You may have heard the expression ‘Win the morning, Win the day’ but if you haven’t, don’t worry, you’re in good company – it was news to me too until quite recently! The last 12 months of social lockdown has given me plenty of time to immerse myself in unexplored topics which has led to me soaking up new concepts and adopting new ways of being at a (wait for it) unprecedented rate! It feels like my capacity for learning is greater than ever before because I am very consciously choosing what I invite in to stimulate my grey matter and with every new awareness and practice, my world is expanding.
Make every hour count..
So back to the topic of how to ‘win the morning’ and why on earth it even matters. Throughout my adult life I can remember hearing the words ‘I just don’t have time, I’m too busy’ whether coming out of my mouth or someone else’s, and to be perfectly honest with you, I never thought to question the validity of such a statement.
It never really occurred to me that everyone has the same 24 hour period to function in and so when I looked at that uber-successful friend whom I admired (and maybe even envied a little), undoubtedly they have the same daily menu of challenges and chores to negotiate. Yet they seem to reach their goals and make an impact in the world, whereas I would have the lingering excuse percolating in the back of my mind that I just don’t seem to have time to do all the stuff I want to.
30 Miracle Morning Challenge..
Time to introduce ‘The Miracle Morning’… a book that transformed the way I start my day. Although when I read that the best time to rise and shine was 5 a.m. I did come over a bit feint! Despite what the outraged part of me was saying, in that moment I made the commitment and started getting up at 5 a.m. sharp every day for the 30 Day Miracle Morning Challenge.
But in this blog I’m not going to create a spoiler alert and tell you what the challenge consisted of, I just wanted to share with you how it opened up my eyes to the untapped potential of the early morning hours. With a few great tips and techniques, and the cementing of productive new habits during this initial 30 day journey, I found inspiration, resolution and transformation. I still only had 24 hours available to me but I found myself able to squeeze more juice out of my day and still get a good night’s sleep!
Why I love to 'Win the morning'
And now it’s confession time… 1 year on from my challenge and I have to admit that I have lapsed a little. I don’t set my alarm rigidly for 5 every morning but I do get up much earlier that I ever used to, always up by 6, and I have a special morning routine which sets me up for the day. I have adapted what I learnt to suit me and my lifestyle and I allow flexibility within the framework too, I am not one for rigidity in anything although I have welcomed the addition of discipline into my life which this journey has demanded.
So do yourself a favour (even if you’re one of the ‘I hate mornings’ brigade) and embrace the untapped energy of the early morning hours to allow you space to breathe, to be inspired and to prepare for a day of productivity and realised potential.
