Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.
~ Jeff Olsen
My first job in life was as a paperboy in Seattle, Washington delivering the Seattle Times / Post Intelligencer to my community. I had one of those canvas bags for the weekday editions and pulled a big red metal cart for the large Sunday papers. I was eleven years old when I got that route. I switched to have a Journal American route once my family moved to Bellevue, Washington in 1982 and continued with it throughout my high school years. The money I earned from delivering papers bought my first car, a 1977 metallic blue Volkswagen Scirocco. Good times.
Ever since my days slinging papers I have been a morning person. I love the mornings. I like to get up before the rest of the world to start my day. I love the crisp morning air. I love watching the sun rise. If you haven’t noticed, the majority of the pictures I include on my blog posts are pictures of sunrises (sometimes a sunset, but they pretty much look the same to me). I chose sunrise pictures on purpose because I am inspired by them.
I’m so into mornings I even wrote a song about them. Check it out on the sidebar of my blog. The song is called…well..Morning.
I recently came across a Forbes.com article by Jennifer Cohen, an executive wellness coach, sharing her perspective on the morning habits of successful people. She points to Margaret Thatcher who woke at 5 am every day, Frank Lloyd Wright at 4 am, and Robert Iger (CEO of Disney) who wakes at 4:30 am as examples. Because of my fetish for mornings, her topic really connected with me. I thought you might enjoy it too as you work to unleash your greatness.
Here is my summary of Ms. Cohens’ Five Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM. I’m not quoting her exactly as I felt to simplify her list a bit more.
- Exercise. Exercising before work gives you a boost of energy for the day and that deserved sense of accomplishment.
- Plan. Map your schedule for the day as well as goals and to dos. Be sure to include breaks and preparations for healthy eating.
- Breakfast. Fuel your body for the tasks ahead. It is also a great time to connect socially with your family.
- Meditate. Spend time inside your mind, in prayer, and visualizing. Focus on the success you will have professionally and personally.
- Execute. Get the hardest item on your to do list done while you are fresh and focused. The rest of your day will get progressively easier, a great way to head into your free time more relaxed.
I thought this was a great checklist and action plan on success. Check out the complete article here. I encourage you to integrate some or all of them into your morning routine. While you’re at it, I recommend you also pause to enjoy the sunrise. It is breathtaking.
Choose to make the necessary sacrifices for success. Choose greatness.
~ SLE
Good morning Steve. I’m with you. Mornings are my favorite. I wake with thoughts already buzzing in my brain but appreciate my quite time to listen to God’s whispers. Its in the early hours i find the courage to ask my hardest questions, the strength to face the toughest challenges and the humble reminder that I am here to serve. The only thing I’ve been missing is the excercise. Thanks for the reminder. And thanks for being part of my morning routine.
Thanks Pam. That exercise makes a difference for sure.
I don’t when it happened but I became a morning person 3-5 years ago. I do this list already, except for 2 items: breakfast and meditation. I usually eat when I’ve been awake about 3 hours. A good list though!
Diana
Thanks Diana! Keep it up!
I love the sunrise too, but hate the cold worse. So indoor mornings in the winter.
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