{"id":5325,"date":"2023-12-10T10:18:03","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T14:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/8-things-not-to-do-before-8-a-m-or-the-ultimate-morning-routine\/"},"modified":"2023-12-10T10:18:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T14:18:03","slug":"8-things-not-to-do-before-8-a-m-or-the-ultimate-morning-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/8-things-not-to-do-before-8-a-m-or-the-ultimate-morning-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Things NOT to Do Before 8 a.m. (Or, the ULTIMATE Morning Routine)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Profit<\/a>
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It was only 7 a.m. and my coaching client was already stressed out. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCraig,\u201d she wrote in her email, \u201cI\u2019ve been up since 5 a.m. doing yoga, meditation, gratitude journaling, and watching motivational videos on YouTube. But now it\u2019s time to get ready for work and I feel like I\u2019m already behind in my day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Such is the curse of the ambitious person who has read too many articles with silly titles like, \u201c8 Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast.\u201d In fact, I wrote a bit about this<\/span><\/a> on Early To Rise.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s more to be said. I\u2019m not sure when the first of these articles began appearing on the internet, but they are, without a doubt, some of the most inane pieces of drivel you can find.<\/span><\/p>\n

First of all, I know a lot of successful people, and they don\u2019t do eight different things before breakfast. They do one. (I\u2019ll explain what that is in a moment.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, if you added up the time it takes to do these eight things, it would total over four hours. That might be fine for people who get up at 3 a.m.\u2014or who don\u2019t eat breakfast until 3 p.m.\u2014but these ridiculous morning routines aren\u2019t going to work for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the insidious truth about most of the morning routine articles out there: <\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re full of false promises.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In many cases, they serve as nothing more than a perverse form of procrastination. <\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of encouraging you to start meaningful activities that set you up for success, excessive morning routines merely create a sense of busy-ness that masquerades as productivity\u2014while also exhausting you. Don\u2019t confuse activity with accomplishment. They are not the same, and do not deliver equivalent results in the game of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t worry; I\u2019m here to liberate you from the shackles of mediocrity brought on by misguided morning routines. <\/span><\/p>\n

Over the last 20 years, I\u2019ve worked with thousands of entrepreneurs and executives, both as a fitness expert and as a business coach. I have found that what most of them need in their mornings is not another \u201cto-do\u201d list, but a list of what NOT to do. And you know what? They credit that not-doing for their daily success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, then, are eight things that you do NOT have to do before 8 a.m. Most of these are common sense, but are nonetheless a healthy guide for any busy person.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. DO NOT Make Your Bed<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

There is a popular notion these days that the key to having a great day is making your bed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Fact: I\u2019ve never made my bed once in my life. And yet here I am, the author of multiple books, a coach with thousands of clients, and the owner of ETR, the business of my dreams. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you like to make your bed, fine. But know that it makes no difference to how well you sell, market, or manage.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. DO NOT Check Email<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

This is one of the ultimate faux pas<\/i> in a morning routine gone wrong. What good can come of checking your inbox first thing in the morning? Very little. Negative emails can you put you in a rotten mood when you need to have intense focus on deep work, while newsletter emails can send you off to surf the web or over to Amazon for unnecessary purchases. Either way, email wastes your time away.<\/span><\/p>\n

If\u2014as you might argue\u2014that you\u2019ll miss out on \u201cimportant updates,\u201d then I encourage you to reconsider your email behavior based on these two perspectives:<\/span><\/p>\n

First, realize that your emails have been sitting in your inbox for hours. Why can\u2019t they wait another hour while you work on a personal goal or daily priority? <\/span><\/p>\n

Second, if you think you have emergency email messages waiting for you in the morning, then you need to build a better communication system. Email is not for emergencies. If you truly have emergencies to deal with, then these notifications should arrive via text or phone call. Email can\u2014and must\u2014wait until you spend some time on your priorities. <\/span><\/p>\n

3. DO NOT Respond to Email<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve made the mistake of looking at your email, you can still save your morning\u2014and your colleagues\u2019 mornings\u2014by not replying before 8 a.m. Every email you send early in the morning loads up inboxes and overwhelms the mornings of countless others. Save your emails for later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh\u2014and when it comes to email, think of the children! Sounds strange, I know, but when I started telling entrepreneurs and executives that every minute spent absorbed in email robs them of a minute with their children, suddenly their eyes lit up. Ruthless email management became meaningful, and they started cutting back on newsletter subscriptions and the number of times they checked their inbox each day.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I have found that what most of them need in their mornings is not another \u201cto-do\u201d list, but a list of what NOT to do. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

4. DO NOT Check Social Media<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

When it comes to Facebook and its ilk, here\u2019s the cold, hard truth: You and I are up against a formidable enemy. Every day, thousands of America\u2019s brightest young people set to work in Silicon Valley with one objective: To make their websites more addictive. And if you make the mistake of rolling over in bed and checking your social media feed before you\u2019ve even said hello to your spouse, then you\u2019ve played right into their hands. <\/span><\/p>\n

Keep your phone away from the bed. Better yet, keep it out of the room, turned off, in airplane mode, and with a post-it note stuck to it that says, \u201cKeep Off!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, my advice is to get something done that matters before you check the inconsequential updates of your countless social feeds. Think about your legacy and forget about your \u201clikes.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

5. DO NOT Engage in Excessive Exercise<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

In the world of exercise, there are two types of people\u2014those who don\u2019t exercise at all and should, and those who exercise too much. That\u2019s right\u2014if you\u2019re a regular exerciser, you are probably doing too much. <\/span><\/p>\n

Before you hop on that treadmill, ask yourself, \u201cWhy do I need to run for an hour? Wouldn\u2019t 45 minutes do just as well? Wouldn\u2019t 30 minutes at a faster pace be even better?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Almost everyone can exercise less and still get the same benefits\u2014with less risk of overuse injury.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do I know? Because I\u2019m an expert. I\u2019ve contributed to Men\u2019s Health magazine for over 17 years, created the groundbreaking Turbulence Training program, and authored the book, \u201c<\/span>The Great Cardio Myth<\/b><\/span><\/a>.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t say any of this to impress you. Instead, I want you to understand that if you cut back on your workout by half, you\u2019ll likely get the same results. This saves you a lot of time that can be spent enjoying life or getting ahead in your career.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. DO NOT Hit the Snooze Button<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

There are two reasons why you should never hit the snooze button. The first, as I describe in my <\/span>10-3-2-1-0 Formula<\/span><\/a>, is that getting a meager five or 10 minutes of bad sleep after your alarm goes off actually leaves you worse off than getting up right away. <\/span><\/p>\n

The second reason is more about motivation: When you hit snooze, you\u2019re telling your hopes and dreams that they can wait. Successful people do not do this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set your alarm and stick to it. <\/span><\/p>\n

7. DO NOT Force Gratitude<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Gratitude is a beautiful thing. This habit literally changed my life. However, it is not mandatory for it to be done before breakfast, nor do you need an elaborate 30-minute gratitude routine. If you like to give gratitude (and you probably should), and if it fits your early morning schedule, that\u2019s fine. But if adding this habit causes you to rush through it or feel stressed before you get to work, then simply do it another time of the day. There is never a bad moment to be thankful, but there are better ways to practice gratitude than as an afterthought or hurried \u201cto-do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

8. DO NOT Meditate<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Meditation is a powerful tool. It can help you reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, increase your patience, and improve your focus. I began meditating in January 2013 and haven\u2019t missed a day since.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s only done as part of my morning routine when it doesn\u2019t add to the stress of an already busy day. When I have a 6 a.m. flight, I don\u2019t force myself to do it before leaving home. Instead, I wait until I\u2019m on the airplane. <\/span><\/p>\n

Likewise, if you\u2019re a busy entrepreneur or executive that needs to deal with more important matters at home (like feeding a two-year) or getting into the office for a 7 a.m. conference call with your team, then you have permission to put off this practice until later in the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Practicing meditation is not necessary for success. It\u2019s a good habit\u2014and I definitely encourage it\u2014but don\u2019t let it overwhelm your morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

#<\/span><\/p>\n

After all of these \u201cdo-nots,\u201d you\u2019re probably wondering: What SHOULD I do before breakfast to be successful?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Just one thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

Get up and spend at least 15 minutes\u2014preferably an hour\u2014working without distractions on your number-one priority in life. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

How you define that priority is up to you. It might be writing a book, figuring out how to get out of debt, engaging in spiritual study, or finally diving into an exercise regime. WHAT it is doesn\u2019t matter\u2014as long as you\u2019ve earnestly acknowledged it as your number-one priority.<\/span><\/p>\n

This \u201cone-priority-only\u201d Morning Routine is the common habit of high-performers. They focus on what matters and avoid frivolous distractions. And without a doubt, it makes them healthy, wealth, and wise.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bottom line: Dump your massive morning to-do list and simply carve out 15 minutes to focus on what matters to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s it. You\u2019ll soon find, as my client did when she returned to the simplicity of my Perfect Day Formula, that success comes faster\u2014and with less stress\u2014in every area of life.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Morning<\/a><\/p>\n

Ready to take your simple Morning Routine to the next level with the Millionaire Morning Routine<\/strong><\/a><\/span>?<\/h4>\n

Get these amazing, easy-to-follow videos and step-by-step worksheets to help you map out your customer mornings for success.<\/h4>\n

Be more energized, find more focus, define your goals, and set a path to maximum achievement. All with the Millionaire Morning Routine. Get it now (and download instantly)!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
\n

Craig Ballantyne<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Craig<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

If you want to double your income, work less, and become the ambitious millionaire you’ve always wanted to be… Craig Ballantyne is the coach who will help you do it. With more than 20-years of experience as an entrepreneur and five 7-figure businesses under his belt, he specializes in helping “struckling” entrepreneurs get out of the mud and build the business of their dreams. To see if you qualify for Craig’s “Millionaire Coaching Program” send an email to support@earlytorise.com with the subject line “Millionaire”.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n