Minute With Mallon: Want to Master Your Mornings?

Apr 25

Welcome to Minute with Mallon!

Something I Taught:

Staying on the same subject from last week, let's talk about 9 ways that you can rule your mornings and get all the benefits of mastering your A.M. routine.

Change your story. If you've been telling yourself you can't do it, change your story. There are tons of things you've put your mind to and accomplished. This will just be another one and I promise, it won't be as hard as you may think!
15 minute increments! If you currently get up at 7:00 and want to become a 6:00 person, don't start off with 6:00. Set your alarm for 6:45 and do that for a couple of weeks. Then take it to 6:30 for the next couple of weeks, etc. Your body needs time to adjust. I've never seen anyone have lasting change when they force the adjustment.
Determine what's at stake. What do you really, really, really want??? Maybe it's increased productivity. Or improved mental or physical well being? Or possibly extra time for self-care. Make sure you know your “why”.
Plan your sleep (6.0, 7.5, 9.0). (To learn more about this, read this newsletter: Minute With Mallon: Sleep Cycle Secrets!)
Set an alarm. Let me suggest that you put it away from your bed so that your feet have to hit the floor to turn it off.
Turn on the lights. When you go into the bathroom or closet, turn on the lights. All of them! This triggers your brain that you're awake and that your sleep time is over.
Set out your clothes. Do it the night before. This takes away one decision that you'd need to make first thing in the morning and gets things moving more quickly.
Cup of coffee / cup of water. When you wake up, your body needs water because you haven't had any for hours. Drinking water in the morning helps hydrate you, kick starts your metabolism, and makes you feel better overall.
Commit to 30 days. Committing to a new habit for 30 days works because it allows time for the habit to become automatic and ingrained, and will provide consistency and momentum in the process of change.

To harness the power of your mornings, try implementing these nine simple strategies.

Here’s the recap- Start by changing your mindset and gradually adjusting your wake-up time in 15-minute increments. Consider what's truly at stake for you and plan your sleep accordingly. Set an alarm away from your bed, turn on bright lights, and lay out your clothes the night before. Begin your day with hydration and commitment to a 30-day habit shift!

Ready to transform your mornings? Let's make it happen! 🌅

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Something to Ponder:

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

- Joseph Addison

Something I Learned:

In Angela Duckworth's book, Grit, she told a story about a conversation that Warren Buffett had with his pilot. I think it's great advice for all of us! Here is it:

"Warren Buffett—the self-made multibillionaire whose personal wealth, acquired entirely within his own lifetime, is roughly twice the size of Harvard University’s endowment—reportedly gave his pilot a simple three-step process for prioritizing. The story goes like this: Buffett turns to his faithful pilot and says that he must have dreams greater than flying Buffett around to where he needs to go. The pilot confesses that, yes, he does. And then Buffett takes him through three steps.

First, you write down a list of twenty-five career goals.

Second, you do some soul-searching and circle the five highest-priority goals. Just five.

Third, you take a good hard look at the twenty goals you didn’t circle. These you avoid at all costs. They’re what distract you; they eat away time and energy, taking your eye from the goals that matter more.

The point of this exercise is to face the fact that time and energy are limited. Any successful person has to decide what to do in part by deciding what not to do."

Super wise advice! So what are YOU deciding not to do in order to have a more successful life?

Think that through and come up with at least one good answer! This will automatically move you in the right direction! And for added accountability, reply to this email and let me know what you are choosing not to do!