What routines should business leaders adopt to be more successful at work?

You’ll know as well as anyone that being in a leadership position can be challenging enough as it is, let alone when we’re on edge due to a lack of sleep, preparation, and running low on energy. The goal then should be to set ourselves up for success and prevent being on edge as much as possible so that we can remain centered and have the mental capacity to deal with any challenges that arise throughout the day.

I believe we all know on a surface level the importance of having a morning and night routine. The question is do we have a go-to set of routines and how consistent and disciplined are we with them?

Here are some options to consider for your routines.

Night Routine

1. Start early – no caffeine prior to 5:00 pm.
2. Dedicate and stay disciplined to a consistent bedtime.
3. Mute smartphone notifications 30 minutes prior to sleep.
4. Try reading for 15 minutes.
5. Map out what the first hour of your morning will look like.
6. Take five minutes to journal about the day. Acknowledge yourself for what you did well, consider an area for improvement, and what you could do to make that improvement moving forward.
7. Do deep breath work for two minutes to calm your body and settle into a deep sleep.
8. Use the last five minutes to process what you’re grateful for.

Morning Routine

1. In the first five minutes of waking up, start by saying thank you and feel the gratitude of opportunity, family, work, health, future, etc.
2. In that first hour of your day, try visualizing your biggest goals and how you might achieve them.
3. Set an intention by mentally rehearsing how you want the day to go. Ask yourself, How can I make this day a win? 
4. Do quick and intense breath work (make sure it’s safe for you to do so) through the nose for 20 seconds, three times to help yourself wake up and create a boost of energy.
5. Drink some water and get active regardless of how intense it is. Even a 15-minute walk is good just to get the blood flowing and the mind active.
6. On your way to work, really settle into the intention of how you want to show up as a leader.

The more consistent we are with our routines, the more allowance there is for missing a day. When that happens, I strongly encourage you to remain focused on the last five minutes and first five minutes of the day. Make the most out of those two, time-slots and you’ll be setting yourself up for success as a business leader.

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