Ever since I completed Eben Pagan’s Wake Up Productive training, I’ve been fascinated by this idea of the “morning success ritual” as it relates to productivity in life.
(Eben is one of my business mentors & if you haven’t checked out his program, I highly recommend it.)
The “morning ritual” idea seems counter-intuitive at first… spending valuable time first thing in the morning on things that don’t necessarily produce tangible results.
For example, Eben spends at least 2 hours every single day on things like stretching, positive affirmations, making a smoothie (ingredients to remain top secret), and the particularly brow-raising ritual of warm water sinus rinsing.
That’s before he ever THINKS about doing a single work-related task. And this guy runs a $24 Million a year business with 108 employees (all working from home, by the way)!
But it’s precisely these types of rituals — accomplished during the most important part of the day — that prep your mind for maximum performance when it IS time to work.
Napolean Hill said “You and your income are the average of the five people you hang around the most.”
Two years ago, I started making a conscious effort to spend the bulk of my time with individuals I consider successful. Not just financially, but in marriage, family, faith, self-image, and other esteemable qualities.
The individuals below are part of the cream who has risen to the top in my life.
Real estate investors, entrepreneurs, CEOs… successful individuals who, largely through the Internet, I now “hang around the most.”
All of them happen to do at least $1/2 Million per year, but more importantly I believe they’re individuals of character.
I recently asked each of them what their personal morning rituals are. I found the results interesting & I thought you’d like this as well…
Preston Ely, The “Rockstar of Real Estate” (LearnToWholesale.com)
- Around 8am - Wake up and cuddle my cat, Copernicus
- Wave hello to God
- Drink secret power-shake that contains things no mere mortal would ever consider ingesting
- Kick Copernicus cuz he won’t get out from under my feet and he’s annoying
- Sing in the shower for about 15 minutes
- Do affirmations in the shower for another 15 minutes (really long shower)
- Light exercises for my back cuz it’s f’d up
- Read the bible and pray
- Put two drops of peppermint and eucalyptus oils in my hands, cup my mouth, and breathe deeply while looking at my vision board. Admittedly … this is the weirdest thing I do. But you can’t argue with the results
- Beautify and pimpify for the day
- Head to starbucks and start the day
Andy Massarro, The Maestro (FlipsForCash.com)
- 7:30 - Wake up
- Walk and feed dogs (Chloe and Simon)
- 20 minute Eastern healing meditation (approx. 8:15 am)
- Drink two cups of white tea, while reading books (God, strength, real estate, inspiration)
- Pray (Psalms 23, 51, 91, among others, plus personal prayer)
- Recite positive affirmations (4 separate)
- Answer emails/work
- 10:45 - Eat
- Noon - Gym
Maestro says “Starting your day off on the right foot is the most important thing you can do. Contrary to popular belief, we are free to choose how we feel. Happiness and confidence are choices. Unfortunately, so is depression and anger. Don’t allow these negative emotions to infultrate your body, mind or spirit. Choose happiness. Choose strength. Choose discipline. Choose confidence. Choose obedience. Choose success. Choose life.”
Chris Daigle, CEO of EasyHUD and Executive Partner in FlipAnywhere.com
- 7ish - Wake up and check the weather (I live in a corner unit on the 17th floor of a beachfront building. Views are breathtaking!)
- Feed Bagel (my beagle)
- Check statistics for some of my websites
- Create & drink a power-shake
- 8ish - Exercise (mainly martial arts and isometric exercises)
- 10ish - Hit the office. Poolside.
Greg Clement, President of Realeflow.com
- 7am - Wake up to my son Elijah crying like clockwork
- Work out
- 8am - Eat breakfast with my wife Kelly and boys
- 8:50 - Get boys on bus to school
- 9:15 - Arrive at office and start work immediately on day’s most important project
- 11am - Check email and work with team members on important items
Greg says “If you start your day with a list of the 3-5 MOST important things you can get done that day then you will end up being overall 3-5 times more productive than someone who doesn’t. My financial life completely changed when I started to map out my day before I went to bed and made that a habit. It allowed me to be proactive and not reactive and that made all the difference.”
Colin Andrews Egbert, CEO of RealEstateInvestor.com
- Wake up
- Look out to ocean and give thanks
- Complete MOST important task of day
- 10am - Exercise program (this is already my ‘win’ for the day and don’t have it in the back of my head that I should be taking better care of my body, which allows me to work better)
- Noon - Work
Justin Lee, True Virtual Investor & Creator of BestForeclosureSystem.com
- 6:30am - Wake up
- 7am - Crossfit class
- 8am - Home, shower, eat breakfast (either bowl of healthy cereal with 1% organic milk OR 3 hard boiled eggs (I only eat the yolk from 1 of the 3) and 1 orange)
Mark Jackson, President of Investor Comps Online
- 6:30am - Wake up, prayer time
- 7am - Exercise cardio/weights
- 8am - Breakfast
- 8:30 - Start work (research for deals, read articles to keep up with market changes, etc)
- 10:30 - Check email and voicemail messages
(Mark also has a nightly 9pm “Tea & Toes” ritual with his wife that involves hot tea & feet rubbing. I feel awkward talking about it, but I respect it. :))
Me?? Here you go…
- 8ish - Wake up
- Feed cats (Cooper & Mele)
- Drink full glass of water & fresh fruit smoothie (water to replenish dehydration, fruit for natural energy)
- Read one chapter of Proverbs
- 20 minutes of stretching & prayer
- Dunk head in cold water for 10 seconds (is this strange?)
- Kiss wife, who’s still sleeping
- Check emails (I’d love to hold off on this until later, but most of the people I do business with have already been waiting for me to wake up for the past 3-6 hours)
It’s HARD to start your day right… especially if you’re locked in a pattern of laziness or workaholism.
Just remember that anything done for 30 days becomes a habit, so start those good habits today.
And never confuse mere activity with productivity.
Have a “morning success ritual” of your own?? Leave a comment below…
Related Posts
Posted in Life, Real Estate | Comments (16)
Posted on March 6th, 2009
Cool post!
Mine is:
* 6:30 wake up
* Bathroom duties
* Feed and walk our dog Ulysses
* Turn on CNN and make 2 egg breakfast for myself and husband
* Eat breakfast
* Final bathroom duties
* Head off to work — hopefully not much longer!
I want to work from starbucks like Preston!
Posted on March 6th, 2009
Funny,
If this proves anything, its to do whatever you’ve gotta do to become a successful entrepreneur… That I’m working on…
I want to know what kind morning ritual these guy’s had before they became successful and were still struggling to get there…
Posted on March 6th, 2009
6:20 Wake up and get kids dressed fed and ready for school
7:00 Put kids on school bus, and cardio exercise
7:30 make breakfast 2 boiled eggs, english muffin, OJ, coffee
8:00 check and reply to e-mails
8:30 hit the streets working with clients doing deals
Posted on March 6th, 2009
Been doing the “morning ritual thing” for years (first learned it from Tony Robbins, I think, in the 90’s??? - wow, getting older!)
I start my day a lot earlier than most real estate investors (or gurus)…Used to be 3 am when I had a JOB, but now I get to sleep in. Obviously, I am a “morning” person.
Besides, I have to have some peace and quiet before the family wakes up (2 teenagers).
Up at 5:07 for my Hour of Power
Includes: exercise, affirmations, reading positive information, reviewing my vision and planning the critical few items I will accomplish during the day)
Then “bathroom” duties (this is a girl thing…it takes us longer), always with coffee.
Then at 7, I take my daughter to school and go off to the office. I run an Italian Food Manufacturing company too.
Usually grab something to eat mid-morning. I like to be up and about early in the morning, but I don’t like to eat early…not sure why.
Posted on March 6th, 2009
lol
i must be a complete douche. i wake up and turn on sportscenter, maybe have some OJ, brush & change clotes in about 5 minutes, then roll out.
maybe why i’m still at my job. hmmmmm
Posted on March 6th, 2009
I think I know why I’m having so much trouble. Thanks for the valuable info. Personally I get up at 5 or 5:30 a.m. to meditate (just started) but as the days get longer I get up earlier (internal clock) but it seems by 6 p.m. I still haven’t gotten anything done.
I’d love to hear some of the affirmations. Also, you didn’t mention Chris Mclachlan or Nathan J.
Posted on March 6th, 2009
6:00ish up
Listen to Proverbs chapter(my dad - retired minister)on IPod
Start coffee and oatmeal
Retrieve paper
Eat bowl oatmeal, pills, and tall glass of milk
Shower
7:10 Leave for JOB
Posted on March 6th, 2009
I’m TRYING not to check emails first thing but it’s hard to break a 10 year habit!
Posted on March 6th, 2009
Interesting stuff man. How’d you get all these guys to give up this info? Haha.
Mine:
Roll out of bed
Start coffee
Affirmations (just started doing this)
Walk down to get newspaper
Drink coffee & Read newspaper for 20 minutes
Make sure kids are off to school
Head upstairs to home office and get started (sometimes emails, sometimes other tasks depending on the day)
Posted on March 6th, 2009
Wow! Great stuff! I’m just getting started on the morning ritual. Sometimes I write it out the night before, sometimes I wait until morning. I still have a hard time not getting distracted by….LIFE!
Posted on March 7th, 2009
Great job compiling all of these morning routines! Here is how mine looks at the moment, but always reserve the right to tweak it as needed.
1. Get out of bed at 5:30
2. Drink a tall glass of water
3. Shower and shave, get pimped out for they
4. Eat a healthly breakfast, usually a protein drink, whole wheat toast, and fresh fruit.
5. Exercise, usually about 100+ push ups
6. Read bible and pray
7. Kiss the wife (and kids if they are up) head off to the office.
Posted on March 9th, 2009
Andy,
Great blog post. Loved seeing the rituals of all my buddies.
One thing, I disagree with the harm Preston Ely caused with kicking his loving pet.
Other than that, it was top notch.
lol
Colin
P.S. I’m interested in what everyone does when they’re feeling really really lazy. What does that day look like?
Posted on March 12th, 2009
Andy-
great post man! it’s given me something to shoot for.
In response to Colin’s post about what I do when feeling really, really lazy.
Up at 9am to kiss my wife before she heads to work.
Drink a glass of orange juice and eat oatmeal.
Turn on Sportscenter.
Lay on the couch and nap until 2:30 ish.
Get up and take a shower.
Go to Blockbuster, rent a movie, order a pizza and wait for my wife to get home from work.
= great lazy day
Darren
Posted on June 25th, 2009
Bro, great post. It encouraged and challenged me today.
Thanks for that.
Posted on July 15th, 2009
Here’s my routine, I didn’t know how pathetic I was till I started writing this post.
3:30 am alarm goes off
4:45 am get out of bed, reflect on how much my life is not what I planned it to be.
5:00 am take shower and wonder if I will ever accomplish my like goals.
5:30 am get dressed and leave to go to a job that doesn’t pay enough
6:30 am arrive at work park car, get to my desk. Surf the internet
12:00 pm eat a grease burger
12:15 pm go back to my desk and surf the internet
3:30 pm drive home
4:30 finally get home, and I take a nap.
6:30 pm wake up from nap get something to eat.
7:00 pm start to wonder if I will die a broke failure
8:00 pm go to sleep (I don’t even bother asking my wife for sex cause I know what the answer will be)
9:00 pm I fall asleep wondering if I will ever accomplish my goal of becoming a millionaire.
330 am the rat race begins again!
Posted on July 15th, 2009
I wish I had help getting out of this rut!