3 simple steps to start your day the winning way

A career as a professional footballer has taught me many valuable lessons and the key skills I’ve learned have helped me tackle all aspects of my life. Time management is one of the biggest challenges we face in the modern world and I understand that more than most because I’m the proud parent of two year old twins. Since their birth it’s become even more important for me to design my day so that I have the time and energy l need to be the best I can be at everything that I do.

If you’re one of those people that constantly complains that there’s not enough hours in their day why not follow my three simple steps to reduce your stress and get you on the road to success in a calm and calculated way?

STEP 1: Tomorrow starts tonight 

“The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.”

Elbert Hubbard

“Decision fatigue” was a phrase coined by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and there is scientific evidence that supports the fact that if we have less choices to make when we wake up then we are better equipped to make decisions throughout the rest of our day.

I know it’s tempting after a long, hard day to down tools and chill out on the sofa but if you factor 10-15 minutes of preparation time before you go to sleep it can have such a positive impact on how tomorrow turns out to be.

Quite simply I want you to think NO (nutrition & outfit).

Nutrition:

Get your nutrition right and the benefits to the rest of your life will be endless. Although a big part of my nightly ritual includes preparing the snacks and meals I’ll consume throughout the following day, I don’t want to overload or over-phase you right now, so let’s just focus on making your breakfast table your number one priority.

The fitness world has gone bananas for overnight oats but that’s not the only breakfast you can get ready the night before. There’s tons of recipes out there for you to try so quit making excuses and stop neglecting the most important meal of the day!

Even if it’s bacon and eggs on the menu there’s still all the equipment you’ll need so set all that to one side and you’re ready to roll as soon as you walk through the kitchen door. It might sound excessive but it’s all about the little details that cut the chaos out of your daily routine.

Outfit:

Hands up if you’ve ever had to fight with the iron first thing in the morning because you’ve discovered the shirt or blouse you wanted to wear is hanging up in the wardrobe full of creases? Worse still, hands up if you’ve turned up to work wearing the blouse instead of the shirt because you’ve got ready for work half asleep and in the semi darkness?

If you lay everything out the night before then there’s no need to panic and one less decision to make. If you’re a parent then it’s a great idea to get your kids clothes sorted while you’re at it too because getting them ready can prove to be the biggest headache of them all.

STEP 2: Don’t reach for your phone 

Okay, you’ve woken up and cancelled that alarm but now let’s try and avoid the immediate urge to scroll through your social media, check your emails and see who has, or has not messaged you, whilst you’ve been happily sleeping. 

Mel Robbins’ 5 second rule is a fantastic tool I have used to wrestle back control of how I start my day and sometimes it is necessary for us to break the patterns of our behaviour so that we are able to reprogram our brain and increase our productivity.

So resist the temptation to reach for your smartphone the second you open your eyes, count down from 5, take a few deep breaths and give this a try instead:

• think of one thing you are grateful for;
• think of one thing you are good at;
• think of one goal you will accomplish today;

You’ll be amazed at the transformation that this will have on your mindset and how you approach your day.

3/ Get Up & Grind 

“The only time I could actually own was before everyone else woke up.”

Jocko Willink, Former Navy Seal

If getting up earlier is good enough for a former Navy Seal I figure it’s good enough for me! Many of us search for a level of consistency in our lives so isn’t it time you made it your business to take action and begin your day on your own terms?

For me, that’s when I work out. For you it might mean your opportunity to meditate, read, write or learn something new. Make it personal and make it productive. I signed up to a 24 hour gym so that I can get what I need to do done whilst my wife and kids are sleeping and be back in time to share breakfast time all together as a family. 

I’ve a voracious appetite for learning so I’ve developed the habit of listening to my podcasts whilst I’m hitting the weights which means that I’m not only training my body but I’m also keeping the most important muscle, my brain, in tip top condition.

Once my session is complete all those healthy endorphins are fired up and I’m ready to attack the rest of my day. By getting up and getting to work earlier I’ve created time for myself so in my head I’m already one step ahead of my competition even if that competition is sometimes simply me. No longer am I worrying when, and if, I’ll be able to squeeze in my workout and that gives me a tremendous sense of freedom and purpose to what I set mind to next.

So to recap my 3 simple steps to start your day the winning way...

1/ Tomorrow starts tonight 

2/ Don’t teach for your phone

3/ Get up and grind 

Are you a slave to your day or is your day working for you?

#makeyourmark #MotivationMonday #MondayMotivation