Come alive. It’s a brand new day.
The team at We Care Heating and Air in Murrieta starts every morning with a cheer:
I’m Alive
I’m Awake
And I Feel Great!
This is a culture, an environment that they are passionate about. Rise and shine! Start the day full of enthusiasm and vigor.
So, what is the key to starting the day on fire and ready to succeed? Well, love it or hate it, it starts with early rising. The earlier you rise the more you can use those early morning hours to set the tone of the day. Studies show that “morning people” are more productive, sleep better and are generally happier and more successful. Who are these early risers? Company presidents, CEOs, leaders and changemakers all love those early hours.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple – 3:45AM
Kevin O’Leary, Investor Shark Tank – before the sun
Margaret Thatcher – 5AM
Michelle Obama – 4:30AM
Frank Lloyd Wright – 4AM
Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney – 4:30am
David Cush, CEO Virgin America – 4:15AM
Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler CEO – 3:30AM
Early risers are more proactive, calm and have increased health benefits. So, here is how to start your day out right.
1. Exercise. Most people who maintain consistency in working out, do it in the morning hours. Morning workouts eliminate the possibility of flaking out after a long day at work. Whether it’s morning stretches, a run, walk, yoga session or a trip to the gym, exercising before work gives you a boost of energy for the day. PacWest Principle, Tony Hady plays 4AM basketball! Now there is a sense of accomplishment. Even if you aren’t your brightest at 5AM, it’ll help wake up your mind, your body, and move you into your day.
2. Drink Water. Drinking water in the morning helps you feel more alert, rehydrates your body, and kickstarts your metabolism. Go for water first. Save the coffee for later.
3. Meditation/Visualization. Early morning hours are the perfect time to enjoy quiet time inside your own head – meditating or visualizing. A 2017 study from Georgetown showed that mindfulness meditation had a significant impact on reducing stress hormones and inflammatory proteins and a 2014 study found that just 25 minutes of meditation a day could alleviate stress levels.
If you don’t have 25 minutes to spare each day, a 5-minute meditation helps. Or 1-minute meditations can calm your mind. Take time to clear your mind, center yourself and start the day calm.
4. Eat a Healthy Breakfast. Take time in the morning to fuel your body for the tasks ahead of it. Yes, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Plus, it keeps you away from the office sugar, the mobile food truck and the candy jar on the receptionist’s desk.
5. Map Out Your Day. Maximize your potential by mapping out your schedule for the day, as well as your goals and to dos. The morning is a good time for this as it is often one of the only quiet times a person gets throughout the day. The early hours provide easier reflection that help when prioritizing your activities.
6. Frontload Your Day. We all have that one project item on our to do list that we dread. It hangs over you all week until you finally suck it up and just do it. Here’s the perfect tip: do the least desirable task first. Then you can look forward to your day getting progressively easier, not the other way around.
How do we get up earlier?
• Go to bed earlier.
• Start off small. Start with 15 minute increments for getting up earlier.
• Keep your alarm clock far away from your bed.
• Once you’re up, stay up.
• Have a routine established.
• Invigorate with cold water.
• Make a good breakfast.
• Discipline, discipline, discipline.
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” ~Benjamin Franklin
“The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years.” ~Thomas Jefferson
