A book (📕 / 🎧) by Laura Vanderkam
Have yourself a mindful morning
Many of us often feel that mornings slip away without accomplishing much. Laura Vanderkam acknowledges this state of helplessness, where we have our sights on the clock but tackle less essential activities. Eventually, we sacrifice important, perhaps life-changing, endeavors.
Drawing from her personal experience, Laura Vanderkam cites the challenges she faces every morning as a mother and a career woman. Juggling her responsibilities on both fronts, she strives to develop the right state of mind. Like her, we encounter the same problems daily. Even when we get to work in the morning, we cannot help wasting time on less relevant tasks, like replying to emails or rummaging through the internet. By the time the sun rises, the morning hours are wasted, just like our energy.
Instead of subjecting mornings to mindless tasks, Laura Vanderkam lists three activities to reform them:
- Organizing morning culture for a career boost.
- Giving your family the time they deserve.
- Secluding yourself for a hobby, meditation, workout, or prayer.
⚡️Mornings can defy the chaos and unproductively tags we give them.
Successful people know the essence of having a productive morning. For illustration, Laura Vanderkam mentions prominent individuals like Steve Reinemund — Pepsico’s former CEO/Chairman — or James Citrin — author and expert on leadership and recruiting whose morning habits contributed to their high achievements.
Keep in mind that your morning rituals shouldn’t be of the self-flagellation variety. Choose things you actually enjoy.
Laura Vanderkam
Many people try to develop a routine but are unable to sustain it. The truth is that you can overcome that problem of inconsistency and cultivate the willpower you need to pull this off.