This post is part of our series on personal development for teachers. Content knowledge, curriculum standards and teaching strategies are just part of the equation for what makes a successful teacher. Personal habits, attitudes and behaviors are also a big part of the picture. In this series, we explore ideas that will help you as a teacher and as a person.
Do you dread getting up in the morning? Do you hit the snooze button, roll out of bed slowly and groan at the thought of facing the day?
Imagine waking up without an alarm clock, feeling energized and enthused about your day.
Does that sound like an impossible, overly optimistic scenario? It doesn’t have to be.
You probably already have a morning routine that involves getting yourself ready for the day. You may shower, get dressed and pack your lunch. If you are really organized, you may even exercise. If you have children, much of your morning routine will involve getting them fed and dressed in something that at least resembles appropriate attire.
We used to think getting ourselves and the kids dressed and out the door with backpacks and lunch was a successful morning. Now we know that we were not setting a high enough standard. While we accomplished the most basic elements of getting ready, we left out mindset shifts that would set us up to have better experiences throughout the day.
We studied with master high performance coach Brendon Burchard, who has worked with Olympians, celebrities and top business executives. He expanded our idea of a morning routine. We’ve both adopted a new morning routine and now believe that it has been life changing for us.
This routine requires getting up a half an hour earlier, but hear us out- the results will impact your entire day for the better. We think it is worth it.
The high-performance morning routine:
You are most likely dehydrated after sleeping, so drink some water.
Do a few minutes of stretching. This is not your workout, just an opening up of the body.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, an inspirational book, and your journal or planner. Find a comfortable place to sit.
Read (or listen to) something inspirational. This might be a podcast, an informational book or something focused on personal development. You may choose take notes. This step helps you to see the possibilities in your life and to be inspired to take positive action.
Then, take a few minutes to think about and mentally plan for your day. This is not planning your schedule or to-do list, but planning how you want to show up for the day. You need something in the morning to anchor you to your best self so that you don’t proceed with randomness. This step alters your mindset and shifts it so that you act with more intention.
Here are some possible things to think about and write down in your journal or planner
What does it look like when I am my best self?
How do I want to show up in the world today?
Who needs me on my “A” game?
What is one thing I can get excited about today?
How can I express gratitude to someone today?
What situation might mess me up today?
How would my best self deal with that situation?
What would it take for this day to be a success?
What can I do to make my successful day a reality?
You’ve set your day with intention, now you can continue on with the rest of your morning and head into the day with a positive plan.
We’ve found that we enjoy our morning routine and look forward to doing it each day. Knowing that we have a few calm, quiet moments to focus on what really matters allows us to get more done and feel more connected to the goals we have in our lives and in our work.
We live extraordinarily busy lives. Rather than being one more thing we have to do- we’ve found our morning routine helps us to determine what is most important. No matter how hard we scramble, we will never be able to do everything, but we can do the most important things.
Do you have a successful morning routine? How do you set intentions for your life and connect them to your daily practice? As always, we would love to hear your ideas.
Our best,
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