Anything but routine

    Karl Morris

    Is your morning routine a productive one that will set you up for a good day or down a path of slothfulness, asks Karl Morris.

    We all know the value of having a good routine on the golf course. Numerous top players attest to the fact that a good routine allows them to weather the golfing storms and be able to come through under extreme pressure. A routine gives the brain a sense of certainty in an otherwise endlessly chaotic game. We cannot control the outcome of a tournament, we cannot control what others are doing and we certainly cannot always control our golf ball but we can control our process before we hit that ball and our reactions after it has gone.

    However, have you ever thought your success or failure in any endeavour will, to a large extent, be determined by the quality of your routines? I have spoken at length before about my belief that success is merely an accumulation of ‘good days’. If we put in enough good days we give ourselves every opportunity of reaching our goals. Focusing too much on the goal and not the day in front of you is a recipe for much frustration and lack of progress.

    Within the good day principle is merely a set of established routines and rituals. Many of these rituals are on fully automatic pilot and so well established we don’t even look at them. For me the concept of beginnings and endings are so important. If we start the day well then we have a heck of a good chance to keep the momentum going. Start the day badly and it is very tough to gather enough steam to make the day a success. The problem in the morning is we will more than likely feel like doing anything other than a productive routine. That comfy pillow and warm duvet wraps us in a cocoon of comfort. Just another five minutes is all I need. I know that we have all been there before!

    Once we do manage to get up we tend to seek the point of least resistance. The TV or the radio go on and our brain is fed with the latest merry go round of doom and gloom. The staple diet fed to us from the media industry is bad news. Bad news gets our attention, it holds us captive. Yet how much good does this do us as an individual? What are we fueling our brain with? I have heard it said on more than one occasion that when we wake up we are for the most part in an ultra-dehydrated state. Our brain is craving water. Our brain needs water to function efficiently yet what do we often feed it with? Coffee or sweet fruit juice. Entirely your choice but if your brain could tell you what it really wanted what do you think it would come up with? If there is ever a time to give your brain some water the morning is it.

    What other fuel do we put in? Healthy breakfast or just something convenient? We all know by now how bad a croissant or sugary cereal is for us. It is not the knowing which is the problem, it is the auto pilot of routine. Does your day have a plan? Or do you take it as it comes? If you had a routine on the golf course that constantly printed out bad shots I guess you would change it. I have seen over and over again how much difference it can make when I get a client to look at their morning routine and really ask some honest and searching questions. It can literally be as simple as taking on more water the very first thing in the  day that can create a tipping point towards a more productive and enjoyable day.

    That one simple choice sets off a series of other choices. The definition of a good or bad personal day will to a large degree be down to the decisions you make within your routines. Yes of course we can’t control what the world throws at us but we do have control over our own decisions. Examine your routines and you could be in for a very pleasant surprise at the knock on effect.

    Karl has a new Podcast called ‘The Brain Booster’. Each week the show is dedicated to you getting the best from your brain both on and off the golf course. Available at iTunes or go to
    www.themindfactor.com for details.

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    A graduate of Cardiff University’s highly respected post-graduate magazine journalism course, Andy has successfully edited four different publications across the B2B, trade and consumer sectors. He is skilled at all aspects of the magazine process in addition to editing websites and managing social media channels.