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What do you do to start your day with intention, setting yourself up for high performance and living the day to its fullest potential?
The first hour of the day is crucial and should be designed as deliberately as possible. In this article, I’ll share the importance of a morning mindset routine and what I personally do.
Nothing Missing Without a Morning Mindset Routine… or Is There?
During a personal development and coaching festival in Cologne organized by Greator, I encountered a profound question posed by Maik Baum through his song “Your Museum’s Day” (listen here).
It asked, “If there is a museum full of pictures of you and your experiences at the end of your life, how would you create today?”
This question deeply touched me and led me to reflect on how I start my mornings.
Before establishing an intentional morning practice, my mornings were filled with snoozing alarms, a quick shower, and heading straight to work. However, once I started a morning practice through the Insight Timer app, I realized how empty my usual mornings felt, and how ineffective my days became.
There is a Spartan warrior credo that says
“The one who sweats more in training, bleeds less in war,”
Embracing a morning practice puts you in the driver’s seat of your life and leadership. Imagine starting your day with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, feeling you have already dedicated time to something you benefit from or enjoy, or both. It sets the tone for a different world.
Sharma’s 20/20/20 Formula:
After trying various mindfulness and meditation exercises, I discovered Robin Sharma’s 20/20/20 formula, which resonated deeply. The formula consists of dedicating 20 minutes each to moving, reflecting, and learning.
Moving can take the form of sports or stretching. Reflecting can take the form of meditation or journaling. And learning can take the form of reading or listening to an audiobook or podcasts.
Over time, I developed my own structure, alternating between two routines. One routine involves stretching and meditation with journaling, while the other includes QiGong exercises and breathing techniques.
Design Your Own Morning Ritual
You don’t need to start with more than a few minutes. It’s much more effective to start small and gradually build up your personal morning mindset routine over time.
Here are guidelines you can follow:
Orient yourself with the 20/20/20 formula. You can start by cutting it down to 1/1/1 or 3/3/3 initially. Work with something you can stick to rather than aiming too high and giving up after a few attempts.
Take the categories of 1) movement, 2) reflection, and 3) learning. Brainstorm a few activities in each category that either serve you well or that you want to try.
Also, include activities that might be “painful” or boring in the short-term but serve you well in the long run. For example, 100 push-ups might not be your favorite thing to do, but it will benefit you over time.
Consistency is more crucial than intensity at this stage. While I believe that a combination of both factors is essential for building a habit, when you start on your own, in my experience, consistency prevails over intensity. Set up a practice that you can maintain.
Expect to struggle. Not every morning will feel great, and not every part of the routine will be enjoyable all the time. You might even miss a day or two. That’s alright. Get back up, face the struggle, and do it anyway.
Turn your mornings into the foundation for high-performance, intention and fulfillment.