5 Ways to Start Your Morning Like a Successful Entrepreneur

The manner in which you begin your morning determines how the rest of your day will play out. The most successful entrepreneurs understand this. They use their morning hours wisely, considering them precious. These entrepreneurs understand that the quality of their morning routine will greatly influence their level of productivity, creativity and energy for the rest of the workday.

Everyone has a different morning routine, with some rituals that are a bit more absurd than others. You need to find what are the best habits to help you.

Brad Lande, CEO of Live Grey, admits that he was not a morning person until he recognized the benefits of using the morning hours to his advantage. He now sticks to a strict regime each morning, that includes a yoga session and daily breakfast smoothie. Lande says that he didn’t pick his morning habits overnight, but, “discovered them along the way.” He also says that, “they have shifted my mornings from a sleepy blur to a clear awakening.”

Like Lande, you need to discover those habits that will wake you up in the morning and get you better prepared for the day. Here are a few habits you can include in your daily routine that other entrepreneurs swear by.

A PERSONALIZED MORNING ROUTINE CAN SHIFT YOUR MORNINGS “FROM A SLEEPY BLUR TO A CLEAR AWAKENING.”  

Meditation

A common habit successful entrepreneurs have is taking the time to meditate in the mornings. Meditation allows you to pause, to turn off your mind and to reflect on what you have to be grateful for. Many CEO’s including LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner and Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington meditate daily, even for just a few minutes, because of its ability to reduce stress and improve brain function.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

An even more common routine among leading entrepreneurs is a scheduled time to exercise. They agree that getting up and getting their blood pumping destresses and energizes them for the day. How you exercise is up to you; check out what these entrepreneurs do or create your own workout regime.

When you can, exercise before you eat breakfast. Studies show that working out before you sit down to eat breakfast actually combats “detrimental effects of eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet,” including weight gain and increased risk for diabetes. Your body will thank you for exercising, and your productivity will improve, too.

Take Some Time For You

If meditation is not for you, be sure to still take some time in the morning doing something that calms you down. Read a book for pleasure or enjoy a cup of coffee, whatever gets you to stop for a moment and feel at peace. One CEO, Chad Halvorson, gives himself time to relax every morning before jumping into tasks he could easily accomplish while still at home. He says, “I try to avoid reading my email until I’ve been awake for at least one hour…[This] helps me prioritize my thoughts for the day based on what’s actually important, not what my inbox thinks is important.” Set aside that time to ponder on your goals or to just relax. We need to unwind at that end of the day, but it doesn’t hurt to unwind at the beginning of the day either.

Eat

You’ve heard before that you shouldn’t skip breakfast. But what about on those days when you’re running late and don’t have the time to make breakfast? How much does a good breakfasts really matter? Among other benefits, eating breakfast can keep your energy up longer and provide “optimal cognitive function throughout the day.” From steel-cut oatmeal to hard-boiled eggs with soy sauce, find out what these big-name entrepreneurs eat for breakfast.

Remember, Prioritize Your Time

As easy as it is to say we will stick to a morning routine, time gets the best of us. Most mornings we struggle to get up and get out the door when we need to. You need to make the decision about what really matters to you. That is something that sets apart successful people from those who just get by: successful entrepreneurs set priorities and they keep them.

Knowing the benefits of these morning habits should make them all a priority in our lives, or at least a few at first. Make the time for these activities, just like you would for a business meeting or a conference call. Schedule out your morning hours like you would during the workday and stick to that schedule.

TIME IS PRECIOUS, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FILL IT?

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