5 Simple Strategies for Starting Your Day Like A Champion

Imagine you’re at the Olympics. The crowds are cheering, but you’re not among them. You’re down on the field, crouched at the starting line, poised for the race that may define your career.

No doubt you’ve trained for this moment for most of your life, but how would you prepare for it on the morning of the big day? If you were looking to accomplish something monumental, would you begin by hitting the snooze button until you were running late, grab whatever breakfast came to hand, then rush into the fray distracted and without a plan?

A Strong Start for a Strong Finish

Runners know that the morning of a big race is crucial, and they leave nothing to chance. All-State Conference track and Olympic distance triathlete Maria Serrata explains, “When that alarm goes off and you want to sleep in another hour, you can’t. No matter how much you’ve prepared, the things you do the morning of are critical. They will make or break your race.”

Whether you’re an Olympic runner, an adventurer setting out to ascend Mt. Kilimanjaro or a busy mom with a mountain of laundry to summit, the way you start your day can have a huge impact on whether you meet your goals or fall short. The Tiny Habits for Moms team offers these tips for creating a morning routine that will prime you to accomplish whatever you choose to pursue.

1. Stop the snooze. Waking before the rest of your family gives you a few minutes to get centered and think about the day to come. Skip the snooze button and stretch, meditate, write in your journal or read a few verses of scripture while the house is still quiet. The calm and focus you’ll carry with you throughout the day will feel much better than another nine minutes of sleep. One habit to try: After I open my eyes, I will open my journal.
2. Make Your Bed. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Making your bed first thing in the morning starts you off with a win and sets the tone for the entire day. By accomplishing something concrete right away you create something we call success momentum. As Stanford behavioral scientist and Tiny Habits creator BJ Fogg says, “the success you feel will radiate out to other parts of your life.” Ready to get started? Try this: After my feet touch the floor I will fluff my pillow. 
3. Watch the sun rise. (Or at least greet it when you rise!) Open your blinds, step out onto your porch, or have breakfast on the patio. Dr. Phyllis Zee of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine found that exposure to natural light, particularly in the morning, has beneficial effects on mood, alertness and metabolism. Make it a habit for the whole family: After I check to see that my child is awake, I will open her blinds.
4. Hydrate – with citrate. Runners aren’t the only ones who need fluids. Every part of your body, from your brain to your immune system, benefits from adequate hydration. Add a squeeze of lemon and drain a glass before your morning cup of coffee to reduce inflammation, stave of infection and stimulate enzyme production. It’s an easy way to start your day off right. Just tell yourself: After I turn on the coffee pot, I will pour each family member a glass of lemon water. Now drink up!
5. Don’t wake the kids. Instead, train them to wake themselves. Illustrator, mom of four and Tiny Habits for Moms alumni Kimberly Petersen buys each child an alarm clock a few weeks before they start kindergarten. “It seems like a Tiny Habit for now, and it’s something that does make my life simpler every morning, to not have to wake them up, but really it’s something that I’m doing because it’s a life skill that they’re going to need as adults,” she says. Is someone in your family having trouble waking when the alarm goes off? Put the clock across the room and work on the habit, “After I turn off my alarm I will touch my toes” (instead of getting back into bed!)

There’s one more piece of advice that applies to star athletes and moms alike: Figure out what works for you and do it every day. “My friend eats pop tarts before every run. After a race I drink a Sprite. Listen to your body and do what works best for you,” says Serrata.

However you choose to structure your morning, do it with the same focus and intent as a runner preparing for the Olympics, with the understanding that by starting your day focused and strong you’ll set yourself on the path to achieve your goals and do amazing things.

To learn more about how to achieve your goals by creating habits that work for you, join our next session of Tiny Habits for Moms.

Your Mom Was Right: This One Simple Habit Matters More Than You Think

Navy Seal William H. McRaven wants you to make your bed, and don’t try telling him that you’re only going to mess it up again tonight. Admiral McRaven is a big believer in the power that small actions have in accomplishing big objectives, and he should know. He was the commander of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Start Your Day With Success Momentum

In his 2014 commencement speech at the University of Texas, Admiral McRaven told graduates, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed…It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another.” At Tiny Habits we call this success momentum, and it’s one of the keys to the Tiny Habits method.

By making your bed, you start the day off with a win. You’ve only been awake for two minutes, and you’ve already accomplished something tangible. It’s a visible daily reminder that you have power over your environment as well as your attitude. It’s the first domino in your day of accomplishing tasks both large and small.

Order or Chaos?

A tidy bed sets the tone for your day, but it also impacts how you’ll feel at the end of it. Imagine it’s finally time for bed. Maybe you’ve had a terrible day. You lost your temper with your kids. You got stuck in traffic and arrived twenty minutes late for an important meeting. You didn’t accomplish half the things on your list. You open your bedroom door and there, blankets disheveled, pillows askew, is one more reminder that your life is out of control.

Or maybe you had a great day. You made it to the gym. You finished a project early. You helped the kids with their homework and had time for a story before bed. You open your bedroom door, feeling elevated by all the things you accomplished, and there is your bed. Disheveled and unkempt. Your balloon of satisfaction deflates just a bit.

End Your Day With A Feeling of Pride

Now imagine how a two-minute investment at the start of the day can change the way you feel at the end of it. You had a terrible day and you just can’t wait for it to be over. You open your bedroom door and there is your bed, tidy and neat, reminding you that not all is lost. You started your day with a moment of triumph, and you’ll do the same tomorrow. And if you had an amazing day, that perfectly made bed is the icing on the cake.

After your feet hit the floor each morning, take a moment to make your bed, then pause to celebrate your accomplishment. Teach your children to do the same, and they, too, will start their day with satisfaction and pride.

Our Groundbreaking New Course

Whether you’re a veteran bed-maker or recommitting yourself to the task, you’ll learn many new strategies for putting your life in order and finding much-needed balance in our new course, Tiny Habits for Moms. Sign up here to join this life-changing workshop.