The One and Only Way to Start Your Day

Do you have a daily routine? Do you have a morning routine?

Are you living your life on purpose or by default?

If you don’t have a routine that you’ve specifically designed to support you in your goals and dreams, then you’re living by default.

The time to stop living like that is NOW. It’s time to start intentionally designing your day.

There is no one right way to do this routine, but you absolutely have to have one. Before you take on the world’s priorities, you have to take care of your own. The sooner you begin to build this muscle of sticking to a routine, the easier it gets. Not because it’s inherently easy, but because it’s familiar.

Most of the time when we say something is easy, we actually mean that it’s familiar. And, when we say something is hard, we mean that it’s unfamiliar.

The more you stick with your routine, the more familiar it becomes.

When we have a routine that’s designed to support us in our goals, it won’t feel as burdensome. Being able to execute something that is congruent with your values is paramount to feeling successful. Living close to your values, typically only happens by design.

When you’re living by a routine, you’ll just feel better. When something unexpected or unwanted comes your way, your body, mind, and soul will be ready to support you.

But you must build YOU first.

And once you’ve built YOU, you can build your business. It really can’t happen the other way around.

It all starts when you get out of bed in the morning. You need a morning routine to get off to a good start.

And actually, a good morning routine starts the night before. You need to go to bed and get up at consistent times. Your body needs this. Listen to your body. And don’t wait until something goes really wrong.

If you want to have a good tomorrow, make sure you have a good night. And, when you wake up, no hitting the snooze button.

There’s something I do every single morning before I let the world in. Four somethings, to be exact.

Before I send a text, check my email, start work, or even talk to anyone in my family, I do something for myself, for my own health, in each of these four categories:

Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical

This is so important. It will help you focus and be willing and able to be present. It will put you in a space where you’re ready for your day.

Let me give you a few examples for each category. If you’re anything like me, you get really bored if you don’t mix things up on the regular. And I’m sure you’ll think of plenty of ideas on your own.

You know what you like. You know what you have available to you. You know what bores you and what’s exciting enough to get you out of bed in the morning.

You’ll find that some of these ideas can fit in multiple categories. That’s okay. You know where they’ll fit best for you, or you can also switch them up.

Mental

The mental category includes anything that stimulates brain activity, wakes up your brain. You’re looking for activities that put you in a space to process and make decisions.

As someone who is a knowledge worker (which almost all entrepreneurs are), you need to be at your absolute mental best when it comes to making important decisions for your business. And all decisions you make are important for your business.

One simple thing you can do is reading. Just read a few pages—or a chapter—of a book. It can be a book about business, a self-help book, the Bible, anything that engages your brain. Period.

There are also a number of brain training apps out there—exercises and puzzles for your brain. Speaking of puzzles, do a crossword puzzle. Play a word game on your phone.

Just get that brain up and running.

Spiritual

There are a lot of things that fit in the spiritual category, and they’re extremely personal. You can pray. You can sing. Read your Bible. Go to the beach.

One of my favorite spiritual exercises is walking and praying at the same time. This works very well for me, especially with noise-canceling headphones because of my ADHD and autism.

I’ve been trying my hand at meditating lately, but it’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. Keeping my mind from thinking things is tough for me.

Maybe you could light a candle or incense. Maybe you want to sit outside and just commune with nature. Whatever makes you feel spiritually connected and recharged.

Emotional

How many of us can say that we’re really in tune with our emotions? What’s our emotional intelligence quotient at any given time?

What if, each morning, you take stock of your emotions and write down what you’re feeling?

Or write down something positive about yourself. Say some daily affirmations, reminding yourself that you’re smart and capable and valuable.

One of my favorite things is apps that allow you to connect to a psychologist.

Our emotional health is so much more important than we know.

Physical

The gym probably still isn’t an option for most of us, but we can do some stretches, push-ups, sit-ups. Take some time on the treadmill or exercise bike. Lift some weights in the garage. Take a jog.

Another important part of your physical routine: consuming adequate amounts of water. Drink some as soon as you get up. And then constantly throughout the day. When you think you’re drinking enough, drink more. I have a water bottle that glows when I get behind on my water intake.

And there you have it: starting your day in a positive way mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It makes such a difference.

I’ve been doing this four-step morning routine for a long while now, and it has revolutionized my life. I will never, ever, ever go back.

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