I'm not much of a deliberate early riser.
I enjoy mornings, but I imagine if I had to wake up at the same time each day to the sound of an alarm clock, I'd possibly be a bit groggy. An alarm clock is like a nagging mother, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up.
I remember those days - had to be at work by 8 AM, woke up at 5:30 AM, skipped breakfast, commuted to my first out of three meeting locations scheduled for the day and hopped on an occasional mandatory conference call.
Come home, eat, go to sleep, repeat. You know the drill.
These days there is no alarm clock, no nagging mother. I wake and rise naturally because I'm excited about my day. What I'm going to write about, tackling a new project idea, a website I'm working on, or just soaking up some sun and working outdoors.
Productivity comes much easier for me when it's not forced and I can use my creativity freely on a daily basis. My days feel like playtime. There's no traffic, no mandatory meetings, and no imposed project deadlines - not that I would have ever missed them. Hahaha.
And while no two days are ever the same, there are 3 things I do each and every morning to feel motivated and energized.
Every morning I wake up thankful that I had a warm bed to sleep in and I announce that I'm going to have a blessed and happy day. The first 15 minutes or so are filled with gratitude.
My best work of the day is done before I ever get out of bed.
I lay in bed for about an hour before I spring into action. It's a relaxing, but productive hour.
I use my cell phone to listen to inspirational videos, which almost always sparks a thought for me to write about. I use an app on my cell phone to write out my thoughts; sometimes I can write an entire article right in bed.
Once I'm out of bed and in my work space, I copy and paste my cell phone notes into a document to elaborate on the topic more or edit and post. I guess you can say, I do my best work in bed.
I make my bed every morning without fail.
It's a habit I've created that makes me feel accomplished right out of the gate. That one little task launches my productivity for the day.
Having a clean and uncluttered environment aids my creativity and it just feels good. There's something about a cluttered and messy space that sends my mind twirling in chaos.
There are of course the normal things like drink water, eat breakfast, and get some fresh air that add to a good day, but what I do in that first hour gets my day started right.
I'm obsessed with finding easier, smarter, freer, healthier ways to live, so if you have any comments or suggestions do share.
Until next time.
Cheers!
Wanauma Graham
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wanauma Graham is the founder of BossFreeMedia.com, a hub for self-development content for women entrepreneurs. Wanauma’s books include Totally Unstoppable, Her Mark and a collection of journals and planners.