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Takeaway
We all have a Morning Routine. Make sure yours is designed intentionally.
“Routine is the sign of ambition”
I saw this quote recently. I’ve always considered myself ambitious and I am certainly a creature of habit and routine. I pondered the connection between the two. What routines do I follow that would at their very core, sprout from my ambitions? And what ambitions do I have that by necessity produce routines in order to be realized? Do I also have routines that are at cross purpose with my ambitions?
You Have A Morning Routine Now
One thing you can count on is you have a routine in most areas of your life. You have a routine for how you dress and groom yourself each day. You have routine for how you either drive or transport yourself to the office. You have a routine for what time you finish work. You have a routine for what you do after dinner most evenings. You have a routine for going to bed.
When it comes to that first hour of your day, you also have a routine. The first hour of the day is unique for several reasons. First, you have more control over that hour than almost any other hour of your day. You can control the time you choose to wake up. You can choose what you will do with that time. And you can choose to have that time be uninterrupted by outside distractions.
That first hour is also unique because your mind is clear. Your mind hasn’t been taxed yet with the multitude of decisions that over the course of the next 12 hours will erode your cognitive abilities.
That first hour is also quiet. You may have to adjust the time you wake up to assure this is true. Having uninterrupted time is critical.
My Morning Routine
My morning routine is a living, breathing, and evolving approach. It doesn’t look the same today as it did 6 months ago because I’m always tweaking my systems in response to what’s going on in my life. Here’s what it looks like now:
Specific things I do the first hour of the day:
- Prayer – gratitude, intercession, guidance
- Plan my day so I can execute confidently, and less likely to be distracted
- Think about the big picture and ask strategic questions
- Creative and deep work (reading and writing)
Managers Need Intentional Morning Routines
As a manager, you owe it to your company, your team, and to yourself to have an intentional morning routine. Back when your responsibility was only for the work you produced, you could on occasion probably bounce out of bed at the very last minute, sprint through the necessities, and arrive just in time for the daily team meeting. Now you are responsible for giving that meeting. Your team looks to you for direction. They want to know there is strategy behind the tactics. People follow leaders and leaders have to know where they are going. Your morning routine insures you are prepared to lead if it’s intentionally designed to do so.
Your organization promoted you to lead. You owe it to the organization to be the best leader you can be. Taking responsibility for having an intentional morning routine that prepares you to live up to that responsibility, is evidence of your commitment to the organization. It’s a sign of ambition.
Transformational Exercise
Take a few minutes and think about how you spent the first hour of today. How about the last several days? What is one thing you could do different that could help you be more effective as a manager? Write it down and commit to it for the next 30 days.
Also, share a comment with us about one of your favorite morning routines that helps you be a better leader and manager.
