Master The Morning, Master The Day!

"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love"

~ Marcus Aurelius

If you master your morning, you can master your day.

Everyone has a routine in the morning but perhaps you don’t realise it because you’ve never called it a routine.

We’re all creatures of habit. The question to ask is, are your habits serving you or hindering you?

I’ve realised that if you can start your day and end your day well, the stuff in the middle tends to go pretty damn well.

There are a few "non-negotiables" for me. These are habits that will serve anyone if you put them to good use.

I’m not telling you that you MUST do these things in the morning. I’m suggesting that they might help you, as they’ve personally helped me.?

The start of the day begins the night before.

You can’t expect to have a productive day if you’re going to bed late. Sleep is THE most important factor in our life and without adequate rest and recuperation you just can’t function or perform optimally.

The adage “sleep when you are dead” is not a good mantra, as poor sleep has been linked to a whole host of degenerative conditions and diseases that will lead to an early death.

Make quality sleep a priority in your life.

Start your day in the best possible way by drinking a large glass or bottle of water.

500ml of cold water with a pinch of organic sea salt is a great start. Most people will sleep 6-8 hours per night. By the time you wake up you’re going to be dehydrated. Rehydrating as soon as possible is essential for optimal performance in the day ahead.

Give your body what it needs. I’ve heard it referred to as “an internal bath”.

Drink this water before you think of having that first cup of coffee.

Why the salt? I’ve found by adding salt to all the water I drink, I reduce my visits to the toilet. There are many formulas designed to tell you how much water you need. Forget them. Just aim for 2-3 litres each day and you won’t go far wrong.

If you exercise, drink more and let the colour of your pee guide you. Without the salt, I’m pissing like a racehorse every 30 minutes. The water literally goes straight though me. The salt will help you retain water, hydrate you better and is a valuable source of important minerals.

I’ve found that not only do I not need to go to the loo; I don’t need to drink as much.

Avoid Checking Your Phone For the First Hour

Many people check their phone the minute they wake. Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, emails, notifications, and then a quick refresh of the Twitter feed, just in case.

A deluge of information that somehow fools us into thinking we’re connected to the world.

We’re addicted and this addiction is slowly disconnecting us from humanity. Massive distractions and time-wasting activities, the never-ending dopamine hit of the little red dot that tells us we are enough, continues to govern our lives.

Turn your phone off or put it on airplane mode one hour before you go to bed and put it somewhere you won’t go the moment you wake up. There is plenty of time to get sucked into the madness.

Use the time in the morning to do some of the things I’m about to talk about here.

Personal Development.

Personal development has previously been a bit out there. A bit woowoo. A bit wanky. Tell your average Brit that you’re into “self-help” and watch their eyes roll; but more and more people are reaping the rewards.

One of my mentors, the late Jim Rohn said, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job”. Read a good book or listen to a podcast. Be motivated and inspired by people doing great things in the world. Learn something new. Listen to a great book on Audible. There is no greater thing than to work on yourself.

When you improve, everyone’s life around you improves. That means your wife/husband/partner and kids and anyone else that you encounter on a regular basis.?

Many people say they’d “love to read more but just don’t have the time”.

Commit to 10 pages of a good book every day instead of scrolling on your phone. Use your commute time, which is dead time, to listen and learn. Just 30 minutes per day will make all the difference to your life.

Don’t know anything about nutrition and losing weight? Read, listen, and learn about it. Teach yourself. One book a month equals 12 books in a year. In five years, you’ve read 60 books.

That’s more than 99% of the population will ever read in a lifetime.??In five years, you could be virtually an expert in anything you choose. That’s the power of personal development.

Not so wanky when you break it down, is it?

Not sure where to start? One of my favourite books and the most recommended by me to my clients is?“The Slight Edge”by Jeff Olson. Grab it on Amazon.

Write in a Journal.

For many, the act of writing in a journal just feels weird. It did for me. What do I write? How much? How do I write? All questions that most people have when they start journaling.?

Here are a few things that I write and have helped me:

Plan Your Day.

Write your goals & intentions for the day. What are the three biggest things you must achieve to make today a success? Don’t call it your “to do” list. Call it your “goals and intentions”. Same list but goals and intentions are way more empowering.?

Daily Wins & Successes.

Write down five “wins” from the day before, however small. Maybe you got to the gym, ate well, and completed a project at work. Great. Write it down. These little successes send a powerful message to your subconscious mind telling you, “You’re a winner”.

The more you do this, the more powerful it becomes. Five wins per day equates to 35 wins for the week. If someone asks you if you had a great week, now you know the answer. Don’t underestimate this habit. When you win daily, you want to win even more. Momentum builds and this will spill over into every area of your life.

“The 3 x 3 Formula”

Full credit for this goes to Paul Mort or “Uncle Morty” as he’s affectionately known. He specialises in coaching men and he taught me this very handy technique at one of his seminars.

1. Write down three people that you love and three people that love you.
2. Write down 3 "things" you are most grateful for.
3. Write down 3 things you are excited about in the future.

Please watch the video for the full story :)

Have An Attitude of Gratitude

We all have our problems. Some big and some small but if you are reading this you have a lot to be grateful for. Someone somewhere today would love to have your worst day.?

We often forget how grateful we should be and how lucky we are to have been born where we were. When you’re being grateful, you can’t be upset or angry. Take a few minutes each day to appreciate this.

Whilst you’re journaling make sure you do this next point - it's so important!

Drink a decent cup of coffee.

Ahhh Coffee. The elixir of life. Well, maybe not quite, but good organic coffee in the morning is a must (if you like coffee, that is). If you don’t, I’m not expecting you to start drinking it now, but I will be honest with you; I don’t trust anyone that doesn’t drink coffee.

I’m joking, but if you do like coffee, you and I will get along fine and dandy. Drink decent quality coffee and don’t use instant coffee granules. It tastes like shit and isn’t good for you. Personally, I wouldn’t go as far to say that coffee is a “health food” but it definitely has some substantial health benefits.?

Coffee contains caffeine, as I’m sure you know, which is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.?Many controlled studies in humans show that coffee improves various aspects of brain function including memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times, and general mental function. According to a large review of 18 studies in a total of 457,922 people, each daily cup of coffee was associated with a 7% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Coffee is also rich in powerful antioxidants that are believed to be protective against aging and many diseases that are partly caused by oxidative stress, including cancer. Go for organic whenever possible. The conventional coffee bean is one of the most heavily chemically treated crops in the world. It is steeped in synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides that are potentially harmful to us as humans.?

I could spend a lot longer just on this topic, but I won’t. Just go organic whenever you can. The bottom line is, coffee is an enjoyable drink for many people with numerous health benefits, so don’t shy away from drinking two or three cups per day if you want. As always, the devil is in the dose. Eight double-shot espressos in a day are likely to leave most people staring at the ceiling at 3am.

The above is an excerpt from my book...

The GHG Method - A No Bullshit Approach To Losing Body Fat, Upgrading Your Mindset & Radically Changing Your Life.

I hope you enjoyed the article.

Link to the book is below in point no 2.

Gav :)

PS. Whenever you are ready, here are some ways that I can help you lose weight, feel great & take control of your health & life.?

1. Want to to lose 20lbs & work with me?privately on my 12 week coaching?programme? Reply to this newsletter with "I'm ready" and I will get the details to you, or if you are in a hurry, book a call here to speak with me

2. Get my book,?"The GHG Method" and?discover the exact?blueprint I use in?helping my clients lose up to 30lbs in 12 weeks (some lose more)

3. Check out my YouTube channel here. 355 videos and counting, all designed to help you lose weight, improve your health & fitness, and develop a bullet-proof mindset.