053. 6 Things to Do Before Breakfast

I always aspired to be one of those women who jumped right out of bed in the morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. You know like the successful business women you see in the movies, who wake up extra early with a smile, sitting at the breakfast table diving into emails on their laptop, while eating a flaky, country honey-baked ham, egg and cheese artisan, then carrying that momentum throughout the rest of the day.

I mean, in the movies professional women are always walking down the street so blissful headed to work. I can’t be the only one who notices this right? I always wonder what it is that gets them going.

Is it their job? Is it encoded in their DNA? Or is it the shoes?

I’ve come to the conclusion it has nothing to do with what she wears, how she looks, but what she does. It’s an inspiring morning routine. When you have an exciting morning routine to look forward to, how can you not wake up motivated to tackle any day.

Want to be more productive each day? Increase your productivity and get more done throughout the day by doing these six things before breakfast.

Create a to-do. Be focused with a plan. Create a list to help you track your time and better prepare for what the day has in store for you. Plan and strategize for the day ahead by writing down everything you need to do. The best way to command control over your day is to organize your list based on priority and importance. This will give you direction as you go about your day and help you to avoid getting distracted with unimportant tasks.

Here’s a bonus tip, if the snooze button is your friend and you frequently have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, try creating your to-do list the night before. And try to go to bed at a decent hour to ensure you get 8 hours of sleep. This is a nice trick that motivates you mentally to get right up in the morning instead of procrastinating.

Drink a glass of water. First thing in the morning, yes, even before you reach for the coffee, drink a glass of water. Drinking a full glass of water in the morning helps re-hydrates your body and jump-start your metabolism after a long period of sleep. Did you know, your brain tissue is 75% water? When you’re not properly hydrated, your brain operates on less fuel, and you can feel drained, experience fatigue or mood fluctuations. Drinking water first thing also helps you feel more alert and energized. Additional benefits include helps your body flush out toxins, gives your brain fuel, makes you eat less and may even help you shed those extra pounds.

Meditate! Meditate! Meditate! Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind, and the morning is a particularly good time to practice meditation. In the morning set aside a small block of time to meditate or pray for mindful awareness and expanded consciousness. Meditate to focus, clear your mind and move beyond the mind’s stress-inducing thoughts and emotional upsets into peace and clarity. Some of the many benefits of meditate or morning devotional are reduced stress, improved concentration, decreased blood pressure, and increased knowledge of self. There has even been recent research linking meditation to brain restoration.

Manifest your vision. Do you have a vision board or journal where you keep your goals? If not, I recommend you start jotting down your short- and long-term goals. When you write down your goals, you increase your chances of achieving them. When you wake up in the morning you should make a habit of reading your list of goals every day. Reviewing your goals is a sure way to keep you on track!

If you have not created a vision board or written down your goals, I strongly encourage you to do so ASAP! Did you know 70% of women set annual goals? Yet only 8% put their goals on paper. You are 3 times more likely to achieve a goal when you write it down. So get to writing OKAY?!

Intake motivational content. Ditch the news. Yes, I am aware you need to know what’s going on in your community and around the world, but the morning is not the best take to take in news content. Have you ever watch a news segment and felt sad? Let’s face it, the news can be depressing. Instead of watch the news in the morning, try listening or reading inspirational, educational, or motivational content. Intake inspiring content which really gets your mind and spirit soaring for the day. Some smart options are listening to a podcast, reading a chapter of a good book, or motivating sermon. If you don’t like reading, experiment with audio books.

Show your gratitude. Attitude is altitude. Start your morning with gratitude, on most occasions your attitude going into the day will dictate its outcome. Practice positive thinking until it becomes your norm. Spend a few moments each day acknowledging the people, things, or experiences for which you are grateful. Verbally express your gratefulness to those around you. By doing so you subconsciously promote happiness. Before you go to bed at night, profess your appreciation and thankfulness for life and the things we often take for granted. Write down things you're grateful for and keep them in a gratitude jar or journal. When you are having a bad day or feeling down, read your gratuities for an emotional boost.

Your morning creates your day. Your day creates your life. Everything you achieve in life is the result of your actions. If you get the morning right, the rest of your life will flow much easier and more successful. By doing these six things you can overcome procrastination, be a more positive, healthier person, and set you up for victory. Set yourself up for success every morning by creating a routine that gets you going and inspires you to carry that energy throughout the day.