Where are the remains of your breakfast?

Our guest editor, Brian Saunders, talks about a small change he made in his daily routine…and how small changes can make a large impact on our lives…

Just one month ago I made an interesting decision to change an early morning routine. It didn’t seem very radical at the time.  I didn’t get up an hour earlier. I didn’t hit the gym like a maniac. I didn’t change my eating habits, use a new deodorant or even start taking vitamins. BUT surprisingly, the change I made has had more effect than any of these other choices might have done.

Let me ask you a question.  If I were a forensic scientist and followed you around to trace elements of food left on what you’ve touched, where would I find the remains of your breakfast?  Until just one month ago, you would have found my grapefruit juice, yoghurt or toast on my phone. Reason?… I spent my thirty-plus minutes of muesli-munching busy reading my Facebook. I love Facebook, I think it helps my business, it keeps me amused, links me to friends around the world and sometimes throws up an interesting idea or thought to dwell on for the rest of the day.
 
Maybe I would find the flakes of your breakfast croissant in the folds of a magazine or attached to the newspaper you read each morning. Perhaps your egg shells, bread crumbs or coffee stains are on the TV remote, the electricity bill or even on your bed cover! SO WHAT?  Does it really matter? Well, I can only tell you from experience that for me it has mattered!  My decision to change my routine, well…

If a detective researched my food trail, the most likely location of the residue of my hopefully healthy start to the day would be found on the pages of my Goal Book. You see, I’ve swapped my phone time for goal time. I’m starting my day with a focus on where I want to be one year, three years, five years from now. Instead of reading stories of what others have achieved, I’ve started to challenge my level of achievement. Rather than listening to other people’s views on politics, sport, entertainment and life, I’ve started the process of reviewing my own views and setting a better target going forward. Seems to me it’s like setting off on the day’s journey with my mental satnav tuned in to where I want to go.
 
So, here’s challenge for you. It’s holiday time right now. You could use the slightly slower breakfast time (if you’re lucky enough to be taking it easy this month) to change a habit. Believe me, it could make all the difference. Here are three benefits I think you’ll pick up immediately:

  1. You won’t waste time in the never-never land of timelessness that we all slip into on Social Media. Instead, you can keep your time limited to productive time.
  2. You will start your day with a much greater focus on goal-directed activity that will kick start your morning much better than hype, negative ideas and marketing campaigns.
  3. You’ll be a more cheerful, purposeful and interesting person when you arrive at the office, wake the kids up, get to college or get started on your productivity tasks.

Enjoy August, the slower pace, the holiday time with friends and the sunshine. But be careful where you leave the remains of your breakfast! 

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