3 Great Ways to Start Your Day

Three top ways to start your morning and have a fulfilling day with enough energy and motivation to achieve your goals.

I’m slightly in disbelief that this is the 25th edition of GrowPro Labs! Productivity, personal growth, self-development, and continuous improvement are a massive part of my life, and I’m always excited to share my thoughts and learnings from these fields with you. I write for myself to highlight and remind myself of what is important, but I’m grateful that you chose to join me on this journey.

This edition explores three top ways to start your morning and have a fulfilling day with enough energy and motivation to achieve your goals.

1️⃣ Clean Your Desk

There’s nothing I love more than a clean, organized desk that invites you to begin your day. A clean workspace fosters productivity and instantly brightens your mood, and I find that it also brings me a sense of calm and peace that are ideal states to begin my day with. 

I’ve made it a habit to clean up my desk every morning before I begin my day, and it has been one of the most rewarding routines I’ve built. While the goal is to have an uncluttered and tidy desk before I begin working, I find myself also tidying up the rest of the room to improve my mood and setting before I start my day. I also find myself keeping my desk tidier than usual throughout the day, meaning that the time it takes to clean it up in the morning gradually decreases. A clean desk also means that I’m more likely to perform other tasks such as journaling, art, and calligraphy- all of which are important for my wind-down routine.

Set aside 10 minutes every morning to clean your desk up before you switch your laptop on.

Tip: Keep your cleaning gear ready and accessible, so it is easy to perform this habit. I keep a cleaning towel, screen wipes, and disinfectant handy in my desk draws. 

2️⃣ Exercise

Working out in the morning is one of the best ways to start my day. It helps me make strides towards my daily move goal, serves as a keystone habit that leads to the rest of my morning routine, and gives me an instant win that propels me through the day.

Getting my morning exercise is the best way to make sure I’m energized during the day and helps me avoid naps. 

The best way to build a morning exercise habit is to start small and keep it simple. I do mine inside my house, using just a mat and an exercise app. The goal is to get your heart pumping, and any exercise that sweats you out for 15 to 20 minutes works well. Stick to exercise routines that you like- I like Yoga, so I usually stick to stretches and flexibility with some cardio. 

Set aside 20 minutes every morning to get moving and get your blood pumping through the body.

Tip: Download a workout app that guides you through a set of exercises to make it easy to achieve a set goal each day. There are many free ones available- I prefer those over random Youtube videos.

3️⃣ Journaling

I think journaling in the morning is an underrated habit that is truly rewarding for productivity and excellent for your mental health and wellbeing. Writing in the morning helps you clarify your thoughts, set your intentions, and plan your day. 

I’ve talked about writing morning pages earlier this year, but I have to admit that it is a habit that I’ve found hard to keep up. I find it a valuable exercise, and I continue to do it, but I find it hard to be consistent, given how demanding it can be. Morning pages are also tiring for me since I already write an entry in my bullet journal every night.

But I will continue to hold morning pages as an excellent way to begin your day. A few people I know actually write 700-1000 words each morning in their morning pages and swear that it has changed their lives. I find it therapeutic to dump all my thoughts on paper before I begin my day with an uncluttered mind.

If you’re not one for morning pages, I have two other suggestions that are not as demanding. Consider maintaining a bullet journal that you update every morning. An alternative is to use a weekly planner that you update with weekly plans, goals, and a to-do list. You can also add short notes to your weekly spread to highlight quotes or things to remember. Both these journaling methods don’t require long-form writing and take very little time to keep up with.

Set aside 10 minutes each morning to write down your thoughts in a notebook you maintain exclusively for this purpose.

Tip: Use a notebook or digital page that comes with a prepared template, so it is easy for you to start writing. 

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These have been my three highlights from the productivity and personal growth space this week. If you liked what you read, connect with me on Twitter and let me know. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, subscribe to GrowPro Labs here to receive it in your inbox every Monday.

I’m on a mission to make Mondays great, and this newsletter is a part of my efforts in helping you achieve mindful productivity, personal growth, and living your Ikigai.

-Vensy