‘Morning, sunshine!’
Pre-game for 2021 by establishing new patterns in the a.m.
With only a few weeks left in 2020, we can finally begin looking ahead to 2021. For many, the beginning of a new year means rejuvenation, reinvention, and rebirth. January becomes the new Point A in our annual journey toward a better job, more money and an improved work-life experience.
But why wait until January? Let’s face it — 2020 hasn’t done us many favors this year so if we want to figuratively push it out the door a little sooner than later, who’s going to complain? With that in mind, here are six ways to approach your mornings during the final lap of 2020 and begin setting new routines for 2021:
1. Wake up earlier: You know that feeling of running out of time each day? Maybe you can start the day a bit earlier. In the extreme end, there’s Kurt Bilafer, who told Forbes Magazine he began waking up at 3:45 a.m. a couple of years ago to get a jump on his day. Aside from the benefits of adding more time on the front end of his schedule, Bilafer says he’s learned to enjoy the solitude of the early morning. “Extreme early-rising provides the opportunity to be alone and disconnected from everyone else. This morning tranquility generates a level of physical and mental quietness that provides clarity and no distractions,” he says. “With this freedom, you have the unrestricted space to get an early start on whatever you want to do, whether it be work-related or a personal activity.”
OK, 3:45 a.m. is a little intense, especially considering you can barely drag your carcass out of bed at seven, but imagine if you put your phone away a little earlier each night and began setting your alarm at 5:30 a.m.? That extra hour could help you clear out your emails before you hit the office or grab an early-morning workout.
2. Eat breakfast: Put some food in your belly before lunch, and not the grab-and-go sausage biscuit you microwaved each morning while you were preparing for the all-out spring to catch the train. Chances are you’re working
from home anyway but are continuing your bad breakfast habits. Knock it off. Instead, put a little effort into it. “A bowl of oatmeal, some fruit and nuts or a quick omelette can really kick off your day,” says Denver-based nutritionist Sally Plough. “The idea is to give your body some fuel that’s made up of whole foods, not sugar and flour. Your brain will be sharper, you won’t feel bloated and you’ll have the energy to accomplish your tasks.”
Plough says she makes her breakfast a morning ritual. “I read the paper on my iPad, write a note to my daughter and listen to a song or a Ted Talk that helps me focus,” she says. “It’s an important part of my day.”
3. Write a daily to-do list: Need to get it done? Then write it down. The very act of penciling out your tasks will help them remain at the forefront of your mind all day.
Art Markman, a professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas, tells Fast Company magazine his thoughts on the value of to-do lists. “Even if you first spend some time thinking about the tasks you have to do, the act of drawing up a list and prioritizing the items on it forces you to do a little extra work,” says Markman. “This matters. Your brain decides which pieces of information to hang onto for later, partly as a result of how much work you do to them up front, so the more you mentally manipulate a piece of information, the better you’ll remember it.”
4. Do a little reading — but not about your industry: “I like when people use a portion of their day to expand their capacity for ideas and creativity, whether it’s reading up on successful people or doing mental tasks that help stretch out the brain,” says career consultant Abby Newberg, who specializes in professional development. “I recently read ‘The Creative Habit’ by Twyla Tharp, the famous dancer and choreographer, and learned so much. Dance and HR don’t necessarily have a lot in common on the surface but Tharp’s book is about the collaborative process, which is what all work relationships are based on, so I found it incredibly useful.”
Newberg suggests reading about successful people in various fields. “It’s amazing the ideas you can pick up from a dancer or a basketball coach or a poet,” she says. “You almost feel a surge in your brain when an idea hits you. It’s a little charge that will serve you well as you begin your day at work.”
If you drive to work, listen to new podcasts or audiobooks with similar content.
5. Begin dressing better: When you have to return to the workplace, it might be hard to work in something as casual as jeans and a sweater if you’ve been rocking the 12-yearold robe the last few months. It’s hardly the time to stock up on new clothes but if your job requires you to look halfway decent, it’s probably time to begin showering again, wearing something other than what you wore yesterday and taking a little bit of pride in your appearance. OK, you don’t have to wear pants yet but at least have a pair nearby in case you haven’t mastered turning off your camera every time you stand up to stretch.
6. Engage in some casual chit-chat: Yes, it’s OK to replicate your in-office, pre-work routine with your family members, your friends or your co-workers. If you have a food relationship with one or several of your peers, go ahead and engage in a little pre-meeting banter. Talk about your spouse, your kid, the weather — whatever — just talk about something. “There’s no need to jump right into the workday,” says Sylvia Thompson, a corporate communications specialist in Seattle. “We’re so programmed to begin working when we’re on-screen that we forget we can make small talk with people in our own homes or online.”
Thompson says she chats with her sister most mornings before starting work. “It’s just a quick hello,” she says. “It just puts me in a better mood and I feel like I begin my day on a positive, friendly note.”