They say that your day can define your week, your week can define your month and your month will define your year...
As humans, we respond extremely well to structure, routine, discipline and consistency. All of which are crucial if you want to see results in the gym, especially in terms of fat-loss. muscle-gain.
How you start your day can have a profound effect on how the rest of that day will pan out.
Does this scenario sound familiar??
Alarm goes off...
Hit snooze at least 3 times...
Eventually stumble out of bed running late for work or training...
Skip breakfast...
Skip drinking any water...
Hastily grab a takeaway coffee (‘full cream and 2 sugars please’)...
And an Egg McMuffin as you scream down the road...
Find yourself on the back foot all day trying to play catch up...
While your boss comes bearing down on you...
Before eventually finding yourself at home eating 'Ubereats' again, as you haven’t had time to food shop or prep any meals. Finally you get to bed late after a Netflix marathon and the next starts in similar fashion.
The next thing you know, it’s time to check your progress in the gym and get some measurements done. However, for the last month you have turned up late to your training sessions or missed them completely. While, you have struggled to achieve in sort of consistency with your nutrition and your Coach is about to give you the same old spiel.
All just from ‘snoozing’ through your alarm and having no structure to your morning. Which has prevented you from starting your day off on the right foot.
3 Steps To Winning Your Day
Tim Ferris wrote a great piece in ‘Tools of the Titans’ explaining his morning habits…
There was one very simple habit, which he implemented into his daily routine, to start his day off with a sense of accomplishment or a ‘win’.
#1: Make Your Bed
It was simply making his bed.
Waking up on-time and making his bed each day is his first ‘tick’ on his ‘to do list’. Plus it clears the sense of clutter around him and the rest of the day flows on from there.
(And c'mon, how good is it to come home from a long day to a freshly made bed!?)
#2: Drink Some Water
Another morning habit I would insist you start to incorporate would be to drink 250ml - 500ml of water with lemon upon waking.
The majority of people out there, don’t prioritise your water intake. Starting your day with a fresh glass or two of H20 will get the ball rolling for you, help wake you up, kick start your metabolism and flush the system.
(While not forgetting the whole needing water to live thing)
Lastly, if time permits,
#3 Review, Reflect and Plan
I love to write down the 3-5 tasks and/or micro tasks that I need to achieve that day. I will also review yesterday’s list and tie up any loose ends.
Not only will my day run efficiently personally now, my training and nutrition will follow suit and I won’t run the risk of missing my session or not being prepared food-wise.
Now I’m ready to dominate the day, the week will follow suit, my month will be productive and the year will follow in similar fashion. My chances of achieving my goals in the gym are now very high. As I now know I'm less likely to skip a training session or miss a meal. I also know I'm going to get enough sleep to help stay focused and perform at my best each day.
All from simply making my bed, drinking some water and starting the day with a few ‘wins’.
How do you start your day?
Is your morning routine affecting your health and fitness goals?
Johnny Allen
(Manager/Director)