The 30 Minute Morning Difference

We all have goals or changes that we’d like to make and achieve in our lives. We also struggle to find the time to work on these goals. All too often our day gets going and in the busy rush of the day with all that is on our plate and added distractions, our goals get tossed out the window. When we finally have a few moments at the end of the day after dinner and kids are in bed, we likely find ourselves exhausted and fall into bed.

I invite you to consider what would 30 minutes dedicated to a goal of yours do for you? Imagine if you had 30 minutes a day to exercise, to organize your closet or garage, practice the violin or instrument, work on your book or blog, or prepare a healthy meal. What a difference those 30 minutes, especially done consistently, would do for you!

So where do we get the time to actually work on these important goals that we know if given even 30 minutes would make a big difference?

It’s been said that how you start your day, shapes your day. Consider this new tip: get up 30 minutes earlier and begin your day with your focused goal or new change!

Here are three tips to help you get up 30 minutes earlier to get going on your goals:

1. Eat the Frog FIRST. Brian Tracy, best-selling author, teaches this concept as doing the thing that would have the most impact to your results & goals FIRST in your day versus hoping it happens “later.” Your frog could also be the thing you don’t want to do, but you know you’ll feel so much better once you accomplish it. In doing so, you achieve that key priority first, you get that sigh of relief or lighter sense about the rest of your day, and you get the boost of self- confidence of achievement to carry with you through the day. Exercising this kind of self-discipline will help us feel that we are in control of our time and our lives. So what’s your frog?

2. Manage Distractions. This is critical to your follow through. If you’re getting up 30 minutes earlier to achieve a new goal, then avoid distractions that may soak up this precious time block. Distractions such as checking email or social media or looking at your cell phone. One thing that may serve you is to have an agreement with yourself that you only check email or social media AFTER you’ve achieved your goal for the day. Other distractions could be our family members not knowing our plan so share it with those you live with to help them know that this 30 minute block is dedicated focus. This may require you to rise before the kids get up or it may be the 30 minutes after they leave for school. Adapt these tips to what works best in your life.

3. Prepare the Night Before. Taking a few minutes to prepare the night before can dramatically increase your odds of follow through and success. You may set out your workout clothes or running shoes or have your lunch already prepared waiting for you in the fridge. You may prepare healthy snacks for the next day or have written out your plan for the next day. By taking a few minutes the evening before, you’re priming the pump to help you follow through.

In all of our lives, HABITS = RESULTS. If we want different results, we need to incorporate the habits that are creating them. The good news is that we can always start small – like taking 5 minutes to plan the night before or set out our exercise clothes – and those small actions become a habit that does make a big difference over time.