The Morning Routine for Success
Self control is a limited resource
What would you say if I told you that in order to be successful, you don’t need to improve in your self control?
If you’re like most people, you’d dismiss this, saying that self control is essential to meet your goals
But researchers in the field have reliably found that relying in self control is not only not beneficial
It can actually make people less productive
Why, you ask?
Because self control is a limited capacity resource. If we try and rely on our self control too much, we end up not only where we started again but worse
This is the main reason why New Years Resolutions backfire on people
So, what should we do instead?
We should try and improve our subconscious mind
Our subconscious mind influences how we naturally act
When we make decisions in life, our subconscious mind is the primary influence on our actions
If we could program our subconscious mind for success, life would become a lot easier
Thankfully there are 2 simple ways
One is a morning routine and another is a night routine
Psychological research has shown that the period just before we sleep and just after we wake up are the most important part of our day
This is because these are the times that our subconscious minds are most susceptible to change
So, what is an example of a morning routine that will programme me for success
Below is my routine - the morning routine that has primed me to go from someone who struggled to read a page of text to working with top researchers in the world and tutoring future psychologists
My Morning Routine
Positive Affirmations: The first thing I do is start listening to positive affirmations. These morning affirmations involve terms such as “I am successful” and “I am always improving”. By listening to such affirmations early in the day, I am programming my mind to think in such ways
Drink water: The second thing I do is get a glass of water. Water is essential to survival and by drinking water straight after waking up, I am telling my brain that I care about my health. This action primes me to look after myself
Visualize my life the way I want it to go: I then shut my eyes whilst standing up straight with my shoulders back and picture my life going the way I want it to go. I picture all the successes I want, including occupationally, in terms of family and in the impact I have in the world. By doing this, I prime myself to take actions that will aide me in meeting these goals.
Shower: Finally, I shower and use this as an opportunity to think creatively on my goals
Coffee and work: Following this I do about 30 mins to 1 hour of work whilst having a coffee. At this time my fiancee is still asleep and my surroundings very quiet. I use this time to get work completed efficiently. Having it as part of my morning routine links my work with my subconscious mind and goals
Other ideas for morning routines
Making your bed: Making your bed each morning has been shown to increase conscientiousness, a trait that helps you to be more hard working. As my fiancee is still asleep when I wake, this is not possible for me, but I would recommend to anyone that has this opportunity to add it to their morning routine
Exercise: Oxygen to the brain early in the morning helps with cognition, attention and motivation. This is another fantastic example of how to start your day
Conclusion
Start your day positively, and you will thrive in life
Start your day negatively (eg responding to problems) and your life will be full of problems
