The key to this tip though is not the waking up. Its the "what you do" in the 15 minutes that really matters. I'll admit this isn't a new concept to me, in fact its a practice I've been actively working on as my 2019 self-improvement goal. Since I firmly believe in signs and this tip came up in several speakers' presentations though, I figured this would be a great opportunity to talk through here.
15 minutes early huh? Doesn't sound like too big a challenge... In fact, it seems small enough to reasonably bite off in my daily habit. The 15 minute wakeup has a distinct recipe in order to help you with setting the tone of your day as positive.
First 5 minutes? Meditate. Yes, it sounds easy. However, we all probably recognize the distracted state our minds are in with our "multi-tasking" societal pressures. Morning meditation gives you a chance right at the start of the day to practice giving your mind open space, and this is where the real, deep thoughts have an opportunity to formulate. Meditation takes practice and patience, some days will work great, and others, like today for me, will be a constant attempt to refocus (squirrel, squirrel, squirrel). I've been trying out Headspace for free but there are lots of options on the web for guided meditation. Alternatively record your own meditation that works for you with a voice memo app on your phone.
Second 5 minutes? Read something that inspires you in a positive way. Read about something you've wanted to learn (personal finances to support early retirement perhaps?) Or something short and focused on the life you want to build (I am enjoying a book from the library called The Art of Simple Living, 100 practical tips from a Zen Monk and I read one tip a day). The trick on this segment of time is stopping at 5 minutes. :o) I'll admit, I have officially started reading my 5 minutes of fun/inspirational material and it sometimes turns into getting to work an hour later than I intended to, eek!
Last 5 minutes? Move your body. Stretch, do a series of yoga movements, or expand the timeframe and do your daily workout in the morning if you can motivate yourself to do so. I remember my doctor telling me after my divorce that 30 minutes of exercise is equivalent to one anti-depressant. I'll take movement, thank you very much! And anything that gives me an endorphin high before heading to work seems like a good plan to me! I like the Yoga Studio app, they have several "essentials courses" with varied time ranges that I can adjust to my available time window.
I've added a few more morning items to my routine (yes, its more than 15 minutes...) that I think are worth mentioning. I start my day with GRATITUDE FRAMING. I keep a gratitude journal and each morning I record on the left side of the page at least 3 things I'm thankful for from the day before, and on the right side of the page I list 3 reasons why today will be great. If I have a particularly hard thing upcoming in the day, I'll write down how I envision the event playing out logistically with outcome being GREAT and by putting that intention out into the universe, I find it inevitably comes true! The other thing I do is focus on my spiritual practice. Since I am Christian, this means daily bible reading and prayer, which fits nicely into the reading/meditation times.
I've been on my 15 minutes early journey since January and I definitely feel its made a big difference in my daily happiness level. In fact, I'm actually waking up an hour earlier than I had last year and it gives me plenty of ME time before the flurry of the day, setting the tone of the day off on the right foot.
15 minutes a day, an investment in YOU. YOU are WORTH it.
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