A lot of people, myself included, cannot seem to win the morning.
Especially in June. The icy-cold nature of Joburg winters permeate the bones and make you feel 10 times older. Despite this, time marches on as usual, and takes no prisoners. When it’s time to get done for work, it’s time to get done- whether you’re feeling cold or not. And when you get to the office, you have to perform for 8 hours- whether you’re ready for the day or not. You get up to go to work, and that is the role you assign yourself in the morning.
This routine of waking up and getting done just for your role at the office can make it seem like you have no time for yourself. This can lead to decreased productivity, and sadness. Sadness is not fun.
So I tried a few things I thought would help to win the morning, and have seen some astounding results in my mindset, tackling the day with a level of control I never had the week before. When you get up for work, your mind does not seem to fully work, but when you get up for you… You don’t just win the morning; you conquer your day.
It Starts the Night Before
Before the light, there is darkness. But in that darkness, illumination.
Before I sleep, I make a checklist of all the things I want to do in the morning. Whether that be exercise, breathwork (more on that later), a good breakfast, drinking some more water or personal writing.
Your checklist doesn’t have to be long, just 2-3 things you want to do for yourself.
Remember, the goal of this is not just to optimise your workday, it is to honour you.
And maybe you have to get up 30 minutes earlier to honour yourself.
But in doing so, you’re winning already.
Breathe
There’s a reason meditation has become so popular.
Learning how to breathe, and how good it feels to just be in your own body does wonders for your self-confidence.
I’ve accepted that I am not everything I thought I wanted to be, and everything that everyone else wants me to be, but I am still me. And I have this blessing that is my mind, and my body, and I can use it to achieve greatness.
I’ve recently found a breathwork exercise that aids in my quest to win the morning. It might not be the answer to life, the universe and everything, but it certainly does help.
Make Your Bed and Shower
I pushed myself to do two things I don’t really want to.
Making the bed means I can’t go back. This is it. I’m awake now.
Warmth, glorious warmth, why hast thou left mine company?
But there’s something therapeutic in letting go that gives you strength to just get on with things.
And then I jump into the shower.
In June. When it’s cold.
Just getting over the fear of becoming colder at some point, that aids in the process of letting go.
You’ve beaten your comfort zone, and you smell fresh. That’s a massive win.
Forgiveness
Maybe you didn’t exercise, maybe you snoozed your alarm so many times that you missed your whole routine and didn’t win the morning.
So?
The whole purpose of your morning routine is to honour yourself, and what better way to do it than to forgive yourself?
You are not a machine. And that’s okay because I don’t write blogs for machines.
Unless that machine is a 2007 Honda S2000. I would write anything for that machine.
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