If you arent early – you are late (and more reasons to tidy up your morning routine!)

How many things both physically and mentally could you alleviate if you just moved more, ate better and got more sleep? Is your body and mind functioning at an optimal level? It all starts with your morning routine.

I am passionate about encouraging people to experience the magic that can be found in the morning. It is my experience that establishing and maintaining a productive morning routine sets you up for consistent ‘wins’ throughout the day. The things that I am most proud of achieving so far in my life – did not begin with me rolling over and pressing snooze on my alarm in the morning.

Tony Robbins explains that as humans – we have a need for certainty. An established, consistent morning routine fulfills this need from the moment we get up. When a need is fulfilled, we are more likely to repeat that behavior. When you get out of bed with intention, you are putting momentum into motion. Like all changes, it will take time before your ‘routine’ actually becomes routine. Your previous behaviors are your current habit. If you always press snooze and roll over when your alarm goes off – your body and your mind is going to want to repeat that habit day after day. Breaking that habit is going to take WORK initially.

Heres the truth – things become easier when you stop expecting them to be easier. If you are trying to start your day with positive momentum but feel yourself being pulled back towards the comfort of complacency – that’s to be expected! What you need to ask yourself is – what will I achieve with this behavior? If your daily mission is to see how long you can stay in bed before you have to run out the door – go right ahead. But let me tell you – don’t expect results in any other area of your life when you start your day in this way.

When interviewing new staff (to work within the fitness industry), before I even look closely at their resume or sit down to speak with them – I ask them to come and do a 6:00am training session. Im not interested in their level of fitness. Im interested in what time they arrive.

It is my belief, that if you aren’t early – you are late.

When you are rushing to get anywhere – you don’t think clearly and you are not functioning from a place of consciousness. I don’t want to work with anyone that has a frazzled energy. Those people are generally unorganised and unreliable.

If it sounds like I take being a ‘morning person’ very seriously – its because I do. I wore many hats in my professional life but was able to finish ‘working’ every day at midday. It meant that I had time for the things that mattered most to me – because I am determined to not spend this one, beautiful life I have at work!

Before I moved to Geelong, I woke up at 4:15am every day and would drink 500ml of water and have a black coffee. I was at the gym by 5:00am. I took the first hour of the day to exercise – the first hour would be for me. I wouldn’t check emails, reply to texts or even go on social media. I would either listen to music or a podcast. From 6:00am onwards I would then check emails etc and even do phone conferences with staff members while I was still walking on the treadmill (multi task should be my middle name). I would then drive to my fav café and sit and enjoy breakfast (with my partner, a friend or I would organise a breakfast meeting to do with work) before actually going into work at 8:30am. By 8:30am I had stimulated my brain, pumped feel good endorphins around my body, spent time with someone important, worked on my businesses and walked into work feeling happy, centered and in control of the day ahead. It was always a struggle to get out of bed at 4:15 am – but I followed this same routine for about 8 years. In those 8 years I was able to accomplish a hell of a lot – and go home by midday. Productivity was through the roof – and I attribute it to the positive momentum I generated every morning. It followed me through the day.

My routine is different now, being that I work from home. However, I still have a routine that I follow (probably because it fulfills the need for certainty!). I am more flexible about what time my day begins, as it depends on how long Tyson sleeps for and what kind of night he has had. But once he is up – I follow the same routine. Play and breakfast for him, then he plays with his toys while I walk on the treadmill and listen to a podcast, or I take him for a walk in the pram. Then as soon as he goes down for a sleep– I do a weights session. Then I have breakfast. My morning routine revolves around him and will have to remain flexible as his needs change as he grows. But I will ALWAYS find a way to move before I do anything else for myself in the day. That remains the priority. Mum guilt plays on me sometimes when Im walking on the treadmill and he is happily playing with his toys (mum guilt is ridiculous like that) – but I reassure myself that I want him to see me taking time to invest in my health and happiness because I want him to do the same for himself in his life.

A morning routine doesn’t have to be airy fairy. It can be whatever you want it to be. Starting the day with yoga poses sounds amazing and would undoubtedly benefit your body – but its just not for me at this stage in my life. YOU get to decide what will work for you.

A morning routine can begin simply with waking up at the same time every day, drinking some water and going for a walk. If you cant leave your house, you could do a body weight workout or some stretches. As your body clock adapts, you will find that waking at the same time every day will increase your energy, boost your focus an improve your self confidence. You will feel better about taking on the day because you will be ready for whatever comes your way.

Don’t rush. Life isn’t a race.

Make the most of the time we are given.

Happy. Healthy. From the inside out.