Business Success Habits: Don’t You Just Hate Mornings?

Mornings are just rough! Don’t you hate when the alarm clock rattles you out of a peaceful sleep in the morning? We tend to hit the snooze button several times, then jolt out of bed in a rush to make it to work before being too late. That is how most people start their day … jolted, foggy minded, and hungry. We know we are wrong in continuing these habits, but there are hundreds of excuses to continue the morning rush. Then, when we do make it, all you hear from co-workers is “It must have been a rough night!” or “You must not be a morning person!” A ‘morning person’ is one of those tediously obnoxious, overly energetic, OCD types who have way to much energy before 6am. They just are not human!

Getting a Grip on Success Habits

The fact is, being a ‘morning person’ is a good thing! According to Frederick M. Brown, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and the director of the Human Performance Rhythms Laboratory at Penn State University, someone we would typically call a morning person is, in the scientific literature, a morning-type person, while a night owl is an evening-type person. Most people fall somewhere in the middle; they are the neutrals, intermediates or day-types, and they pretty much get up when it’s light out and start to wind down as it’s getting dark.

A well-known fact is highly successful people are ‘morning’ people. They start their day between 4:00 am and 5:30 am, and they focus on success habits that make them better. Reading, personal and professional development, yoga, meditation, exercise and tedious administrative tasks are just some of the habits included. This time is typically alone time for them. They are insulated from the never-ending bombardment their brains get from the outside world. It is a time to relax, think, focus and sharpen their skills. Iconic CEOs like Sir Richard Branson, Tory Burch, Indra Nooyi and the late Steve Jobs were up and being productive well before the sun rises.

Making a Change for Success

Start the night before. Change your success habits! Studies have linked motivation levels with REM sleep. If you’re not getting high-quality rest, with several REM cycles, your motivation and energy will lag when it’s time to get up in the morning. To get better sleep at night, start with limiting your caffeine intake during the day. Limit caffeine drinks to one or two during the entire day. Then, before bed, you need to step away from the electronics. Their brightness impact your sleep patterns. Once you have settled in for the evening, read a book. It not only educates but will help your mind relax and fall asleep much quicker. Finally, make sure you have a calm sleep environment by having comfortable bedding, turning alarm clock faces around from your view, and a dark room with soft ‘white noise’ gently playing in the background.

Wake up with a purpose! Make it a success habit! When the alarm goes off, then it is time to get up and get going! Don’t hit the snooze button. Let your feet hit the floor and get going with some motion. Use that motion to engage yourself in activities that benefit you. Hit the weight room, go for a jog or take the dog for a walk. The important part is to get your body active and ready for a fast paced day.

Once you finished with some ‘wake-up’ activity, then start working on the mind muscle. Meditate, read a book, work on an inspiration project or idea. Exercise to get the body going and these activities will get your mind going! When your mind is active, you will become more focused, creative and thoughtful towards others.

Finally, just like any other life changing process, be focused on results, but be patient. Exercise the discipline it will take to change your habit and you will be a ‘morning person’ before you know it.

Check out the link to a great resource on becoming a morning person.