You don’t have to be a morning person to know that the first hour of your workday sets the tone for the rest of it. And you’re not alone, either—many highly successful people use the “power hour” to do specific things. Here are some of the AM Habits most common to high flyers. Take them and make them your own! 
Habit #1: Count Your Blessings
There’s nothing like a quick evaluation of where you stand to leave you feeling motivated and full of zing. Wildly successful self-help guru Tony Robbins advocates taking the time to think of everything you appreciate about your current situation. Whether that’s work-related, family or personal, reminding yourself of the good stuff gives you a boost that no amount of stress can break down.
Habit #2: Get Moving
Get the blood flowing and wake up your muscles with a short work-out. Chances are you aren’t going to feel like it anyway at the end of a long day, so early morning before you shower is the best time to work up a sweat. Whether your thing is some gentle yoga, a 5-mile run or energetic aerobics, getting it done first will make you feel both virtuous and alive.
Habit #3: Plan Your Day
Knowing where to start is vital if you’re going to maximize your time management, so take a few minutes to plan your day and map out what needs to be done when. Include a couple of breaks in your plan so you don’t find yourself running out of time just because you desperately needed that mid-afternoon coffee, and schedule your work according to what’s urgent and what’s important. Whether it’s doing your social media marketing or producing some up-to-date website content, you’ll do it better if it’s planned.
Habit #4: Pump in Some Fuel
We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and not just because it provides fuel for your body. Stopping to munch a bowl of cereal or some healthy fruit with your loved ones before heading out the door boosts your spirits as well as your energy. It also helps you stave off cravings for unhealthy carbs mid-morning when you start to dip.
Habit #5: Eat the Frog
Ok, we don’t mean you should literally go frog-hunting in the garden for this one. We mean you should tackle your most difficult or unpleasant task of the day first and get it behind you. It’s so easy to procrastinate all day long just so you can put off doing that one thing you are dreading, until you run out of time and it becomes a mountain in front of you. If you’re going to have to eat a frog, get it done so you can enjoy the rest of the day.
Habit #6: Skip the Email Addiction
Really? When it’s on your smart phone and it’s the first thing you do when you open your eyes? Really, don’t. Tumblr founder David Karp says he tries to avoid email until after around 9.30 am when he gets to the office. If something is urgent, the sender will find another way to get hold of him. It’s just not productive to weigh your thoughts down with a million messages when there’s probably nothing you can do about them right now, anyway.
Habit #7: Do Some Professional Reading
Many highly successful people wake up early to catch up on issues of interest and the news of the day. The late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher used to rise at 4 am every workday without fail to spend time reading the newspapers, political magazines and briefs from her ministers before tackling the day. Whether your work requires you to keep up with the latest developments in technology or you’re studying for a new qualification, reading material first thing in the morning while your brain is fresh is the best time to acquire knowledge.
Habit #8: Spend Time Strategizing
It’s no secret that our hectic, fast-paced lifestyle leaves little time to think. How often have you had a “light-bulb moment” when a great idea comes to you, and wondered why the heck it took you so long to figure it out? It’s because we don’t spend enough time just thinking to really strategize effectively. That issue that’s been bothering you for a week and you don’t know how to work it out—take ten minutes over your morning coffee to really focus on it. Write out the pros and cons, list the options open to you and examine the likely results of each, and the answer will become clear to you.
Making the most of your morning time will set you up for a productive day that gets better by the minute.
*Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
