8 Tips & Tactics for you ..
Here are Robin Sharma’s 8 tactics to start your mornings strong and make the hours that follow as excellent as possible:
1.Rise with the sun to ensure you have some time for yourself.
The hours before dawn bring splendid gifts. It’s the best time of the day to work on growing the warrior and everyday hero within you. [Yes, this means you should sleep earlier as well; as I wrote in the book: “Rest is not a luxury—it’s a necessity”].
2. Do some sweaty exercise.
This could mean you run on the spot, skip like a boxer in training or do jumping jacks as they do in military boot camp. Doing so— shortly after you rise—releases BDNF so that brain cells damaged by stress are repaired. And you process information more quickly [an essential skill of a wartime leader]. An early morning workout also releases dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which makes you feel happier, calmer and more focused in the face of the massive distractions of this time.
3.Read a truth- filled book.
Reading is having a conversation with the author. And conversations shape and inspire us [if they are wise conversations]. Biographies of the great women and men of the world will insulate your hope. And build a moat around your enthusiasm for a brighter future [it’s coming]. See my list of books that have helped me during hard times.
Recommended Reading:
The Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill
by William Manchester
The Power of Positive Thinking
by Norman Vincent Peale
On The Shortness of Life
by Seneca
The Prophet
by Kahlil Gibran
Titan
by Ron Chernow
A New Earth
by Eckhart Tolle
The 5AM Club
by Robin Sharma
4.Write in a journal.
Record lists of what you are grateful for so you stay focused on what’s good in your life. Process through any fear, guilt and disappointment so you release it versus repress it. Note your creative ambitions and next-level goals to keep you excited about all you’ll experience ahead.
5.Cultivate positivity.
In uncertain times,you have been granted the chance of being able to watch your weakest beliefs. Pay attention to how you are thinking. Then use this time of isolation to build a better mentality. Meditate. Pray. Affirm. Visualize. Grow.
6.Commune with nature, as much as possible.
If you live near a forest or by a mountain, physical distance yet walk where it’s safe. Or order seeds and grow flowers or a garden within your home. Nature is life’s wonderful restorer. Get closer to it.
7.Avoid toxic people where you can.
Through the scientific phenomenon of emotional contagion, we adopt the feelings of those around us. And via our mirror neurons, we mimic the behavior of those we associate with. So, use the news as a tool not a drug. Unfollow social in Influencers who deplete your joy. And spend less time with energy vampires.
8.Structure your days.
The quality of your days reflects the wisdom of your schedule. Have a written game plan for each day. Include your morning routine, your creative work, your family hours and your recreation time.
Robin Sharma
Humanitarian + Leadership Missionary