We all want to know the secret to success – for US psychologist and best-selling author Benjamin Hardy, success comes from having an effective morning routine.
In this powerful video, Dr Hardy tells us that an effective morning routine means concentrating for 60 to 90 minutes in a state of flow on the most important action that will create the ‘future you.’
The problem for most of us, even when we have a set morning routine, is that we’re distracted by a long ‘to do’ list or worse, wasting our time watching junk media.
Recalling the 80/20 Pareto Principle, Dr Hardy says we’re at our most creative in the mornings, when our brains work at their best after hours of restive sleep and before we get caught up in the maelstrom of our busy lives.
This is the time for us to focus on the single most important activity that will propel us to become our ‘future you,’ the person we want to be, the person of our dreams.
Dr Hardy distinguishes between the important and the urgent in our lives, and by consistently concentrating on the important – and not the urgent – we build a life-changing, early-morning routine.
He tells us that in psychology, routine building is known as deliberate practice – “engaging in a process that helps you to develop, skills, abilities or expertise.”
To create a truly effective morning routine, we need to start the previous evening. The first thing is to develop a work ‘shut down’ routine. Next is to complete any preparations for our important task so that we maximise our precious morning time.
The other routine he recommends is to take our dreams with us when we go to bed. Imagine our ‘future you’ and plan the important activities we need to create that reality.
Dr Hardy says that repetition over time changes our subconscious, and that we’ll naturally evolve to become more like the person we want to be as we build confidence and gain momentum.
Soon enough, the ‘future you’ will be able to stop the distractions and self-imposed limitations that are so frustrating the ‘present you.’
