England Coaching

Waking up early has changed my life, almost like a hack to life.

It sounds crazy but waking up early to accomplish goals and tasks appears to be a catalytic factor for success. It’s no surprise individuals such as Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Howard Schultz, Eric Thomas, and many more who have shown forms of elite success in their careers, wake up early to start their day.

What’s the difference between waking up at 4/5am and sleeping in until 8/9am?

Waking up prior to most other individuals allows you to focus on your goals, this is where being intentional is essential. Not just waking up whimsically and hoping you go on auto pilot to start your day. This is how one may end up sitting on the couch wondering where they went wrong as they fight to stay awake trying to fine the urge to do anything other than close their eyes.

If you have ever said “there’s not enough time in the day”, it’s not a time problem as much as a prioritization problem. Regardless of who we are, we are given 24 hours in a day. We all have obligations to family, work, hopefully our health etc. But we can also get lost in day to day interactions. One phone call or text pulls you away from your daily tasks. It takes one glimpse of thought to realize you have dishes in the dish washer, laundry to do, weeds to pull in the garden. Those things seem like easy wins but can add up to take an entire day alone, drawing you away from the goals that perhaps should be prioritized. Unfortunately if you’re waiting for more time in the day, forget it.

For me: Waking up between 4-5AM before most others allows me to complete at least one objective task for the day if not two. I can typically wake up, read a chapter of non fiction followed by my workout. Then I can prepare for my workday. If I rolled out of bed only to rush to get ready for work, I’m not accomplishing anything much that day. You get home from work, and perhaps you’re overwhelmed or even getting tired from the day. You now have to figure out dinner plans, along with someone around you fighting fo your attention. Someone asks for help, or you find the dishes need done and you still need to shower and get ready for the next day. By then none of your personal goals are getting accomplished before passing out and doing it all over again the next day.

Let’s say we did get up early, have intention. what is your plan for the morning?

With a 4:15AM alarm, roll out of bed to throw some cloths on and start the coffee maker. It’s now 4:30AM and you’re working to open those eyes. Coffee is poured, I tend to add some ice so I’m not playing sip roulette with seemingly lava in a cup. I have had my moment of silence and even spent some time with my dog London who typically gets up early with me.

4:40am I’m drinking my coffee as I sit in an upright chair where I’ll start to read, do research, or accomplish an easier task. By 5:00/5:15am the caffeine is hitting and I’m typically making my way to workout. By 6am I’ve accomplished two tasks for myself, setting me closer to 2/3 goals for the day. Educational/personal growth and health. The rest of the day could lead you towards your third goal of business/ career growth. However this too has to be intentional.

How to get intentional with your goals?

You have to know where you are and where you want to be to take the appropriate steps. This is where having a personal vision comes to play. Perhaps this could be your first early morning task, day dream of what you want out of your live over the next year, then write it down where you’ll be able to see it often. The three focuses I have became fond of is a health goal, business goal, and relationships goal. Where finances can fall into the business category. Nutritional, hydration and working out can fall into the health category. Reaching out to family or friends, or meeting new people can fall into the relationships category. The great thing is, it’s your goals. Make what you want out of them.

How to spark change:

A book I recall reading set me up for a successful routine, Miracle Morning. Where they influence “SAVERS”

S: Silence (meditate/ think/ breath) Here’s your chance to clear your mind and clarify your thoughts.

A: Affirmations: Find your motto and stick to it. This differs for everyone and can change as you encounter new goals and new challenges. The important part is finding what you need to continue telling yourself to continue your journey of finding the best version of yourself.

V: Visioning: Picture what you want your life to look like in one year from now or three. What do you want to accomplish and how exciting might this be? Although we overestimate what we can accomplish in a day, we typically underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.

E:Exercise (Get the blood flowing and kickstart your energy and physical health)

R: Read, learn something new and develop your skill set.

S: Scribing: Journaling can help keep on track. You cannot get where you want to be if you do not know where you’re at currently. Writing down challenges and how you will overcome them will keep you on task for success. This may be where your daily goals can be written down, thus when you go through your day you can check off the successes. If you find yourself at a stopping point of ” what now?” check your goals as it keeps you on track.

It does not have to be an all or nothing approach. Start with SAVERS and you can mold your own version of what works for you as you go. There is no perfect recipe for life as we all are living different journeys, however there are some steps that can set us in the right direction.

Although when we talk about habits, we typically talk about habits we need to kick. Perhaps we can begin by talking about the habits we can add, and in time they will take place of those habits we want to get rid of. There are preexisting programs out there that suggest a 21 day fix, 30 day or even 60 day routine. What makes something a habit is the consistency and the magic number to make something a habit is not as simple as 21 days or 30 days. Once that time frame is up, if you do not have a vision and goal for yourself beyond those days; it is not likely that the habit/ routine will last. Again it is not an all or nothing approach were you’re starting over again if you miss a day. Or that you have lost all that you worked for by having an “off day”.

Where to start:

-SAVERS is a simple place to begin.

-Visioning what you want your future to look like and think about the goals you want to set

-Scribing, write those goals down for a year from now, then follow it with quarterly goals. Then simply think about what your most important next step is. What can you do today to be slightly closer to that annual or quarterly goal.

Let me know if this is helpful, or if you would like to see something specific. I enjoy the questions I receive and enjoy having the opportunity to help where I can.

Have a great day and know you are capable of great things, one day at a time.