What’s the first thing that you do when you wake up in the morning? I’ve realized through trial and error that how we craft our first few actions in the morning, really sets the stage for the day. Most successful women that I know – and when I say “successful,” I mean women who are happy, empowered and love what they do, get up early. Because most of us juggle insanely busy lives with kids, jobs, and all kinds of other responsibilities, we have to give ourselves time. We all have the same 24 hours, however, getting a head start on this slice of time pays great dividends. Getting up “early” for me means setting my alarm so that I give myself enough time to do what I need to do before the family gets up and running. This allows me to start my day feeling empowered, rather than discombobulated. Tapping into my inner Lioness is what it’s all about first thing in the morning.
When I have a big project on, like writing a book, I like to give myself at least an hour of computer time first thing in the morning. I pour myself a huge glass of warm water, into which I’ve squeezed half a lemon. I down a probiotic (because it’s better on an empty stomach,) and I roll out my yoga mat. I do about 3 minutes of simple stretching: Maybe cat/cow, a downward dog, and a hip opener, then I sit down at my desk. My creative juices are always at their best early morning when the house is quiet. It’s also SO satisfying to get an hours work under my belt before anyone else wakes up. If I don’t have a big writing project to hand, I might use this hour to focus on my social media, or write a few emails, however, I have to be super disciplined about reading emails. Reading the constantly updating inbox of emails can be a brain-drain and a terrible time-waster. I’ve gotten really good at scanning blocks of emails, filing them accordingly, deleting all the junk, and then TURNING IT OFF! Trust me on this one – if you turn off your email and texts, you will be able to complete all the important little tasks that you’ve been putting off.
Next up is exercise and breakfast – I’ll address this in my next blog, but for now, I’d love to hear how you manage your early morning? Do you hit the computer first thing, or do you roll out your yoga mat, or even reach for a cup of Joe?
