Have you ever had someone say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day?”
How about someone tell you that you’re more likely to be a millionaire if you make your bed?
I’ve seen dozens of articles, hundreds of books, documentaries and everything in between pushing the same notion – in order to be the best version of yourself, you need to start the day strong.
Since I was young, I was always a morning person – finding it significantly easier to get up early than go to bed late. Last year, when I first moved, started my new job and entered my mid-20s, I began to really struggle to get up in the morning. I would snooze my alarm three times, sleepily get ready for the day and head out the door with a coffee for breakfast.
I Want to be a Millionaire!
After around six months at my new job and not really feeling awake until 10:00 a.m., I’d had enough. If so many people are saying that successful people are the ones that have better mornings, I decided it would be worth really giving it a shot.
So, does it work? Does making your bed, eating breakfast and getting up from the first alarm really work? From my experience, yes. I started setting my alarm 30 minutes earlier and being intentional with the first half hour of the day.
30-30-30
If this entices you and you’re looking for a way to ease into an “early bird gets the worm” outlook, try the 30-30-30 morning routine. 30-30-30 is within 30 minutes of waking up, complete 30 minutes of exercise and eat 30 grams of protein.
When I gave 30-30-30 a shot, I actually had an easier time with most of it than I anticipated. Not snoozing the alarm and getting up was difficult, but not impossible. Then, a 30-minute walk or stretch in the morning with some music turned into a lovely way to start the day. What I found most challenging to complete successfully was the 30 grams of protein.
The easiest way I found to consume that 30 grams of protein is with a protein shake or milk, but I struggled to have the same thing every day for breakfast. I then progressed into eggs, cottage cheese and fruit which covered about the daily allotment. I even started (thanks to the influence of Forsyth Woman Publisher Brooke Eagle) putting protein milk in my coffee for an extra dose to start my day.
I am not yet a millionaire because I go on a walk right when I wake up, but I can see how starting the day right creates a better day in its entirety. It’s not perfect – there are days when the snooze button is all too tempting, but the notion of trying your best I can absolutely get behind. If 30-30-30 doesn’t happen, that’s okay, too. My dad told me from a young age that “it’s never too late to start the day over;” there’s plenty of time to make good decisions and challenge ourselves to be better versions of ourselves.
