4 Ways to Master Your Morning

Commentary By John Mueting, President of Farmers Financial Solutions® at Farmers Insurance®

As Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Following Twain’s advice, I like to start my mornings by completing the most important, and sometimes most difficult, tasks of my day – otherwise known as my morning ritual.

What started as a way for me to clear my mind before heading into the office, my morning routine has transformed into more of a life style verses a habit. I’ve learned from experience that the way I start my morning affects both my mood and my productivity throughout the day.

My routine involves exercising, catching up on industry news, and most importantly connecting on the phone with my adult children before I head to work. It follows one rule: simplicity.

Oftentimes people overcomplicate their routines by setting unrealistic expectations. There are few things that I have learned over the years that have helped me and I believe everyone else can do to be successful at their own morning rituals.

Establish reasonable goals

Whether it’s to make it to the gym or simply make it out the door at a certain time, having something to strive for keeps your head in the game. If you expect yourself to accomplish unreasonable goals, you are setting yourself up for disappointment before your day even starts. This can be applied to all aspects of life – business, personal, professional, the list goes on and on. Set one small goal at a time: these baby steps will add up. The easier you make your routine, the easier it will be to stick to it.

Plan out your next morning

My mornings start the night before. I begin by setting up everything I’ll need – laying out my clothes, programming my coffee pot for 5:30 a.m., and packing up anything else I’ll need for the next day. Planning out your morning the night before also allows for better sleeping habits. You’re not worrying about getting up extra early to find what you are doing to wear or what to eat. That gives you more time to rest, which is crucial for success during the day. Knowing that you’re ready to go is yet another motivational factor in maintaining a healthy morning routine.

Recruit a partner

Going through the motions of a routine on your own can be challenging – there’s no one there to motivate you or to share your experiences. I take time each morning to call my children and I’ll often also talk to them about how their routines are going. My daughter’s routine has recently started to involve half marathon training, and since I’m a runner as well, we’ll frequently talk about how our training is going and share stories. These quick conversations keep us both motivated and help us begin our days on positive notes. They also help to reset my mind and prepare me for the office.

Don’t be so hard on yourself

So, you have a busy day at work and must get in early to the office? Or you were up late last night with the kids and need that extra hour of sleep? Don’t get down on yourself. Things happen, life happens. If you complete 80 percent of your routine on most days, you are doing just fine.

By sticking to my routine, I’ve acquired the self-discipline to better handle myself and my time at work – giving me that extra energy to do the things I love when the day comes to a close. This philosophy has worked well over the years–and even allowed me to complete two Ironman Triathlons and five straight Boston Marathons. Setting aside time at the start of every day for something other than work is rewarding in and of itself. See what works for you, and day-by-day you’ll reap the benefits.