10 Morning Habits of Successful People

I have had the opportunity to observe some people and certain lifestyle habits and found out they’re closely linked to success and highly productive living, so I will be sharing a few. 

How one starts the day sets the tone for how the rest of the day will go so the first minutes and hours of the day and the first activities at this time is critically important. 

1. Waking up early. As a mom, this is even more important. Waking up before everyone gives you an edge, makes you more organised and intentional and you get to cover good ground before others wake up and the day begins fully for everyone. Snoozing your alarm without getting up could cost you dearly. 
2. Making your bed. There’s something about making your bed soon as you get up in the mornings. I can’t explain it. It seems purely psychological, but my head is never ready to start the day when my bed hasn’t been made. No matter where I am or what I do, my mind keeps dragging me back to do it before I can make any meaningful progress. 
3. For those of us who aren’t morning people, we’ve been handed a lifesaver in that morning cup of tea or coffee. Cos that instant fix it gives us makes a whole lot of difference. I still prefer to work late into the night so I can sleep in cos mornings are still the best times of the day to sleep 🤦‍♀️. But this will be a disaster if you have kids to prepare for school. So morning tea/coffee to the rescue. The clarity that follows helps you plan and start your day. 
4. Workouts. Exercises aren’t only for the body. The mind also benefits from it. And it is one of the best ways to care for your mind. When you work out, you’re doing good for both your mind and body. It opens up your mind in a way that is better experienced than explained. Successful people who have discovered this take it very seriously. And the best time is in the early hours of the day. I have 2 windows. An hour or 30 minutes before I start preparing the kids for school or as soon as the school bus picks them up. If I miss these windows, I may struggle to get it done later in the day. 
5. Planned-out itinerary. Successful people start their day already having clear-cut goals and knowing the tasks for the day. They have this to-do list and as they achieve every item on this list, they tick it off. This way, they have no chance to procrastinate and are very intentional about their activities. This is how they are able to get things done. No matter how seemingly unimportant a task is, they put it on that list. 
6. Self-Evaluation. The ability to sit by yourself and do some personal analysis and introspection on issues, situations, and outcomes as they present themselves is great. This goes hand in hand with morning coffee or tea when everywhere is still quiet. This is where decisions are made, strategies emerge and answers show up after some serious and quiet introspection. 
7. Not time-wasters. Successful people view time as a currency (which it is, by the way) and never engage in any unproductive activity that will waste it. This is why they outsource, delegate, multitask, and closely monitor and oversee things to get them done in record time. They understand that time is not just currency; it is life. 
8. Call it me-time or Self-care but these ones know how to take care of themselves when they need to. They know all the best things to do. They know when to take a break and go on that trip or vacation—family time, personal time, spa, journaling, reading, camping, good music, or napping. 
9. Mental health. Taking care of the mind is a very intentional habit that should never be taken lightly. This means choosing positive things you want to focus on and nothing negative. It means not allowing anyone with negative vibes in. It means finding good in every situation. It means learning from mistakes and moving on, rather than beating yourself up continuously about it. It means having the right people in your circle who can be there for you, push you to become your best and keep you on your toes. 
10. Learners. In life, the moment you stop learning, you start dying. Learning happens every day and one needs to learn from everything and everyone around them. That’s why many successful people are readers and also hang out with people whom they can learn from. They open themselves up to new experiences and like to try new things or new ways of doing things. 

Joy Mfon Essien is an Entrepreneur and the CEO, Discover Essence Media, Millionaire Woman Soapworks and Delicioso Foods. Writer, TV presenter and producer, Wellness Coach and mom of two.