As you get ready for bed, you set the alarm clock for the next morning. You go to bed committed and with the intention of ‘seizing the day.’ You’re excited about the opportunity to become a better version of yourself on the fresh day.
You set the intention to wake up and work on your goals. You have a solid to-do list and every intention of accomplishing everything on that list. You know that this is how you’ll grow in your career or business, and life.
Morning time comes, and the alarm goes off. It’s blaring that annoying tone that makes you want to throw your phone. You get up, reach over and face a split decision. You will either stop the alarm and hop out of bed. Or, you hit the snooze button to catch a few more “minutes” of sleep.
Choices and the Science
Data suggests that 57 percent of Americans will hit the snooze button. You may have done it before. You start the “conversation” with yourself. You can stay up later or take something off of your list. You tell yourself there’s plenty of time, so snoozing is fine.
We sleep in cycles. Each sleep cycle lasts 90 to 110 minutes, according to research. Most humans will get four to six cycles during a night’s sleep. Two hours before our bodies wake up, our brain prepares us to wake up. It takes us out of the last sleep cycle.
When you hit that snooze button and innocently doze off, your brain thinks you’re entering another sleep cycle (90 to 110 minutes). But you’re probably not going to snooze that long. What happens is that you need to wake up in the middle of your sleep cycle.
You wake up groggy. Your body and brain are off. I’m guessing you’ve experienced this. It then becomes the start to your day, which has a major effect on the rest of your day. Your first 20 minutes each morning are crucial to what you’ll accomplish in any day.
Live Intentionally
Building good habits happen when there is an intention behind your mindset, goals, vision, and the way you pursue life. That begins with how you wake up each morning and the decision you make when it doesn’t feel convenient.
You go to bed at an hour that will give you enough sleep. Testing will help you determine that.
You set an alarm for the time to get up that will allow you to accomplish your daily goals. You either put your phone somewhere that forces you to get out of bed to stop the alarm.
Or, you have enough willpower not to hit the snooze button.
Start your day making the first intentional decision. Start your day with a win. You can then fill your mind with motivational and inspirational content that gives you the extra kick to accomplish more.
Live Each Day
Every day doesn’t have to be the same, but have a plan. Being intentional about what you do starts with planning and strategy. You should have a plan for your days, weeks, months, and year.
The reason too many leaders wake up not knowing what they should do is because they don’t have a plan.
The wonderful thing is we have the ability today to model success. The access to information can help us get a glimpse into the routines and strategy of successful entrepreneurs.
You can find what routines make sense for your goals. You can model parts or piece together an effective daily routine. Win the morning and win your day. Start each day with purpose and intention.
This is a marvelous time to build the habits that help you grow every area of your life. Habits are crucial to creating success. Start by building good morning habits. Start by winning the battle against the snooze button.