6 Things You Should Do Every Morning to Improve Your Business (and Your Life)
Hal Elrod has written about the benefits of what he calls 'Miracle Morning' in his book, The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)
Sure, doing all this every day takes up some of your precious time, but once you see how it changes your attitudes to life and business, you'll fall in love.
Here are the 6 steps, and how you can apply them to dramatically improve your business:
1. Meditation - 10 Minutes
The age-old practice of meditation has been shown to have a number of mental and physical health benefits. The clarity and relaxation benefits alone are enough to to set you up for a more productive and enjoyable day.
And before you say, 'I can't meditate, my mind always wanders', don't worry that's completely normal! First up, it's important not to kick yourself for losing concentration. When you catch yourself thinking about something other than your breathing, be happy that you've realised and return to the meditation.
Here are some resources to help you with meditation:
2. Affirmations - 10 Minutes
I don't mean listening to the Savage Garden single. Though that would be a great spend of four minutes, obviously.
No, affirmations are phrases you repeat to yourself that you hope to be true. "More specifically, an affirmation is a carefully formatted statement that should be repeated to one's self and written down frequently. For an affirmation to be effective, it needs to be present tense, positive, personal and specific."
We say a lot of negative things to ourselves, affirmations are a great way to bring some more positivity into your thinking.
You might say, 'I am fun and funny', or for better business, 'My business is on the up and up'.
Affirmations are more effective when written down and then repeated out loud. You might look a bit silly, but it will be worth it!
A great variation on affirmations that I think is more effective is to rephrase the affirmation as a question. So instead of saying, 'I easily attract wealth and abundance' (which might sound a little unrealistic), you say, 'Why do I easily attract wealth and abundance?'. Then answer the question. You'll find this way stimulates you to think of ways to actively make your affirmations a realty.
3. Visualisation - 10 Minutes
This can feel a little bit like a scene out of the Secret, but it works. If you have a business goal or idea in mind, visualise how you'll feel when it's a success. Try to use all five senses, what does your success look like, what are you and others saying about your success, what will you eat to celebrate your success, etc.
4. Exercise - 10 Minutes
There's no doubt about the various ways exercise helps us physically and emotionally. Even a small amount of exercise can boost your energy and feel-good endorphins, giving you the energy and motivation to tackle the day.
There's really no need to spend hours in the gym everyday. Many of the cardiovascular benefits of endurance-type exercise can be achieved with just a few minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Here are some exercises that will give you maximum bang for your 10 minutes:
- Four Essential Body Weight Exercises - This is pretty simple, but very effective. Pushups, Pull-ups, Squats and Planks. Perform two sets of each until you can't push/pull out another rep (or for as long as you can for planks). Have a days rest the next day, and try to do more/longer next time.
- HIIT
- 7 Minute Workout + App Android and iPhone
- Yoga
- Qigong
5. Reading - 10 Minutes
How often do you actually find time to read something interesting and informative. How many business books do you have languishing in the corner that you just wish you had the time to read. Well, dedicate just 10 minutes a day to reading and you'll be amazed how much material you can get through. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Think and Grow Rich
- Small Time Operator: How to Start Your Own Business, Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes, and Stay Out of Trouble
- The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs
6. Journal - 10 Minutes
The practice of journalling doesn't need to take long. You don't need to write pages long 'Dear Diary' entries, but the practice is a good way to take stock of your life, practice gratitude, and make concrete goals for the days, weeks and months ahead. Looking back over you journal you can see how much you've changed and improved and recognise patterns in your life so you can more easily deal with challenges in the future. Here's a way to journal with all of the mental health benefits that takes less than five minutes a day:
The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
What Do You Think?
That's it, the six daily habits that will transform your life and business. Sound too good to be true? Give it a try and let us know what you think!
