A Millennials Guide to the Most Productive Mornings
Getting up in the morning is not the easiest thing to do. I would know. I am in no way, shape, or form a morning person. People always rave about how mornings are the greatest thing in the world and how much they get done. I’ve heard some people say they enjoy exercising in the morning. Exercising, that gives me chills. It took me a while to finally give the whole morning thing a chance to see what everyone was raving about. It was rough, and I am a girl who loves her sleep.
I set my alarm for two hours earlier than when I usually get up. I opened my eyes reluctantly and groggily rolled out of bed. I was upset to notice that the sun was still asleep. I shuffled over to my coffee pot and brewed myself some energy. There was no way I was waking up without coffee, but once I had my first sip, my whole world changed; I had never gotten so much done before, with so much peace and clarity, all before my day began. Mornings were like a whole new, fantastic world to me. That is why I am here to say productive mornings are not a myth, and I will share with you how to make the most of them.
Start with something that will make you smile.
For me, this is coffee; just the smell of it makes me happy. If you are a coffee drinker, then I feel like it is the absolute best start to your morning. I also know it is the only way to start in the morning. Invest in a coffee maker that you are proud of. Grab your favorite coffee and fun creamers. The extra motivation of just having those things will help. It is also entirely ok if you are not a coffee drinker. You can start with whatever you’d like.
If not coffee, I would recommend something else that will give you energy. This could be a smoothie, tea, a delicious breakfast, or music. Choose your happiness and take a moment to sit down and take it in. It is essential to know that there is no rush whatsoever. Giving yourself that time for relaxation will set the foundation for the rest of your day.
Have you ever considered putting your phone down in the morning and taking on a Sudoku or a crossword puzzle? Sometimes, being pulled into your phone is a lousy way to start the day because you’re already on your screen! Instead of doing that, get stuck into a Sudoku and work your brain another way.
Create a Game Plan
The only way to a productive morning is by planning it out. Ask yourself, “What do you want to accomplish today?” Maybe you have a paper due at the end of the week that you haven’t started yet, or you have a kid who needs a lunch made for school; either way, use this time to create your goals. Get a pen and paper and start listing things in your head. Only take about five to fifteen minutes to do this, and use the mindset that anything is possible and the deadline is not set in stone. After you have your list of goals, put a star next to the most important ones. You are going to focus on those first. Knowing that you may not finish everything on your list today is essential, which is entirely ok. Whatever you don’t finish, you can tackle tomorrow morning.
Get to Work
Let’s recap: you have gotten your morning inspiration and created your game plan, and now it is time to act. Don’t be alarmed. This is going to be great. Take a look at your entire list. When choosing the tasks from your list, you want to start in order of importance. In this case, you will mentally note all tasks with a star next to them. Pick whichever one you want to start. After completing one task, reward yourself before moving on to the next one.
Whether it is another piece of a blueberry muffin or a silent reminder of your progress, it is important to acknowledge even your most minor successes. After you’ve rewarded yourself, pick out the next task. Keep repeating this process until you have run out of time or completed everything you wanted.
Stay Motivated
You must remain optimistic throughout this morning process. If you feel like you aren’t accomplishing much, then take a moment and remind yourself that you would have been asleep otherwise and accomplishing absolutely nothing. Every little bit counts. Put on your favorite upbeat music and stay focused on one task at a time. If you think about all of the stuff you have to do, then you will never be able to realize what you have already done. If you aren’t a morning person, look at it this way: the more you get done, the more likely you can nap later.
Getting up in the morning isn’t easy, but it is worth it. You can be productive and reach goals while relieving stress by giving yourself that extra couple of hours a day.
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I am interested in learning more about how to do productive mornings. Be sure to read Morning Ritual Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Wake Up Productive, Happy, And Motivated Everyday.
