The First Hour Idea

by Frank Posted Feb. 08, 2011 in Our Agency

You get 60 minutes in one hour and 24 hours in a day.  If you keep doing the math, it works out to about 700,800 hours in your life if you live to 80 years old.

And while we race through the hours in our day, sometimes so fast that we don’t even notice (cue the phrase “where does the time go”),  I’ve discovered that some of those hours are more important than others.

But always pay attention to the first hour of the day.

Think about it.  Bad days just start off bad.  You oversleep.  You rush around so much you forget something at home.  You skip breakfast. The day goes downhill pretty fast and there is no runaway truck ramp to catch you.

Now think of the good days.  If the day starts out well, the rest of the day just works. You feel energetic and  you accomplish things.  Heck, you probably feel good at the end of the day, too.

Today is one of those good days for me, and silly as it sounds, I really credit my New Year’s Resolution.  I’m paying more attention to the first hour of the day.  To make sure I’m not so rushed, and thus not so stressed, I get up 15 minutes earlier.  I’m trying to go to bed a little earlier also.  After the alarm rings, I spend a few minutes sitting quietly, praying, meditating, and getting my mind ready for the day before getting ready for work.  One other thing, I make a point to eat breakfast. Granted I’m eating while packing lunches, feeding the dog, etc. but at least I’m eating breakfast.  (The more sugar on the cereal the better.)

My other resolutions aren’t going as well. I resolved to carry a notebook everywhere to write down things when I think of them.  It’s a great idea and a good way to sort and store those ideas that suddenly pop into your head.  Trouble is, that’s not always practical.  So, I’m starting to make notes on my phone.

I’m also trying to shift my “first hour” thinking to arriving at work.  Spend a few minutes mentally organizing before diving right in.  However there are many days when the work demands diving right in.

I’m not a life coach by any stretch, but I thought I would share my resolution because that’s what blogs are all about and I believe my new routine has made a difference.  Anybody do anything similar in the morning?

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  • alanning

    My first hour is for prioritization and organization. I have to get my mind right before I dive in. Great ideas, Frank!

  • Katy

    I’m pretty bad at mornings, so I should probably heed this advice. While my morning routine is pretty hectic, I think do a really good job of taking some time for myself at the end of every day. It’s dramatically improved my quality of life, so I thought I’d share.

    I try to wrap up all the worries of the day before I start getting ready for bed. I take my time washing my face and brushing my teeth just to slow the pace a little and take a few minutes to read my Bible and focus on the big picture rather than the little everyday worries that busy my mind all day. When I go to sleep still fretting about little things, I always have bad dreams and wake up feeling stressed and tired. On nights when I force myself to relax before bed, I sleep better and wake up feeling rejuvenated.

    If either of us could combine our stress-free mornings and nights, we’d be golden!

  • Stacey Hilton

    An inspirational piece for everyone, Frank! Nicely said.

    To add to your words of wisdom, a suggestion from Oprah that ties into this: a major step to ensure happiness in your life each day is to simply take 1 or 2 minutes to breathe, all by yourself, preferably in the morning before the rush of the day.
    She dedicated an entire show to happiness recently. According to her experts, research shows that just 1 or 2 minutes a day can make a world of difference in how the rest of your day plays out. That minute can be your saving grace, whether it’s found alone in your room, in the shower, or on your way to work…wherever you can be by yourself for just one minute. I’d love to hear if this is helpful for anyone:)

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