How Successful People Start Their Day?

To start with, they are aware that how you start your day affects how the rest of your day will go.

After working with countless successful people, I have noticed that nearly all of them share a few key steps to starting the day off right.

1. Form a routine

Productive days don’t happen by accident, the most successful people I know have a consistent morning routine, and they very rarely stray from it.

The most famous entrepreneurs, no matter where they are or what their days entails, they will start it out the same way every time with quiet reflection.

Successful people may or may not control their destiny, but to a certain extent they control the first hour or two of their day.

I have learned that if I will take control of my first waking moments, I will likely see a day that is in control.

2. Start a little earlier

The key to a good morning routine is getting up at an hour before other people need your time, that means early, which I thought I could never do, but successful people find a way.

Richard Branson told his company in a blog post, that he gets up at 5 am every day, no matter where he is because it gives him a head start on the rest of the world.

The famous missionary Jim Elliot was once asked how he got so much done before noon, he said the secret was getting up at 5am.

The person asking said, “How in the world do you get up at 5am?” Elliot said that he goes to bed at 10pm.

The questioner came back and said, “I could never fall asleep by 10pm”.

Jim E is reported to have said, “Get up at 5am a few days in a row, and you’ll learn how.”

What I’ve realized is that the secret to a productive day is to get up before they need my attention so that I can prepare for them and the coming day.

It’s been an irreplaceable piece of my success, after 15 years of getting up early every day, I’m able to go to sleep early just fine. Contrary to what my younger self would think, I wouldn’t change a thing about my early wake up time.

3. Start with something positive first

Entrepreneurs are known for speedy responses and a quick bias to action, that often leads to turning off an alarm on your phone and going straight to the inbox.

But I have learned that is absolutely the wrong way to start the day. David Karp, founder of Tumblr says he tries hard not to check email until his morning is well underway and he is at the office.

So now, I start my morning by reading a short passage in my bed before my feet hit the floor, it clearly sets the tone for my mind.

4. Center on gratitude

Following the principle of “first in, first out,” I believe it’s not only what we first read that sets the tone for the day, but also what we first say. Words carry great power.

So I’ve learned that my first words need to be ones of gratitude, most successful people I have met, agree that it is difficult to have a bad day if you are in a state of gratitude.

This extends well beyond, Tony Robins, the motivational guru, starts every day with a dedicated segment of time that involves saying out loud the things he is grateful for.

I love variety, and that means I generally detest routine but there are few routines and practices that have stood the test of time for me, but after 15 years of refining this morning routine, I believe it is among the most critical to any success I've achieved.

This practices I’ve seen work in successful people’s lives, they have paid big dividends in my journey, and I believe they can help anyone get to the next level in life.

Thanks for reading!

It always starts with you!