22 Aug The First 30 Minutes of Your Day
By Paul Barrs
How much thought have you given to what you do first thing in the morning? Yes, I know, we all get up (some faster than others), often heading directly to the kitchen to grab that coffee or juice after a splash of water on the face. But that’s not what I’m talking about.
More so, I’m asking the question … what happens *after* that?
For some of us its prayer and reading time, others it’s hit the treadmill or pavement, for others it’s the morning paper – or a multitude of possible variations.
More important at the moment than ‘what do you do’, is “why am I asking?”
Fact: The first thirty minutes of any day is the best time for absorbing information deep into the conscious mind. Ask any leader in the field of learning and you’ll find that to be true.
Next question… ‘Why would we need to know this’?
Fact: If you don’t grow your mind above the level that it’s currently at, you cannot grow your business beyond the level that it’s currently at.
Therefore it’s a reasonable conclusion that if you grow your mind you will also grow your ability and therefore you can grow your business.
So… if the first thirty minutes are among the best for learning and absorbing information, it makes sense also to incorporate learning ways to grow your business during that same time.
Usually this can be done without having to stop or change too dramatically what we were already doing, all we need to do is *add*.
Do you run or exercise in the morning; what do you listen to on your iPod? Do you read the newspaper while having your coffee; does the information that you’re reading directly impact upon the growth of your business? Do you watch an early morning TV program; can you take some message from it and then format into an idea you can pass on to your customers?
One of the first questions I ask myself each morning is… “What can I write for my customers today?” And I try to make the writing of that article one of the first things that I do each day. Why? Because (1) it sets my mind in a business frame; (2) the publication of the article adds to the growth of my presence online, and (3) the adding of the article to my Blog gives value to my readers.
Am I able to do it *every* day? No. I’m human and sometimes things happen. But it’s a plan.
Here’s my recently developed philosophy: Some days you can, some days you can’t. Do what you can WHEN you can.
This way I start each day with at minimum a 30 minute plan, because it’s easier to believe for a ‘little thing’ than it is for a big thing. No matter what happened the day before the ‘little plan’ always seems achievable.
That plan however, always seems to magically lead on to bigger and better things.
So what’s your plan? Do you have one yet? If not, perhaps tomorrow morning would be a good time to start :).
