7 Things Successful People Do Early Daily

This article originally appeared in Forbes.

Successful people come from all walks of life, yet they all have one thing in common: where others see impenetrable barriers, they see challenges to embrace and obstacles to overcome.

Their confidence in the face of hardship is driven by their ability to let go of the negativity that holds so many otherwise sensible people back.

Obstacles do not block the path; they are the path.

This perspective helps successful people to think differently to everyone else, which is important, because if you think like everyone else, no matter how smart or experienced you are, you’ll hit the same ceiling. By thinking outside the box and going against the grain, successful people rise above their limitations.

And it all starts with their morning routines. Here's how ultra-successful people utilize the first hours of the day:

1. They drink lemon water.

Drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up spikes your energy levels physically and mentally. By improving nutrient absorption in your stomach, it gives you a steady, natural energy buzz that lasts the length of the day. You need to drink it first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) to ensure full absorption. You should also wait 15-30 minutes after drinking it before eating (perfect time to squeeze in some exercise). Lemons are chock full of nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, drink the juice of half a lemon (a full lemon if you’re over 150 pounds). Don’t drink the juice without water because it’s hard on your teeth.

2. They exercise.

Richard Branson, Tim Cook, and Disney’s Bob Iger all wake up well before 6:00 a.m. to get their bodies moving. While their ungodly wake-up hours and exercise routines may seem crazy, research supports the extra effort. A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically, and athletically. A second study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol found that people who exercised daily had more energy and a more positive outlook, which are both critical for getting things done. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. Exercising first thing in the morning ensures that you’ll have the time for it, and it improves your self-control and energy levels over the course of the entire day.

3. They disconnect.

Howard Schultz starts his day with a motivational e-mail to his employees, after this, he disconnects and dedicates his time to exercise and family. When you wake up and dive straight into e-mails, texts, and Facebook, you are far more likely to lose focus, and your morning succumbs to the wants and needs of other people. It’s much healthier to take those precious first moments of the day to do something relaxing, which sets a calm, positive tone for your day.

4. They eat a healthy breakfast.

Eating anything at all for breakfast puts you ahead of a lot of people. People who eat breakfast are less likely to be obese, they have more stable blood-sugar levels, and they tend to be less hungry over the course of the day. And these are just the statistics for people who eat any breakfast. When you eat a healthy breakfast, the doors to a productive day swing wide open. A healthy breakfast gives you energy, improves your short-term memory, and helps you to concentrate more intensely and for longer periods.

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5. They practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular among highly successful CEOs. Its growth in the business world is largely due to the huge dividends it pays in productivity and overall well-being. Research shows that mindfulness fights off stress by reversing the fight-or-flight response, improves your ability to focus, boosts creativity, and increases your emotional intelligence (EQ).

6. They set goals for the day.

Benjamin Franklin was obsessive about planning his days. Each morning, he would wake up at 4:00 a.m. and meticulously piece together a schedule. There’s a clear message to take from Franklin’s habit: prudent goal setting pays dividends. When you plan out your day as carefully as possible, your chances of successfully accomplishing your goals skyrocket. I like to set my daily goals after my mindfulness practice, because the added calm and clarity help me to set effective, specific goals.

7. They say "No."

No is a powerful word, which will protect your precious mornings. When it’s time to say no, avoid phrases such as “I don’t think I can” or “I’m not certain.” Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments, and your morning time is an important commitment. Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco showed that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression.

Bringing It All Together

While the above strategies are tried and true, you should build upon them with other activities that work for you.

Productivity is indeed an art form in business, however, you must have a holistic approach to your business and health. Rising up way before 7:00am, I seek to keep things in balance with my family, spiritual and personal life while I passionately pursue helping companies be their best.

Despite many out there who tout "laying it all on the line" for your business or career, I differ having been on both sides of the hustle and bustle and on the other side of #life #balance.

In my opinion its BULL advice to advise or coach someone to work until you drop or until such time as you get things launched. When I was working on Wall Street, one time, I had to be carted off the trading room floor via ambulance because of excessive work stress. The doctors told me later that I had a choice --- my health or my wealth. That I could have both but only if I learned how to balance them properly.

That put things in perspective REAL FAST. Money is real nice but if you don't have health it matters none. I learned from that time while I was hospitalized and sought never to repeat it again. Life's precious and too short not to enjoy it.

Be wise, be awesome and blessed.

_________________

Louis F. Vargas is a CEO and equity fund advisor on how to achieve 10X Growth, a NYT bestselling author, a volunteer faculty at USC, speaker, philanthropist, CEO of several companies, and cofounder of 🔱 Business Titans 🔱 ™️.

He consults with and invests in startups and existing businesses using the Launch & Scale™️ Program which has been systemized by him and used by Wall Street, Madison Avenue Ad Agencies and Inc500 companies to scale. The System has been recognized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Since its inception a total of $4.1billion in market capitalization value and revenue has been created by its founding members.

In his career as a Serial Entrepreneur, on Wall Street, Big 5 Management Consultant/Advisor, and Venture Capitalist he has Launch & Scale™️ to increase shareholder equity, market capitalization and sales of companies by over $8.25 billion. He has cofounded five (5) companies that have been ranked in the top 10% of the Inc.5000.

On October 15, 2019 companies, startups and entrepreneurs in either of three Growth Stages: (1) Launch Mode, (2) Scale Mode or (3) Exit Mode, will have an opportunity to work with him and the BT Team over a 12 week period to 10X their company equity and/or sales, and position their company and brand for maximum value and revenues.

#life #business productivity #wellbeing