It’s quiet and it’s dark outside. I have my fuzzy socks on, tucked comfortably underneath me as I write. A single white candle is lit in my room. A gentle vanilla scent fills the space. My two children are still asleep upstairs. I’ve already had my first cup of coffee, and let me tell you—there is nothing quite as sweet as that first, hot cup. If I’m honest, I go to sleep looking forward to my coffee. It’s my morning hug, the thing that sets the tone for success.
You know what else sets my day up for success? Making time for my first win.
You may ask, “What are you talking about?”
My first win is the first accomplishment of the day. It’s about achieving the first goal of the day. If I begin my morning with a win, it sets me up for not only a more positive perspective, but it jump-starts me for success. When I do this, I feel more hopeful and productive as I go about my day because I already have a track record of success—and it’s only 7am!
What does this look like for me? Every day, weekends included, I set my alarm for 5am, but I rarely wake up at that time. 5am is my max time to sleep. On most mornings, I wake between 4:20–4:30am. As soon as I’m aware of my consciousness, I get out of bed. If thoughts of sleeping longer drift into my mind, I remind myself that by getting up, I’m gaining so much more in return. I am making time for me. What is more important or precious than that?
Because I want to love and value myself, I choose to intentionally make myself a priority. A few extra minutes of sleep, in my opinion, are not worth it when I am on the mission of becoming my best self. To sum this up, I get out of bed not because I have to, but because I want to.
Once out of bed, I light my single white candle and pull out my yoga mat. A creature of habit, I like to do the same two yoga sessions. From time to time I will change them out; however, having a pre-set plan for the day relieves me of the stress of making decisions—especially right after waking up. The fewer potential hurdles, the better. When I remove the need to make extra choices, I save my energy for more valuable things—like writing today.
As I flow through my yoga session, I gently allow my whole body to wake up. A few years ago, I became obsessed with running. Every morning I’d wake up and beat the ground with miles. I loved the high so much that I completed a full marathon. I ran with grit and determination. And then, three years ago, I got tendinitis in my foot. Just putting weight on it was unbearable. I went from running every day to barely walking without a stinging sensation in my foot.
To say I was discouraged would be an understatement. I was honestly deeply sad. I didn’t feel like myself. What I realized was that I was putting so much value into something that could be taken away from me at any moment. I learned that identity is not contingent on a single thing—the lie being: If I don’t have this, I’m not me. Although I loved running, I was not defined by it. I was Joy regardless of whether or not I ran. My value was not tied up in that.
So what did I do? I looked for alternatives while my foot healed. I began searching for something that would fill me with positivity. Yoga, for me, provides just that. Through yoga, I learned that our exercise routine should be uplifting and empowering. It should make us feel better, not worse.
Before, when I ran, I’d pump up the music and beat it out on the pavement. Now, I flow to no music and let my body work with me. Before, I focused on pushing above the pain, ignoring warning signs so I could break through mental limitations. Now, I listen to my body. I tune into myself and allow my body to tell me what it needs. By slowing down and intentionally living, I breathe into the movements.
Next, depending on my needs and remaining time, I will either walk on my treadmill and read a book or write using my phone. If I’m reading, I like to focus on books that provide tips on personal growth. Books like this encourage me and often provide helpful insights I can explore further.
From there, I drink my hot cup of coffee, jump in the shower, apply makeup, and get dressed for the day. By 7am, it’s time to wake my children, dress them, feed them, and get us out the door. I don’t know if you can relate, but once my kids are up, it’s go time—personal development has officially ended, and my focus has shifted. I move into mom mode and then work mode.
I share this not to prove how disciplined I am. I share this as an example of what it means to wake with a win in mind. Ultimately, my win is for me. My win empowers me to show up as the best version of myself. I want to inspire myself first. I want to be proud of myself first. I want to be the person I’d hope to be around. We attract like-minded people. If I want to be around high achievers, I must first do the same.
Every day, morning after morning, we are adding to our life story. How will you show up today? What will you bring into this day? Are you carrying baggage from yesterday? Are you looking in the rearview mirror of your past and using that as evidence for why you aren’t where you want to be?
This day—this morning—is your opportunity to show up as the person you desire to be. Who you were in the past is just that: the past. It doesn’t have to be who you are today.
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