Who cares about “Amazing Mornings”?

The most powerful part of my day is the first ninety minutes. It is the foundation for the critical parts of my day and my life. I experience the high-performance state of “Flow” first thing, and then try to recreate that feeling all day.

It starts with ending the previous day by going to bed at 8:30 p.m. Most people immediately say it’s impossible to go to bed that early. Here’s the “Suki Test” (my wife’s mantra every time someone says they can’t do something): “If I gave you $1,000, could you: be in bed tonight by 8.30?”

My guess is you could probably figure it out. At least for tonight, maybe several nights. I’m not saying that early morning is for everyone, all the time. (Just the vast majority, almost always.)

Research on this is clear:

  • Sufficient sleep (at least seven and a half hours) is vital to health and well-being.
  • Willpower is a finite energy that dwindles throughout the day, (like your phone battery) and running out of juice, (whether it’s your willpower or phone) can be ugly.
  • Morning hours will be your most creative and productive.
  • Routine is the easiest way to simplify habits.

Here’s my system for Amazing Mornings:

  • Wake up at 4:30 a.m. Or eight hours after I went to bed. Eight hours is non-negotiable. (No alarm clock, just excited to get into Flow.)
  • Put on my running clothes. Once they are on, I’m going. Regarding “commitment”:
    • 99% is a (Should I go today? Is the weather good? Am I too tired? The list of potential excuses swarm in your head if there is even a 1% chance of getting out of it.)
    • 100% is a no brainer. (You’ve already decided. Done. No annoying questioning or bargaining with yourself.)
  • Positive psychology is rich in research on the power of being grateful and its effect on psychological well-being. Take time to focus on what you have to be grateful for this morning.
  • Usually not far and never very fast. It isn’t just about the exercise, it’s also when I do a lot of new thinking by listening to audio books. The cocktail of running, reading, and thinking is intoxicating. I never have liked running, but I really enjoy the combination.
  • I study scriptures, great writers, poets, and philosophers. (This centers me to a longer term perspective of ancient principles before jumping into the press of today.) I write in my “five-year reflection” journal to track and compare developments in my life.
  • Meditation and planning. This is when I create the day before it actually happens. It never unfolds exactly as planned, but it keeps me in control of tradeoffs I choose to make.

And that’s how I start the day. By 6:00 a.m. I’m ready to pound out my first block of intensive writing, problem solving, and creating.

While there are many things I can’t control in a busy day, creating an Amazing Morning is one I can. It starts my day in a flow state of performance that naturally reinforces my drive for Craftsmanship.

Nothing magical. Just run-of-the-mill amazing. Sign me up. Every morning.

 

Call to Craftsmanship: How do you optimize your mornings?

 

-Craig   www.kraftworx.com

 

 


Craig’s Craftsmanship Reads…

Anytime someone asks for a reading list, I pause.

Mostly because I’m not sure if it’s even helpful. Clearly a list doesn’t mean anything by itself. It’s when a book is distilled into insights that drive better outcomes that any book (on any list) actually means something.

So, below is a list. If you have thoughts on ways to organize them in a more helpful way, I’d welcome your ideas.

“Drink deep.”

By Title

1776 David McCullough
A New Earth Eckhart Tolle
A Theory of Human Motivation Abraham H. Maslow
A Whole New Mind Daniel H. PInk
Alexander Hamilton Ron Chernow
All Things Shining Kelly and Dreyfus
Awaken the Giant Within Anthony Robbins
Buddhism for Beginners Jack Kornfield
Buddhist Meditation for Beginners Jack Kornfield
Building a Story Brand Donald Miller
Checklist Manifesto Atul Gawande
Competing Against Luck Clayton Christensen
Crunch Time Peterson and Hoekstra
Daring Greatly Brene Brown
Death by Meeting Patrick Lencioni
Deep Work Cal Newport
Destiny of the Republic Candice Millard
Do You! Russell Simmons
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Richard Carlson
Drive Daniel H. Pink
Eat Move
Ego Is the Enemy Ryan Holiday
Essentialism Greg McKeown
Extreme Ownership Willink and Babin
Flourish Martin Seligman
Flow Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Give and Take Adam Grant
Great Work David Sturt
Grit Angela Duckworth
Hero of an Empire Candice Millard
How to Win Friends and Influence People Dale Carnegie
Humble Inquiry Edgar H. Schein
Influence Robert Cialdini
Inner Game of Tennis Tim Gallwey
Irresistible Adam Alter
Leaders Eat Last Simon Sinek
Little Bets Peter Sims
Loving What Is Bryon Katie
Make It Stick Peter Brown
Manage Your Day-to-Day Jocelyn Glei
Mastery Robert Greene
Mastery: The Keys to Success George Leonard
Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis
Mindfulness Ellen Langer
Mindset Carol Dweck
Mindsight Daniel Siegel
Multipliers Liz Wiseman
Peace Is Every Step Thich Nhat Hanh
Peak Anders Ericsson
Playing to Win Martin and Lafley
Power of Habit Charles Duhigg
Presence Amy Cuddy
Principles Ray Dalio
Pursuing the Good Life Christopher Peterson
Rapt Winifred Gallagher
Resilience Eric Greitens
Road to Character David Brooks
Seat of the Soul Gary Zukav
Smarter Faster Better Charles Duhigg
So Good They Can’t Ignore You Cal Newport
Start with Why Simon Sinek
Stealing Fire Steven Kotler
Talent Code Daniel Coyle
Talent Is Overrated Geoff Colvin
The 10X Rule Grant Cardone
The 4 Disciplines of Execution Covey/ McChesney
The 5 Choices Merrill / Rinne / Kogan
The Art of Learning Josh Watzkin
The Boys in the Boat Daniel Brown
The Charisma Myth Olivia Fox Cabane
The Culture Code Daniel Coyle
The Daily Stoic Holiday and Hanselman
The Defining Decade Meg Jay
The Distracted Mind Gazzely and Rosen
The Distraction Addiction Alex Pang
The Effective Executive Peter Drucker
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni
The Little Book of Talent Daniel Coyle
The Obstacle Is the Way Ryan Holiday
The ONE Thing Gary Keller
The Outward Mindset Arbinger Institute
The Power of Consistency Weldon Long
The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Vulnerability Brene Brown
The Practicing Mind Thomas Sterner
The Rise of Superman Steven Kotler
The River of Doubt Candice Millard
The Science of Being Great Wallace Wattles
The Speed of Trust Stephen M.R. Covey
The Talent Code Daniel Coyle
The Untethered Soul Michael Singer
The War of Art Steven Pressfield
To Sell Is Human Daniel H. Pink
Trap Tales David M.R. Covey
Trying Not to Try Edward Slingerland
Turning Pro Steven Pressfield
Unlocking Potential Michael Simpson
Walden Henry David Thoreau
What Every Body Is Saying Karlins and Navarro
What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear Danielle Ofri, MD
Wright Brothers David McCullough
You Already Know How to Be Great Alan Fine
You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard Bert Decker

 

By Author

Abraham H. Maslow A Theory of Human Motivation
Adam Alter Irresistible
Adam Grant Give and Take
Alan Fine You Already Know How to Be Great
Alex Pang The Distraction Addiction
Amy Cuddy Presence
Anders Ericsson Peak
Angela Duckworth Grit
Anthony Robbins Awaken the Giant Within
Arbinger Institute The Outward Mindset
Atul Gawande Checklist Manifesto
Bert Decker You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard
Brene Brown Daring Greatly
Brene Brown The Power of Vulnerability
Bryon Katie Loving What Is
C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity
Cal Newport Deep Work
Cal Newport So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Candice Millard Destiny of the Republic
Candice Millard Hero of an Empire
Candice Millard The River of Doubt
Carol Dweck Mindset
Charles Duhigg Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg Smarter Faster Better
Christopher Peterson Pursuing the Good Life
Clayton Christensen Competing Against Luck
Covey/ McChesney The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People
Daniel Brown The Boys in the Boat
Daniel Coyle Talent Code
Daniel Coyle The Culture Code
Daniel Coyle The Little Book of Talent
Daniel Coyle The Talent Code
Daniel H. PInk A Whole New Mind
Daniel H. Pink Drive
Daniel H. Pink To Sell Is Human
Daniel Siegel Mindsight
Danielle Ofri MD What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear
David Brooks The Road to Character
David M.R. Covey Trap Tales
David McCullough 1776
David McCullough Wright Brothers
David Sturt Great Work
Donald Miller Building a Story Brand
Eckhart Tolle A New Earth
Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now
Edgar H. Schein Humble Inquiry
Edward Slingerland Trying Not to Try
Ellen Langer Mindfulness
Eric Greitens Resilience
Gary Keller The ONE Thing
Gary Zukav Seat of the Soul
Gazzely and Rosen The Distracted Mind
Geoff Colvin Talent Is Overrated
George Leonard Mastery: The Keys to Success
Grant Cardone The 10X Rule
Greg McKeown Essentialism
Henry David Thoreau Walden
Holiday and Hanselman The Daily Stoic
Jack Kornfield Buddhist Meditation for Beginners
Jack Kornfield Buddhism for Beginners
Jocelyn Glei Manage Your Day-to-Day
Josh Watzkin The Art of Learning
Karlins and Navarro What Every Body Is Saying
Kelly and Dreyfus All Things Shining
Liz Wiseman Multipliers
Martin and Lafley Playing to Win
Martin Seligman Flourish
Meg Jay The Defining Decade
Merrill / Rinne / Kogan The 5 Choices
Michael Simpson Unlocking Potential
Michael Singer The Untethered Soul
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Flow
Move Eat
Olivia Fox Cabane The Charisma Myth
Patrick Lencioni Death by Meeting
Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Peter Brown Make It Stick
Peter Drucker The Effective Executive
Peter Sims Little Bets
Peterson and Hoekstra Crunch Time
Ray Dalio Principles
Richard Carlson Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Robert Cialdini Influence
Robert Greene Mastery
Ron Chernow Alexander Hamilton
Russell Simmons Do You!
Ryan Holiday Ego Is the Enemy
Ryan Holiday The Obstacle Is the Way
Simon Sinek Leaders Eat Last
Simon Sinek Start with Why
Stephen M.R. Covey The Speed of Trust
Steven Kotler Stealing Fire
Steven Kotler The Rise of Superman
Steven Pressfield The War of Art
Steven Pressfield Turning Pro
Thich Nhat Hanh Peace Is Every Step
Thomas Sterner The Practicing Mind
Tim Gallwey Inner Game of Tennis
Wallace Wattles The Science of Being Great
Weldon Long The Power of Consistency
Willink and Babin Extreme Ownership
Winifred Gallagher Rapt

 

 

-Craig Christensen    www.kraftworx.com