What you do when you first wake up in the morning will determine the course of the rest of your day.
A. Work on Personal Development
I try and stick to a morning routine, which includes meditating, reading, writing and a gym session. There was a time when I hated the mornings. I'd wake up and check my iPhone, essentially putting myself on someone else's schedule. I knew it was all wrong. I was a slave to my devices, not spending any time on my personal development. Now, I choose to take that time to myself. - Steven Picanza, Latin & Code
A. Watch SportsCenter
The first thing I do is watch SportsCenter. It allows me to not feel like I have to jump on the phone right away, and instead eases me into my day feeling much more relaxed and ready to approach whatever it brings me. - Thomas Edwards, The Professional Wingman®
A. Eat Breakfast
Taking time to give yourself what you need allows you to give more to others throughout the day. I eat breakfast every day because it has been shown to aid in a more nutritionally complete diet, improve concentration and performance, give you more strength and endurance physically, and lower cholesterol levels. In addition, it helps with problem solving and hand-eye coordination. Eat breakfast before making any big business decisions. -Jessica Baker, Aligned Signs
A. Meditate
I wake up a half hour before I technically need to, and spend that time meditating and listening to music. It's something to look forward to -- which gets me out of bed more effectively -- and it helps me mentally prepare myself for whatever I might face once I leave the house. - Steven Buchwald, Buchwald & Associates
A. Read and Journal
Every morning, I read and write in my journal. It helps to focus the mind, inspire and set broad goals and specific objectives. - Jack Glasser, Glasser Images
A. Hold a Team Stand-Up
A few weeks ago, we found ourselves unmotivated. We weren't communicating and were buried in our own projects without thinking about the greater business needs. A shift in tone was greatly needed. To better our internal communication and to help us come together on projects, we set a mandatory 10:00 a.m. stand-up. The goal of this is to discuss exactly what needed to be done that day, and mobilize as a team to get it done. - Adarsh Pallian, Trippeo
A. Listen to Music
Alarms, vibrations, notifications and city noise are constant distractions. We're not just visually and mentally overstimulated -- we're also in a very noise-polluted environment that's so hard to avoid. Playing a song you love while the rest of the world is muted, even for four minutes, is like meditation. A great song will set the right tone and start your day with a positive mental state. - Mike Sheffer, First Dynamic
These answers are provided by members of FounderSociety, an invitation-only organization comprised of ambitious startup founders and business owners.
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