Highly Successful Mornings

Have you ever wondered what the likes of Steve Jobs, Michelle Obama, Tony Robbins et al do to achieve the things they do? Ever find yourself asking ‘What would Oprah Do?’ or remembering you have the same number of hours in the day as Beyonce?

First things first, it’s important to remember that you are just as capable as anybody else. You can achieve all you’ve ever dreamed of and more. Still, it can be good to find inspiration from others and discover the exact steps they take to reach the dizzying heights of success. 

The really great news is, that 9 times out of 10, success isn’t down to chance or lucky breaks, but rituals repeated day in day out. So to satisfy our curiosity we did some digging and found out what the super successful do first thing in the morning to achieve their goals. 

Turns out, there are a few common denominators, and who knows, you might find something you want to implement into your own morning #RitualRewire.

Not everyone wants to rise with the sun, but there’s some truth to the old adage that the early bird catches the worm. Leadership expert Robin Sharma has even written a book on how it can boost your creativity and productivity and help you achieve your goals.

Michelle Obama, Beyonce, and Apple CEO Tim Cook all reportedly rise before 6AM. Why? Because it’s a chance to carve out time for themselves, focus on setting their mood for the day and get more done. 

If you want to start rising early, start slow and make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep at night. Try getting up 30 minutes earlier one week, and another 30 minutes earlier the next. You could be a bonafide member of the 5AM Club before you know it. 

Love yourself a lie-in? Just like the early risers, legions of successful people say the secret to getting ahead is resisting the urge to hit snooze, and successful folk like Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and Oprah say they don’t use an alarm at all.

Oprah explains, "I have never set an alarm, I don't believe in them. They are…alarming! I put the number in my mind, and I wake up before that, usually between 6:02 and 6:20.” 

The great news is your can train your internal alarm clock too, but if you don’t want to ditch your alarm just yet, try putting your alarm on the other side of the room so you have to get up to switch it off. Mel Robbins ‘5 Second Rule’ can be life changing, it helps you act before your brain kicks in and finds a reason to stay in bed.

At The Head Plan we know self-reviews are so important: reviewing your goals first thing in the morning is an ideal way to set the tone for the day ahead, and it doesn’t need to take long. Using your copy of The Head Plan for five or 10 minutes in the morning to refocus on what you want to achieve and how you want to get there is enough. 

Venus Williams explains to Fast Company that she wakes up and immediately considers how she can improve her game. “It's an addiction, but I always think about how to get better,” she says. “Everything is geared toward that.”

Likewise, Steve Jobs had an unconventional way of ensuring he lived every day of his life in alignment with his goals. Every morning he stood in front of his mirror and asked himself a question.

He said, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? If the answer is no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."

There’s nothing mediocre about meditation, just ask spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, actress Kristen Bell, famed athlete Michael Jordan, coach Tony Robbins, and the other high achievers who all make time in their mornings to get zen. Doing so helps them to increase their clarity and focus for the day ahead. 

Meditation fan Hugh Jackman explains, "Meditation is all about the pursuit of nothingness… It's a quieting of the mind. It sharpens everything, especially your appreciation of your surroundings. It keeps life fresh."

Meditating doesn’t need to take hours. In just 5 minutes your morning can help you feel grounded, centred and excited for the day ahead. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing and let yourself be still. Start today with Julie Skon’s 30 Day Meditation Programme for beginners on The Head Plan App.

Jennifer Aniston, Miranda Kerr, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Elle Macpherson all swear by the power of guzzling a glass of water first thing. In fact, Cameron Diaz downs a full litre when she wakes. She explains, "It's very important to start your day off with a lot of energy. For me, that starts with getting up, brushing my teeth, and drinking some water—I drink a litre of water straight down."

We’re big advocates of going hard on the H2O like Diaz. After all, it’s the very reason we created our Daily Drench bottles. Want to increase your water intake first thing in the AM? 

Here’s a pro tip: fill your bottle the night before, and put it in the fridge. You’re more likely to reach for it in the morning.

Tony Robbins is a big fan of this one. He says that practising gratitude first thing energizes him for the day ahead. Every morning he spends a few minutes thinking about three things he’s grateful for.

Robbins explains, "The reason I picked gratitude is because when you're grateful you can't be angry. And when you're grateful you can't be fearful."

The great thing about gratitude is that anyone can do it, and there are lots of ways to be grateful. You might like to write a list of everything you’re grateful for in your journal or give thanks for everything you touch and use as you get ready for the day ahead. By the time you’re done, you’ll be full of joy. 

So now you know. Successful people didn’t get to where they are by luck or by chance, or because they’re better equipped than you or anybody else. Often it’s because they put consistent rituals in place that helped them to build their success step by step.

The really great thing about that? If you already have a morning ritual, then you’re already on your way to achieving your dreams. And if you need a push in the right direction, you can rewire your own morning rituals in a way that sets you up for success. 

Whether you want to practice gratitude like Tony Robbins, reflect on your goals like Steve Jobs, or ditch the alarm like Oprah, you too can achieve all you’ve ever dreamed of, and it all starts with a magical morning.