to do. I am also afflicted with a vision brain and I always have a list of ideas that I want to explore.
There’s just not enough time in the day.
And then he asked me a question that changed my life. “How do you win your morning?”
Huh?
"What do you do the first hour of your day to set yourself up for success?"
As I stumbled through my routine, I realized I was really doing nothing to set myself up for success. It was a jumble of stuff. Go to the bathroom. Drink coffee. Feed the dogs. Check email. Make to-do lists. Finish a blog post.
But there was nothing in that first hour or two that was for my own personal growth.
It is seriously annoying when he asks me profound questions that he knows I don't have a good answer for. ;-)
What I’ve learned, since that conversation, is that successful, happy people treat the first hour to two hours of their morning as sacred. They read or listen to something that grows them personally or professionally. Topics that further improve on who they want to be. A leader. A writer. A speaker. More productive. More patient. Happier.
They avoid to-do lists and email. They leave their homes if possible to get away from the pressure to “do something productive.”
It is really easy to say, that’s just about impossible for me, Jen. I have crazy busy mornings. I have to help get the kids off to school. Prepare for meetings at work. Do the dishes. Eat, shower and get dressed. Those first 2 hours are gone.
I hear you. I do. That was my resistance too. There are always “more important” things to do than take care of you, right?
Why in the world do we always put ourselves last?
Here’s what I started doing that I will admit is super uncomfortable at times, but I feel is worth it. I get up 30 minutes earlier than I used to. Yes, that means that I get up some mornings at 4:45am to avoid the noise in the house. From then, until about 7 when the house wakes up, is mine.
I wrote a post on Morning Rituals which is directly related to this post. Take a look at what I do in those early mornings.
Once I started focusing time for myself first thing in the morning, I’ve noticed that I am more focused throughout the day. I’m happier. More patient. And I don’t feel so overwhelmed with all the things to do. Those things are still there and will always be there. The list is never complete (another lesson for another time).
Maybe you don’t feel like you have an hour to spare. So carve out 15 minutes. Or maybe you really DO have an hour to spare, you just choose to do other things that can wait. Can they wait? Can you sit with your coffee and just be still? Let your thoughts focus on where you want to be in a year? 5 years?
Slow down. Take care of you.
Talk to you tomorrow!
*HUGS*
Jen Thoden
PS. Sharing is giving which is just good karma. Share this post so that others can benefit from this positive message. Thanks in advance :-)
Do you like this content? Enter your name and email below to receive Daily Confidence in your email. Give yourself a positive boost every morning!
