Much has been made of the benefits of waking up early. Rising up before the sun may mean some of us catch the worm, but can also leave others with the bitter taste of exhaustion and lack of productivity. According to research, there are structures in the brain that determine whether we’re morning people (early birds) or late risers (night owls).
Even if you’re an early bird, like Sir Richard Branson, who wakes up at 5:45 a.m. or a night owl, like Mark Zuckerberg, who’s up around 8:00 a.m., how you spend your first hour has a big impact on productivity throughout the day.
I caught up with nine successful entrepreneurs to get them to spill the beans on what they do within the first hour after they wake up for a more productive and fruitful day.
Take away – Reduce digital noise to leave a clear pathway to work on big-ticket items.
Take away – Break your “fast” with healthy food to boost your brain’s ability to tackle the day ahead.
Take away – Spiritual devotion and gratitude gives you the focus to achieve your dreams one day at a time.
Take away – Human connection before digital interaction is a daily practice of life’s priorities.
Take away – Deal with your digital clutter first to make way for tasks that affect business growth.
Take away – Deliberate learning and dedicated relaxation in the morning solitude prepares your mind and body for a full-on day.
Take away – Visualize your day’s accomplishments to transform thoughts of success into reality.
Take away – Healthy body equals a healthy mind! Exercise prepares your body and mind to take on the rigours of the day.
Take away – Get moving to increase blood flow to the brain for better work performance.
Do you have a morning routine? What is it? If you don’t have a morning routine, feel free to pick and mix from the above to create your own power hour.
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