The "1 Billion-Dollar Morning Routine"
Who doesn't dream about being a billionaire? Mostly everybody does and this morning routine, which is quickly taking social media by storm, proposes that this is what a billionaire's morning looks like. Essentially, the "1 Billion-Dollar Morning Routine" is a list comprising of 13 tasks for you to follow to get your day started just as any billionaire would. While upon first glance, the list seems rather doable, but it's tougher than it looks. Trust me.
I decided to try this popular new routine for five days, and track the differences in my lifestyle during the routine versus off the routine. With midterms coming up for fellow students at the American University of Paris, following a morning routine such as this one seems like a promising way to boost your productivity. Following this list is supposed to promote a healthier and more efficient lifestyle. Being someone that has somewhat of an unhealthy morning routine comprising of a late start, scrolling through social media in bed, and a little more than one cup of coffee, this morning routine with an early start, a workout, and no coffee, seemed like the perfect way to shock my body into being productive.
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An Early Start
Being a rather grumpy morning person, when I heard my alarm go off at 6 AM on the first day, an extra hour of sleep definitely sounded more appealing than a billion dollars. Having forced myself to go to bed early around 11 PM the night before, rather than my usual 1 AM bedtime, meant my body clock was thrown off, leading to a restless first night. After a night of tossing and turning, waking up at what felt like the crack of dawn was a struggle, to say the least. I did lay there for a few minutes trying to drown out the sound of the alarm by burying my head into my pillow but the hope of a more productive day kept me from falling back to sleep. The early start on day two was slightly easier than day one as the sleep from the night before caught up with me. While I was luckily better adjusted to the new timings for days three, four, and five, it still did not make waking up any easier. It was interesting to note, however, that on days four and five, my body did not crave that morning coffee that it did on the first three days of the routine.
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Recall Your Dreams
Recalling my dreams was undoubtedly one of the hardest parts of the routine. One is expected to lay in bed, moments after they have woken up to think about what they dreamed of during the night. I found it hard enough to keep my eyes open so having to close them and reflect on my dreams was a recipe for disaster. On the first three days of the routine, I found myself dozing off in the middle of trying to recall my dreams. Days four and five were more successful because I decided to open the blinds and let the little light of the early morning enter the bedroom in the hopes of me staying more awake. Dream recall can often fluctuate depending on various factors such as age, sex, and personality. On the first night, and third night, when I actually did dream about something, I was able to reflect on vague elements of my dreams that I could recall but could never remember them as a whole.
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Make your bed
While making one's bed seems commonplace, I must admit there are days when I literally roll out of bed and leave it that way. And I know I am not the only one. However, I realized that this everyday task that merely takes a few minutes to conduct can actually set the tone for rest of the day. Making my bed allowed me to strike off one more thing on that morning routine and made me feel a little more accomplished. In the grand scheme of things this may not seem like much, but in my head it was one more successful task completed that set a sort of rhythm for the rest of the day. Making my bed also meant that my bedroom as a whole looked like a much cleaner, clutter-free space that allowed me to conduct the rest of my morning's tasks with a more relaxed and productive mindset.
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Drink a tall glass of water and take vitamins/probiotics
This step is actually something I try and implement in my regular routine and was therefore not unusual. Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning allows one to rehydrate their bodies after the six to eight-hour gap overnight. While many choose to go with a cup of coffee before all else, they must keep in mind that coffee is also dehydrating and if you do choose to drink a cup of coffee in the morning, make sure to offset it with a cup of water soon after. Drinking a tall glass of water in the morning can also fuel your brain, make you more alert, and jumpstart your metabolism. The only vitamin I had to take was a Vitamin D supplement on day four which I'm proud to say, is once again a part of my regular routine.
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Meditation for 20 minutes and 2 minutes of movement
I have tried many times to make meditation a part of my daily routine but have never succeeded. Being someone that struggles with anxiety, it's a challenge to get my mind to stop going a hundred miles per hour. Moreover, I usually try and meditate in the middle of my day when the world is at its busiest. Looking back now, I realize how little sense that made. Starting my day five hours earlier than I'm used to was a challenge but I woke up in time to watch the Parisian sunrise on each of those mornings. For that first hour when the city outside was just waking up, I felt alone in the most healthy way possible. Meditating soon after I woke up meant I was not already thinking about things I had done or said during the day. I did have to consciously stop my mind from wandering and focus on my breathing but guided meditations on YouTube came to the rescue. On each of the days, I followed the 20 minutes of meditation with a vigorous activity for two minutes straight afterward. My chosen activity was a combination of burpees, mountain climbers, squats, and sit-ups. As the days progressed, I managed to improve the control I had on my thoughts and even chose to do the meditation on day five without the video tutorial. I am confident that the 20 minutes of meditation allowed me to have a less stressful day ahead and helped me stay more goal-oriented and motivated.
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Have a cold shower
Now, there is nothing I look forward to more than a nice warm shower. This is why this particular step in the checklist will never be one that I could follow in the future. While a cold shower is not for me, it is important to understand the many benefits it could offer such as improved metabolism, better immunity, and healthier skin. A cold shower is definitely one way to wake your body up or send you into a state of shock. I can't say I enjoyed this bit but I can definitely say that after this step, I was left wide awake and ready to take on the day.
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Journaling ( To-Do list, To-Feel list, To-Be list)
While journaling is yet another practice I have tried to make it a part of my daily routine before, I have never been successful. Reflecting on your goals and aspirations can actually be hard work. I sometimes struggle to put my emotions into words, so getting them down on paper was one of the biggest challenges. Moreover, I am not very organized with my time. One of the major successes of this routine was the To-Do List. Forcing myself to plan out my day and set goals for what I needed to get done, not only allowed me to be more productive through the day, but also to have an equal balance between work and leisure time. The To-Feel list was definitely the one I spent the most time thinking about. Being someone who spends many of her days drowning in her own anxious thoughts, the 'To-Feel' list was a way to convince my body and mind to spend the day reflecting and focusing on one particular, positive emotion. Interestingly, this step was truly a success. Although there were times I got sidetracked, I often tried to take a few moments to remind myself of the day's goals and found myself feeling better within minutes. The lists are definitely one of my biggest takeaways from this journey.
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Reading for 30 minutes
Having always been a bit of a bookworm, I was more than happy to begin my day with some reading. Although I was tempted to check my phone during this time to update myself on all that is happening around the world, I resisted the urge. Sometimes, scrolling through my social media as soon as I wake up leaves me overwhelmed as I stare at all the perfectly photoshopped bodies, disasters around the world, and updates on COVID-19. Choosing to read my book allowed me to indulge in a world of fantasy for 30 minutes every morning, and in my opinion, there was no better way to begin my day. Reading is also one of the fastest ways to jumpstart your brain and get your mind active before you get started on your other work or school-related tasks.
In conclusion, I would have to say that the "1Billion Dollar Morning Routine" definitely helped me have a significantly more productive morning. Simply waking up five hours earlier than I usually do let me get much more done for both my mind and body. For readers hoping for a recommendation, I would definitely advise giving the routine a go to see how it works for you. If you consider yourself a morning person to begin with, then implementing this routine would definitely be something I strongly recommend. One of my favorite steps of the routine that I have now made a part of my regular morning routine would have to be journaling. And, as for the one step of the routine I still recommend to no one, it would have to be the cold showers.
