What separates top performers from all others is how they design and own up their day(s)?
In a nutshell, It all boils down to
their Attitude towards life,
Routines they follow and,
the Decisions they DON’T take.
Out of these three crucial components, routines are easiest to trace and replicate; and can become a key for anyone aspiring to unlock the secret to high performance.
Before diving deep into the mind of a top performer,
let us start with the ultimate hack of top performers: their morning routines and 01 hack to give your morning routine the hyper boost it needs.
If SNOOZE is the most pressed button in your life, after SEARCH (on Google), You need these hacks to save your day
Morning routines can include workout, writing a journal, meditation, spending time with family or just eliminating as many rudimentary morning decisions as possible – from eating the same breakfast every day to wearing the same clothes every day (avoiding decision fatigue- Mark Zuckerberg does that , Steve Jobs used to do that).
So if you are a starter and want to be super achiever- routines can and do help.
The secret to a great morning routine lies in starting the night before.
No matter what morning routine you aspire for,
a well planned night routine will always give you a head-start by introducing predictability and by helping you gain perspective.
Mojo of Small Things presents the sure shot secret to a powerful morning routine.
(Hack 01) Keep things ready for morning
‘Failing to prepare is Preparing to fail’
(Benjamin Franklin)
Get everything that can stop you from being productive the next morning ready before you go to bed.
Your workout gear, your office clothes, and your office bag, what you are planning to eat-
Either get it done or get it written.
Things that eat unexpected time like searching for crucial things, making last minute changes, forgetting something and coming back to fetch it can actually make you day start lame.
(Hack 02) Shut down things before you go to sleep
‘Many things in life can be corrected with a good night’s sleep’
(Ariana Huffington)
Respect your SHUT DOWN time religiously.
It is ok to go unavailable for sometime (obviously if it is a routine, predictable and socially harmless, people will respect it too).
Research shows that device shutdown before you sleep helps you sleep better. The blue light from screens can send your brain signals that can interrupt deep sleep. Lack of quality sleep can obviously play havoc with your brain, body and the morning.
(Hack 03) Make an Actionable ‘Get Done List’*
’To do’ signifies a weak commitment, whereas ‘Get done’ signifies otherwise’.
To do list is a passé now. What is more crucial and relevant is your ‘Get DONE list’.
Start using Verbs instead of Nouns.
Verbs get things done, nouns just enlist them.
Batch things: Call – Meet – Email/Text – Read – Write- Unwind.
Give time slots to yourself (same way you would do for a senior guy).
Decide when to disconnect and when to collaborate- the night before or at least before you start your day.
(Hack 04) Clean up and Make your gratitude list
Pamper yourself when you are through your usual day.
Enlist all the things that you are grateful for: it gives you perspective and helps you sleep better (looking towards the morning, day and life as such).
What food is for body, Gratitude is for the Soul
Gratitude List may include things like:
Being Thankful for-
A cozy and clean bed; ample & nutritious food; love & care of family and friends; temperature controlled room; running, clean and temperature controlled water and many more things.
So if you want to own the day, try starting a night before.