MASTER YOUR MORNING 7 MORNING HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DANIEL W ALTER MASTER YOUR MORNING: 7 Morning Habits of Successful People by Daniel Walter © Copyright 2021 by Daniel Walter All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Disclaimer: This book is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering psychological or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought. CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1: It Starts the Night Before – A Consistent Bedtime Routine Chapter 2: Give Yourself a Head Start - Wake up Early Chapter 3: Start Your Day Without Electronics Chapter 4: Get Your Mind Right With Meditation Chapter 5: Get Moving – Start Your Day With Exercise Chapter 6: Start Your Day With Reading Chapter 7: Start Your Day With a Healthy Breakfast Conclusion INTRODUCTION Does life feel like a continuous uphill struggle? Do you ever get the sense that time is just slipping through your fingers, and you have no control over your life? Do you have goals for what you want to accomplish, but it seems as if you never have enough time to get them done? I know exactly how you feel because less than three years ago, I was walking in your shoes. It had always been my dream to become a writer. There was so much inside me that I wanted to release to the world, but I just couldn’t get it done. January the first was always the same: I’d set a New Year’s resolution to have my book written by the end of the year. But by February, I’d forgotten all about it. Life just wasn’t going in the direction I’d hoped, and I couldn’t figure out why. I truly believed there was some type of magic pill I could swallow and become successful. I have read every self-help book out there, so in theory, I knew exactly what I needed to do, but putting it into practice was a problem for me. I kept doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result. The bottom line was that I had terrible habits. Most of my time was spent in front of the TV or scrolling through social media. I thought I had a valid excuse for this because I had worked all day, I was tired, and I deserved to watch TV and eat a highly processed “feel-good” meal that would send me into a food coma until I went to bed. Do you want to know how I broke out of my rut? JEALOUSY! Boy...I’m telling you, jealousy is a powerful motivator. One of my closest friends had figured out the success game. She disappeared for almost two years and resurfaced with all her goals accomplished. When we met up for the first time in years, she was driving a Range Rover and living in a luxury penthouse in New York! I felt so inadequate around her. She took me to an expensive restaurant and the bill was more than a month’s wages for me. (She paid.) During dinner, we had one of the most insightful conversations I’ve ever had. One of the most important things she said to me was that the key to my success was in “mastering my mornings.” Everything you are about to read in this book, we discussed during that dinner. You see, the morning is so important because it sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you’re ever going to get anywhere in life, you’ve got to get your mornings in order first. In this book, I’ll show you exactly how to do that. Over the next seven chapters, you can expect to learn about: • The importance of a consistent bedtime routine • Why successful people are awake before the rest of the world • How to break your smartphone addiction • How meditation can improve your mental capacity • The life-transforming power of a daily exercise routine • The benefits of developing a reading habit • Why you need to ditch your drive-through breakfasts If you are ready to change your life and master your mornings, keep reading! JOIN OUR PRODUCTIVITY GROUP In order to maximize the value you receive from this book, I highly encourage you to join our tight-knit community on Facebook. Here you will be able to connect and share productivity strategies that will allow you to continue your growth. It would be great to connect with you there, Daniel Walter >> Click Here to Join Our Productivity Group << BOOKS BY DANIEL WALTER The Power of Discipline: How to Use Self Control and Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals How to Stop Procrastinating: Powerful Strategies to Overcome Laziness and Multiply Your Time CHAPTER 1: IT STARTS THE NIGHT BEFORE – A CONSISTENT BEDTIME ROUTINE To wake up early, you need a good bedtime routine to ensure you get a solid night’s sleep. One of the reasons people hit the snooze button until they’ve got just enough time to make it to work is because they wake up feeling groggy. I’m not going to say that you need to get eight hours of sleep a night, even though that is a commonly-held belief. Sleep experts are refuting it, stating that it’s not how much sleep that’s important, but the quality of sleep you get. Let me explain. All adults transition through five stages of sleep during the night: Stage 1 - Relaxation: This is when you’re still aware of what’s going on around you, but your body is relaxing and you’re drifting off to sleep. Stage 2 - Light Sleep: You are sleeping lightly and slowly falling into a deeper sleep. Stage 3 - Deep Sleep: At this point, you are completely relaxed, your brain waves, body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing are at their lowest levels, and it would be difficult to wake you up. Stage 4 - Healing Stage: Stage 4 is called the healing stage because this is when tissue repair and growth take place. Your cells are reenergized and essential hormones are released. Stage 5: REM Sleep: REM sleep happens in 90-minute cycles; the first starts once you fall asleep. You are most likely to dream during this stage, and your legs and arms are temporarily paralyzed to stop you from physically participating in your dreams. The American Sleep Apnea Association advises that you should feel alert and fresh when you wake up. Yet a lot of people don’t, even if they do get eight hours’ sleep a night. That’s because they are not getting enough deep, healing, and REM sleep. A study in the US National Library of Medicine analyzed the sleep patterns of 1.1 million people over the course of six years and found that it was better to have five hours of high-quality sleep than eight hours of bad sleep. So how do you know whether you’ve had a good night’s sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, the key indicators include: • Falling asleep within 30 minutes of getting into bed • Being asleep a minimum of 85% of the time you are in bed • Staying asleep throughout the night (waking up once is okay) “This information is great,” I hear you saying, “but how can I make sure I get a good night’s sleep?” If you are one of those people who wake up feeling groggy in the mornings, not to worry...here are some tips: A BEDTIME ROUTINE According to the author of the book Atomic Habits, the key is in your bedtime routine. Are you one of those people who fall asleep with their phone in their hand after spending the first hour in bed talking on the phone, or scrolling through social media? Or do you go to the gym late and then go straight to bed after having a heavy workout session and shower? These are just a few possible reasons why you are not getting good-quality sleep. But you can fix that with a consistent bedtime routine. A Consistent Sleep Schedule: Going to bed too early when you don’t feel tired or going to bed too late when you’re exhausted will affect the overall quality of your sleep. You can avoid this by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. A consistent sleep schedule will help regulate your circadian rhythm. Without going into too much detail, this is part of your internal body clock. Light during the day sends signals to the brain to keep you alert. When it starts getting dark, the body produces a hormone called melatonin to remind the body that it’s bedtime. This is when you start feeling tired. You can regulate your circadian rhythm by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Avoid Caffeine: If you’re a coffee drinker, have your last cup during the late morning or early hours of the afternoon. Research reported by the Sleep Foundation states that caffeine interrupts the circadian rhythm if consumed shortly before going to bed. Sleep experts suggest having your last cup of coffee at least six hours before bedtime because it takes around four hours for its effects to wear off. It’s also important to mention that small amounts of caffeine are also present in beverages such as tea and hot chocolate. Many people believe that a warm drink like a hot chocolate will help them fall asleep. This is true, but the caffeine won’t allow you to fall into a deep sleep, explaining why you wake up still feeling tired. Stop Using Electronic Devices: Electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and tablets emit blue light. Blue light restricts the production of melatonin, which means it takes you longer to fall asleep. Stop using your devices at least one hour before you go to bed to counter the effects of blue light. Change Your Bedroom Temperature: Change the thermostat so your bedroom temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the Sleep Foundation, this is the best temperature to get the most comfortable sleep because our body’s core temperature drops in the evening. Get Everything Ready for the Next Day: When you don’t know how you’re going to manage your day, you spend the night worrying about it. Of course, there will be some things you can’t control, but make sure everything else has been taken care of. For example, instead of ironing yours and the kids’ clothes in the morning, do it the night before. If you go to the gym in the morning, get your gym clothes ready before you go to bed. Also, write out a “to do” list so you’re not mentally going over everything you’ve got to do while you’re trying to fall asleep. Relax: Take a warm bath, do some stretching, or read a book. Do whatever it takes for you to get into a relaxed state before bedtime because that will help you fall asleep more easily. Getting a good night’s sleep will make it easier for you to wake up early so you can get your day started. Keep reading to find out how waking up early is one of the most important habits of successful people. CHAPTER 2: GIVE YOURSELF A HEAD START - WAKE UP EARLY Are you guilty of saying things like, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done!” Well, there are enough hours, but you’re just not making the best use of them. We all have 24 hours available to us, so how is it that some people manage to do more within that timeframe than others? The answer lies in the time they wake up. As you’ve read, successful people have several habits in common, and one of them is effective time management. But to master this skill, you’ve got to wake up earlier than the average person. Let’s take a look at the times some of the most accomplished people in the world wake up: • Oprah Winfrey - TV talk show host: 6 am • Tim Cook - Apple CEO: 3:45 am • Jeff Weiner - LinkedIn CEO: 5:30 am • Richard Branson – The Virgin Group founder: 5:30 am Research suggests that approximately 90% of executives and 50% of self-made millionaires are out of their beds before 6 am. To put this wake-up time into a bit more context, they are awake three hours before the start of their working day. Basically, successful people are more productive; they get more done not only because they get a three-hour head start, but because they do the things required to be more productive during those three hours. The average person starts their day like this: • Hit the snooze button several times • Fly out of bed and into the shower one hour before they’ve got to be in the office • Rush out the door with half an hour to spare • Grab a McDonalds breakfast and stuff their face before sitting at their desk This is how so many people in the world get stuck in a 9-5 job they can’t stand, and even if they want to, they struggle to climb the corporate ladder and progress in their career. For those who desire to start their own business and generate wealth, living like this isn’t going to cut it! Here are just a few reasons why you need to start waking up earlier: You Get a Head Start on the Day: Most successful people have exercised, meditated, got the kids ready for school, had breakfast and made lunch before the rest of the world has started anything but personal hygiene. By getting up earlier, you give yourself enough time to work on the things that are important to you. Let’s say you want to start a business; waking up early will allow you to start building the foundation. Even if you spend one hour a day researching how to run a business and writing a business plan, you’re making progress. If you’ve always wanted to write a book, you could spend the first hour of your day writing. You Are More Proactive: What happens when you don’t think you’ve got enough time to do what you want to do? For most people, they’re going to keep putting it off until they think they’ve got enough time. Tomorrow turns into next week, next week turns into next month, and next month turns into next year. Before you know it, ten years have passed and you’re still talking about the goals you plan to achieve! Studies show that people who wake up early are more proactive, which means they are more willing to take the required action to change their situation. According to Dr. Christopher Randler, being proactive is a skill that is most prevalent in early risers. It Prevents Sleep Inertia: Most people wake up feeling groggy and go to bed feeling groggy. Why? Because they suffer from sleep inertia. Have you ever wondered why you don’t have the energy to do anything other than the bare minimum? Besides other issues such as bad dietary habits and going to bed too late, you may suffer from sleep inertia, which is characterized by feeling groggy, drowsy, disorientated, and cognitively impaired when you wake up. It’s normal to feel this way for 15 to 60 minutes after waking up. But if this feeling persists throughout the day, you may suffer from sleep inertia. You can prevent sleep inertia by training your brain and your body to wake up earlier. Once you are up, exercise will reenergize your body and alleviate that groggy, drowsy feeling. You Are More Productive: Distractions come in many forms, but one of them is people. If you have a family, your partner and children are often all in need of your attention. Even if you’re single, friends and loved ones may start calling and texting as soon as they get up. But if you wake up before everyone else, you eliminate a lot of the distractions that would ordinarily prevent you from getting stuff done. Having fewer distractions provides you with the headspace required to work on your goals and set your priorities for the day ahead. Additionally, many people find they are more efficient during the early hours of the morning, meaning they can get more done during that time than at any other point throughout the day. Another mistake people make when they wake up is to check their phone as soon as they open their eyes. In Chapter Three, you’ll learn why this is one of the most destructive habits around. CHAPTER 3: START YOUR DAY WITHOUT ELECTRONICS Smartphones are amazing, and I for one am more than happy to have access to everything I need at the click of a button. But if you don’t have enough self-discipline to regulate the amount of time you spend on your phone, scrolling can become your downfall. Here’s why… Research suggests that adults spend approximately 2-4 hours a day on their phones. Just think about that for a minute...that is more than ten percent of your day doing nothing productive! Have you ever experienced that feeling of anxiety when you think you’ve lost your phone? Well, you’re not alone because about 73% of people have experienced the same feeling. Why? Because we have developed an unhealthy attachment to these devices. The devices themselves are not the problem, but the virtual hyper-social environments they’ve created are. Your back pocket or your handbag is now where you go when you want to connect with people. Social media, WhatsApp and dating apps now have our full attention, but not for the reasons you might think. SMARTPHONES HAVE BECOME THE NEW ADDICTION When we think of addiction, the first thing that often comes to mind is drugs and alcohol. These are the most visible addictions in society because of the destruction they cause. However, smartphone addiction is quickly becoming the most common type of addiction because of its ability to trigger the release of dopamine. Dopamine is what motivates us to do the things that make us feel good, and has thus been nicknamed the “feel-good” hormone. Why are people addicted to fast food and smoking? Because when we take a bite of that burger, or a drag of that cigarette, dopamine is released, and we experience that euphoric feeling that motivates us to do it again. Dopamine is also released during sex, after we exercise, and when we are surrounded by people we like. The purpose of dopamine is to reward us for behavior that benefits us and to motivate us to repeat it. Unfortunately, dopamine can also work against us. Cognitive neuroscientists have found that rewarding social stimuli such as caring messages, happy faces, and positive recognition from our loved ones also have a strong dopamine connection. Smartphones are now our gateway to those social stimuli. You no longer need to leave your house to meet up with family and friends. You can have a Zoom meeting in your pajamas! You know the little red icon you get on your screen each time you get a notification from Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp? Well, every time it flashes on your screen, there is a chance it could be a positive stimulus. So the first thing you do is click on it to check. When you get that positive reinforcement, you want it again, so you keep checking your phone every time it pings. Without you realizing it, you’ve now become addicted to your phone. It sounds harmless, it’s only a phone, right? Wrong! THE DANGERS OF SMARTPHONE ADDICTION A study conducted by university professor Hyung Suk Seo found that smartphone addiction has a negative effect on sleeping patterns and productivity because it causes tiredness and severe anxiety. Without going into too much scientific detail, the study found that excessive attachment to these devices changes the chemical makeup of the brain, making it difficult for people to focus on tasks that require more brain power. If this sounds like you, pay attention to the times you start feeling most tired. It’s typically when you’ve got to do something important, right? Like study for a test or complete an assignment. Suddenly you’ve got no energy and decide it’s time to go to bed. But you don’t go to sleep; instead, you spend the rest of the evening scrolling. So now, you’ve become a chronic procrastinator and you only get things done when you’re under extreme pressure. You stay up all night drinking coffee and eating unhealthy snacks to study for the test you have the following morning, or to meet the work deadline. You barely pass the test because you’ve had no sleep and couldn’t concentrate, or the project you had to submit to your boss was barely acceptable. On the other hand, the productive person has been studying since the test was announced or working on the project from the day it was assigned. All they’ve got to do the night before is one last readthrough before getting a good night’s sleep. HOW TO BREAK YOUR SMARTPHONE ADDICTION As with any addiction, you can overcome it if you are willing to put the work in, so here are some tips to get you started: • Don’t look at your phone until you’ve completed your morning routine. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, I’d recommend getting an old-fashioned digital clock to ward off the temptation. • Turn your phone off an hour before going to sleep and leave it in another room. • Turn off all the notifications on your phone. • Check your phone once, or at most twice a day. • Put your phone on “do not disturb.” • Apply the two-minute scrolling rule when working on a project. This may sound extreme if you always check your phone as soon as you open your eyes, and then several times throughout the day. But, if you want the best out of life, you’ll need to take some extreme measures. Successful people do not spend the entire day on their phone. They are very strategic about how they use it. Here are some examples: • Arianna Huffington charges her phone away from her bed and doesn’t check it in the mornings. • Tom Patterson only checks his email twice a day. • Warren Buffet simply doesn’t have a smartphone and instead uses an old-fashioned Samsung flip phone. • Julie Morganstern never checks her emails in the morning. • Elizabeth Grace Saunders checks her emails once a day. Now, let me warn you, your friends, family members and loved ones will get extremely annoyed with your newfound habit of replying to their messages only every 24 hours, but you’ll need to weigh the pros and the cons of this change. What’s more important: becoming the best version of yourself so you don’t live with regrets and you’re in a better position to help those in need, or catering to everyone else’s whims and neglecting your own needs? Take your pick! CHAPTER 4: GET YOUR MIND RIGHT WITH MEDITATION Meditation is a practice that a lot of super successful people swear by. Here are a few well-known individuals who have made a habit of daily meditation: • Jerry Seinfeld: This multimillionaire comedian says that daily meditation helps him stay more productive. • Ray Dalio: The architect of the world’s most successful hedge fund has been meditating for over 40 years and states he would never have gotten so far in life if it weren’t for meditation. • Russell Simmons: The founder of Def Jam records says that meditation has been the most important aspect of his career. • Oprah Winfrey: The billionaire talk show host said in one interview that meditation is the driving force behind her success. • Kobe Bryant: The late basketball player meditated every morning to ground himself and take control of the day. • Jennifer Lopez: In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, singer/actor Jennifer Lopez said that meditation helps her deal with the stress associated with being a celebrity. • Clint Eastwood: The world-renowned Hollywood actor has been practicing transcendental meditation for over 40 years. And the list goes on… Meditation is scientifically proven to benefit you in many ways, and here are some of them: MEDITATION STRENGTHENS THE MIND Meditation strengthens the mind by thickening the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is an important part of the brain that plays a role in things such as making future plans, focusing one’s attention, and impulse control. The thicker the prefrontal cortex, the stronger and more powerful your mind becomes. MEDITATION REDUCES STRESS Physical and mental stress contribute to excess levels of the stress hormone cortisol. When you’ve got too much cortisol in your system, it contributes to conditions such as anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure. An eight-week study found that mindfulness meditation reduced cortisol levels, causing a reduction in stress for the majority of participants. MEDITATION MAKES YOU MORE EMOTIONALLY STABLE An evaluation of 18 studies found that meditation therapy helped reduce symptoms of depression. People also experienced fewer negative thoughts and gained the ability to see the positive side of the things they were going through. MEDITATION MAKES YOU MORE SELF-AWARE To succeed in life, you need to know who you are. There are several types of meditation that help you tune in to your inner being. For example, with self-inquiry meditation, you increase your self-awareness by learning about specific aspects of your personality. Mindfulness meditation makes you less lonely and feel more sociable. MEDITATION IMPROVES YOUR ABILITY TO FOCUS Do you find it difficult to focus on tasks for more than a few minutes? Or maybe you’re easily distracted? Well, studies have found that meditation will help you overcome this problem. It helps increase the endurance and strength of your attention. Further, several studies have found that meditation transforms patterns in the brain that cause poor attention, worrying, and mind-wandering. SIMPLE DAILY MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS Meditation is a simple practice that anyone can enjoy. If you’re new to it, you’ll need to start slowly and work your way up. Here is a quick five-minute meditation technique taken from the Mindful website: • Set your timer for five minutes. • Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. • It’s best to sit upright because if you get too relaxed, you might end up falling asleep. • Sit on a chair with your feet touching the ground and your back straight, or sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed. • Close your eyes, breathe normally, and pay attention to your breath. • Your mind will start wandering and that’s fine; just keep bringing your attention back to your breath. • Once the alarm goes off, open your eyes and become aware of your environment, the sounds, your thoughts, your emotions, and your body. ADVANCED MEDITATION FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED Don’t let the word “advanced” intimidate you. In the context of meditation, advanced doesn’t mean it’s going to get harder, it’s about the intention you’re setting. This meditation technique is taken from the Chopra website, and it’s called The Microcosmic Orbit. It improves circulation, restores your internal organs, keeps your nervous system free from stress, and gives you a deep sense of inner peace and wellbeing. • Set a timer for 10 minutes. • Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. • It’s best to sit upright because if you get too relaxed, you might end up falling asleep. • Sit on a chair with your feet touching the ground and your back straight, or sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed. • Position your tongue so it rests against your top front teeth. • Breathe in deeply and visualize a golden light while focusing your attention between your eyebrows. • Breathe out slowly, pushing your breath through your lungs, and into your stomach at the same time as out of your nose. • Breathe in, pulling the energy from your lower stomach. • Breathe out slowly, pushing your breath through your lungs, and into your stomach at the same time as out of your nose. • Keep doing this until the timer goes off. Open your eyes and become aware of your environment, the sounds, your thoughts, your emotions, and your body. Now you’ve started working on your mind, it’s time to start working on your body! You’ll find out why in the next chapter. CHAPTER 5: GET MOVING – START YOUR DAY WITH EXERCISE Exercise is important for many reasons. We are constantly told about its benefits, but understanding the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle might motivate some people to ditch their full-time jobs as couch potatoes. THE DANGERS OF NOT EXERCISING If I was to ask one hundred people if they wanted to live a long and productive life, I can almost guarantee that most of them will answer, “YES” with confidence. But if I asked the same group of people whether they exercise every day, most will say, “NO” and have a well-rehearsed excuse attached to their response. “I don’t have the time,” “The kids wear me out,” “I’m too exhausted at the end of the day,” or “I don’t like going to the gym.” These excuses sound viable until you realize that you’re putting your life at risk. Here are a few of the dangers associated with not exercising: Premature Death: If you don’t get your heartbeat racing and your blood pumping through your body, you’re living a sedentary lifestyle. Walking up and down the stairs or walking to the bus or train station every morning won’t cut it. Researchers at the University of Edmonton say that the majority of people don’t get enough physical activity to reap the benefits associated with exercise. In fact, living a sedentary lifestyle is partly responsible for conditions such as colon cancer, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and coronary (heart) disease. These diseases contribute to 57 million deaths a year worldwide! Mental Illness: Research suggests there is a strong link between mental illness and exercise. Dr Mutrie, an expert in sports psychology and exercise, claims that inactive people increase their risk of becoming depressed. Increased Laziness: One of the reasons why you’re feeling drained and unmotivated is because you don’t exercise. The more you keep putting it off, the lazier you become because your energy levels will keep decreasing. THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE I think you get the message now, so I won’t disturb you any further with the dangers of not exercising. Let’s move on to the benefits. Increases Productivity: A study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health and Management found that exercise improves brain function and productivity. Participants reported a 72% improvement in their completed workload and time management. A strict daily exercise regime is one of the reasons why successful people are such high achievers and have the energy to complete the tasks they set for themselves throughout the day. Improves Mood: Another way to activate your feel-good hormones is through exercise. People who work out talk about the euphoric feeling they experience after a workout. This is because aerobic exercise releases endorphins into the blood and they produce feelings of pleasure and happiness. Hard work is no fun, but you’re more likely to soldier on when you’re in a better mood. Improves Discipline: This sounds like a no brainer given that you need self-discipline to work out in the first place! Nevertheless, to become more disciplined, you’ve got to make a habit of doing the things you don’t want to do. Most people like looking at hot bodies, but they don’t like doing the work to get one because it takes a level of discipline that the average person is not willing to muster. The bottom line is that if you can get into an exercise routine and stick to it, you will become more disciplined in all areas of your life. Improves Health: Exercise increases the good cholesterol and reduces the bad cholesterol in your blood stream. This ensures that your arteries remain unclogged, and your blood can flow freely through your body. Regular exercise helps prevent conditions such as: • Arthritis • Cancer • Anxiety • Depression • Type 2 diabetes • High blood pressure • Metabolic syndrome • Stroke YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE As mentioned, you will not reap the benefits of exercise or improve your health by merely walking up and down stairs, or by walking to the train station and the bus stop every day. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the average adult should participate in at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. You can also combine the two depending on your fitness level. If you want to lose weight, and maintain your weight loss, aim for 300 minutes per week. Your weekly exercise routine should include the following: Aerobic Activity: Aerobic activity means getting your heart rate going; in other words, you need to break a sweat! There are plenty of ways you can do this, so it all depends on the exercise you prefer to take part in. You can go for a jog, take a power walk, join a cycling class, swim laps, or take a dance fitness class. Strength Training: Strengthen your muscles and bones by doing strength training at least twice a week. Use free weights or weight resistance machines that are heavy enough to stress your muscles to the point of fatigue after 12-15 repetitions. Whatever type of exercise you plan on doing, just get started. I would advise that if you’re not used to exercising, start slowly with maybe 10-15 minutes per day, and work your way up (or else you may give up before you start reaping the health benefits). I wrote about meditation before exercise because I personally feel that it’s more important to get your mind right before putting your body in motion. That’s because once your mind is strong, it becomes easier to discipline your body. CHAPTER 6: START YOUR DAY WITH READING Do you want to get ahead in your chosen field? Do you want to improve your social skills or get better at public speaking? Whatever you want to accomplish, improving your reading skills will help you achieve it. There is so much more to reading than just enjoying a good story or learning about a new subject. As you’ll discover in this chapter, it will help you in every area of your life. But first, let’s take a look at what some of the most successful people in the world think about reading. • Bill Gates: One of the richest men in the world spends a lot of time reading and gets through 50 non-fiction books a year. Even though Gates doesn’t need any more money, he states that reading is the best way to acquire new knowledge. • Elon Musk: Musk developed a love for reading science-fiction and fantasy books in school. He was bullied as a child, and reading was how he found comfort. But fast forward to a few years later, and the books he was reading taught him how to build rockets. • Warren Buffet: Reportedly spends 80% of his day reading, and credits his success to his love of books. • Mark Cuban: The Dallas Mavericks owner reads for three hours a day to get a better understanding of the industries he works in. THE BENEFITS OF READING There are several reasons why the most successful people in the world developed the habit of reading. Here are some of them: READING GIVES YOU BRAIN POWER There is a growing body of evidence proving that reading changes the structure of the brain for the better. A study conducted in 2013 found that participants who read a novel over a nine-day period experienced increased brain connectivity in the somatosensory cortex. The somatosensory cortex is the part of the brain responsible for responding to physical sensations such as pain and movement. READING IMPROVES YOUR ABILITY TO EMPATHIZE According to research in the National Library of Medicine, reading literary fiction makes you more empathetic. When a book delves deeply into the personal lives of the characters, it inadvertently improves the reader’s ability to relate to others. This is a skill referred to as the “theory of mind,” and it is required to build, navigate, and maintain social relationships on all levels. READING IMPROVES YOUR VOCABULARY Since the 1950s, researchers have been debating a term called “The Matthew Effect.” It is based on a verse in the Bible from the book of Matthew that implies the rich will increase in riches and the poor will increase in poverty. The same principle applies to vocabulary. Studies show that students who started reading from a young age and continued into their adult years develop a broad vocabulary. They also discovered that a broad vocabulary benefits many areas of an individual’s life such as test scores, college admissions, and employment opportunities. Research also highlights the fact that most employers prefer to hire employees with good communication skills, and consistent reading is one of the ways to acquire those skills because it exposes the reader to new words in the correct context. READING HELPS WITH STRESS REDUCTION One study discovered that 30 minutes of reading reduced heart rate, blood pressure, and feelings of mental distress in the same way as yoga and humor do. One of the reasons why reading helps with stress reduction is because it’s a distraction. Instead of thinking about your problems, you become absorbed in the characters of your book. Furthermore, a 2009 study conducted by the University of Sussex found that reading works faster and better than other relaxation methods such as sipping on a warm drink or listening to music. READING HELPS PREVENT MENTAL DECLINE As we grow old, the body starts to decline. In the same way exercise and good nutrition help to keep the body healthy, reading helps to keep the mind healthy. Research suggests that older people who keep their brain engaged by solving math problems and reading can keep their brain in good working order. Additionally, it’s important to start early. In 2013, the Rush University Medical Center found that people who have spent their lives participating in mentally stimulating activities were less likely to develop the tau protein tangles, lesions, and plaque found in the brains of dementia patients. HOW TO INCORPORATE READING INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE Steve Covey advises that you can make reading a habit by incorporating it into your daily routine. When you do it is up to you, just make sure you do it. Here are some tips to get you started: Set a Reading Goal: As with all goals, the more realistic it is, the more likely you are to achieve it. You may be inspired by Bill Gates reading 50 books a year, but that’s virtually impossible for the average person to achieve. However, one book every two months is possible and realistic. You can compare reading to sleep: it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. Therefore, it’s better for you to absorb the information you are reading than to skim through and get nothing out of it. Make a List: Don’t wait until you’ve finished a book to start looking for another one. When it comes to habit building, consistency is key. If you take a break (especially at the beginning), you’ll find it difficult to regain your rhythm. Make a list of books you want to read for the year, so you can read them back to back. But be careful not to get side-tracked and start chopping and changing every other day. If a book catches your attention, put it at the end of your reading list, and make sure you finish one before moving onto the next. Page Number Minimum: Set yourself a goal of reading a certain number of pages a day. Looking at a 300-page book can be off-putting, but if you commit to reading ten pages per day, you can get through it in a month. If you diligently follow these steps, you’ll become a bookworm in no time at all. CHAPTER 7: START YOUR DAY WITH A HEALTHY BREAKFAST Are you guilty of eating a high-carb, greasy breakfast on the go every morning? Do you start feeling sluggish within an hour of eating it, requiring you to guzzle down at least two cups of coffee before lunch time? If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, what you’re eating is hindering you and not helping you. You will often hear breakfast referred to as the most important meal of the day, and that’s because it’s supposed to give you the energy you need to get through the morning, while it stimulates your metabolism to help with the calorie burning process. Eating a healthy breakfast every morning is essential to your overall well-being. But first I want to highlight the negative effects of eating an unhealthy breakfast every morning. Blood Sugar Spike: Foods such as pastries, doughnuts, and sausage biscuits are high in sugar and calories. Excess sugar causes your body to produce more insulin to accommodate it. This leads to a blood sugar spike, and then a heavy sugar crash. These two extremes cause hunger shortly afterwards and a craving for more refined carbs. This is why every cafeteria in office buildings has snack machines. By 11 am, your craving will have you munching on a bag of chips. And thus, the unhealthy eating cycle has begun. Increased LDL Cholesterol: This is the bad cholesterol, and it increases your risk of stroke and heart attack. Are you a fan of non-dairy creamer? Well, it’s loaded with trans fats and artificial sweeteners. Research suggests that a small reduction in trans fats could prevent over 10,000 deaths per year. Increased Inflammation: Inflammation is the cause of conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. A bagel loaded with butter or cream cheese might taste good, but it’s packed with refined carbohydrates and calories, both of which are responsible for increased inflammation. WHAT YOU SHOULD BE EATING INSTEAD As mentioned, a healthy breakfast will provide you with the energy you need to get through the morning. But there are some very specific benefits to starting your day with something healthy: Boosts Brain Power: Your brain needs energy (glucose) to function effectively. When you skip breakfast, you may experience brain fog and find it difficult to focus. It can also affect your memory, and you may struggle with tasks you would otherwise find simple. Once you’ve fueled your brain with the right foods, you’ll become alert, focused, energized, and ready to start your day. Helps Control Weight: Research suggests that people who consistently eat breakfast are less likely to gain excess weight, and they also find it easier to maintain weight loss. This is because eating breakfast prevents blood glucose fluctuations, which helps with appetite control. Improves Your Diet: By starting your day with a healthy breakfast, you will find that you stop craving sugar and empty carbohydrates. You’ll remain full for the morning, which will prevent you from junk snacking. Water: Instead of starting your morning with a cup of coffee, hydrate yourself first with a glass of water. The brain is made up of 75% water, and even mild dehydration can impair cognitive function. During the night, you lose a lot of water, so drinking one cup first thing in the morning is the perfect way to rehydrate and get your cognitive juices flowing. Eggs: This simple and nutritious breakfast choice is a powerful source of protein. Not only does protein help repair and rebuild muscles, it also helps keep you full for longer, meaning you can say goodbye to those mid-morning snacks. Furthermore, egg yolks contain the antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein, which help prevent eye disorders such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Eggs are also a rich source of choline, an essential nutrient for liver and brain health. Pair your eggs with whole grain toast, sautéed vegetables, or whole fruits for added benefits. Whole Grain Oatmeal: This old-school breakfast option is a nutritional powerhouse. Oats are rich in selenium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, B vitamins, iron, and protein. Whole grains improve blood flow to the brain which will make you feel more alert. Blackcurrants: Blackcurrants are packed with vitamin C. One of the many benefits of vitamin C is that it improves memory and sharpens the thought process. Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc. Zinc is essential for maintaining brain health. It supports the brain’s communication system, which helps eliminate brain fog and improve focus. Blueberry Smoothie: You can have a blueberry smoothie on its own or combine it with other healthy breakfast options such as whole grain toast with peanut butter. Blueberries are full of antioxidants, which protect the brain from stress and boost short-term memory. Coffee: As long as you don’t load your coffee with sugar and creamer or drink excessive amounts (1-3 cups a day, max), caffeine will significantly boost your brain power. Caffeine accelerates the brain’s reaction time, which makes you more alert and focused. Evidence suggests that black coffee is the most effective, but if you want to add a sweetener, try raw honey. For whitened coffee, use regular dairy milk or a non-dairy option such as almond or coconut milk. Greek Yogurt: Natural Greek yogurt doesn’t contain artificial sugar and it is high in B-vitamins and protein, which are responsible for brain tissue growth, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. Further, Greek yogurt is high in vitamin D and calcium. For a quick breakfast, top a bowl of Greek yogurt with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and nuts. Nuts: Nuts such as Brazil nuts, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds are rich sources of vitamin E. Vitamin E works in a way that’s similar to how antioxidants protect the brain against oxidative damage. However, it provides an additional layer of protection because it’s a fat-soluble vitamin that dissolves into the cell membranes. Most people either skip breakfast or eat something unhealthy on the go because they don’t have enough time. Waking up early ensures you have the time to make a healthy breakfast that will give you the energy you need to get through the first part of your day. Finally, eating a healthy breakfast isn’t a license to have an unhealthy lunch and dinner. Doing so would be counterproductive, so make sure you are consuming healthy foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. CONCLUSION I can guarantee that you’re all fired up right now and ready to get started on your new life-transforming journey. Unfortunately, I also know that many of you will start and then give up after a couple of weeks, and some of you won’t start at all! And that’s because motivation doesn’t last. As with every other emotion, motivation is a fleeting feeling; it comes and goes, and the average person doesn’t feel fired up enough to get anything done unless they’re extremely motivated to do it. Let me give you some advice. You’ll get motivated when you get started. You see, it’s all about building momentum. When you wake up early for the first time and amazingly get stuff done, it will motivate you to continue. You still won’t feel like getting out of bed early, but once you do, it will motivate you to take the next step. Your success is dependent upon your level of discipline. It is going to take pure discipline to master your mornings, and you are going to fail sometimes along the way. But the key is to be persistent, keep pushing and refuse to give up. You’ve got to be relentless because no one is coming to help you achieve your dream life. There was no conference call with your friends and family members when you felt that tug on your heart to start your own business, to write that book, or to build that house. The vision was given to you, and you’re the only person who can turn it into a reality, so start working on it now. When it comes to obstacles to success, we are our own worst enemy. I have chosen to believe that anything is possible for the person who is willing to do what it takes to succeed. It’s not an easy road to travel; if it was, everyone would be a millionaire. There are going to be obstacles and roadblocks along the way, but you’ve got to overcome them. What you don’t want is to wake up in ten years wondering where your life went and having nothing to show for it. That, to me, is the greatest tragedy: knowing you could have done more with your life. The good news is that it doesn’t need to be that way. You can become all you were destined to be if you are willing to fight for what you want. I wish you an abundance of success, prosperity, and blessings as you embark on this journey to master your mornings! WHY NOT CHECK OUT MY OTHER BOOKS? Do you know why most of the world's wealth is held by only 1-2% of the population? It’s because those folks understand that success is about applying a set of universal laws that have worked throughout history and continue to work today. Success is not reserved for the select few. Abundance is available to everyone if they know how to tap into it. But unfortunately, most of us have been conditioned to play it safe, get an education, get into a good career, and retire at the age of 65! What a regimented, cookiecutter way to live. If you study the lives of successful people (and I’ve been dedicated to doing this for several years), you’ll find that, although they took different paths, their journey was much the same because of the principles they applied. It doesn’t matter what era they lived in; whether it was the 1800s or the 1950s, the principles were the same. You will often hear people say that successful people are greedy, or that there’s more to life than money. I would certainly agree that there’s more to life than money, but there’s also more to life than struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. There is no freedom in living from hand to mouth, and there is no freedom in making someone else’s dream become a reality instead of your own. That’s what most of the world is doing every morning when we dress up in suits or uniforms and make our way to work. The owner of the company you work for had a vision for their business and their life, and by working for them, while perhaps getting paid less than you’re worth, you’re just helping to turn their visions into reality. Does that make sense for you? It doesn’t have to be this way. You have access to the same knowledge as that 1-2% of the world, and can achieve the same level of success as they have. I’ve written several books teaching how to apply these principles that will guarantee that you achieve your goals. You will learn about the following: • The biological basis for discipline • Why you procrastinate and how to stop it • How to create a vision board and make it manifest • Tips for developing better habits • How to fall in love with the process • How to avoid burnout I have provided a wealth of knowledge in my success series that will help take you to the next level and beyond. Once you learn these principles, you can apply them to every area of your life and expect to soar. If you want to want to get out of the rut you’re currently in and learn more about the principles of success so you can live the life you deserve, go ahead and purchase The Power of Discipline and How to Stop Procrastinating. You won’t regret it! >> Click Here to Check Out My Other Books << Kindest regards, REFERENCES Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (Illustrated ed.). Avery. Covey, S. R. (2020). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. Duhigg, C. (2014). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House Trade Paperbacks. Elrod, H. (2018). The Miracle Morning. Quercus. Tolle, E. (2004). The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. New World Library.