Nearly every successful entrepreneur and high performing individual has a structured morning routine and there is a good reason for it. A consistent morning routine will help you build discipline, it can give you more energy, you improve mental clarity, you become more organized, you get things done faster, you think more creatively, you are more productive, you are less stressed, it creates structure, you are more efficient, you are building good habits and conversely breaking bad ones, and it builds momentum for your day, your week, and your life if you are consistent with it.
Sound like something you can benefit from? Perfect. We are going to discuss how you will create an effective morning routine as a detailer.
Sleep and Waking Up
One of the best things you can do is wake up and start your day at the same time consistently. This helps build a regimented sleep schedule and will give you more predictable energy levels. This is especially important on the days you encounter long polishing sessions or multiple cars that make for a long day. It also helps establish a habit and over time, makes it easier to wake up at your ideal time.
When should you wake up? From my research, the earlier you can train yourself to wake up the more productive you will be as a business owner. The sweet spot seems to be between 4:45 am and 5:45 am, but everyone will be slightly different. This means you should be in bed winding down before 10 pm in order to get a healthy and restful amount of sleep. This requires discipline, but if you can go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day, you will have more energy upon starting your day, which means you will be more alert, you will be more focused, you will get more done, and it will show in your work and how you interact with your clients. Make this a habit.
Trouble Waking Up?
A couple of things I found to help me wake up consistently is leveraging light and sound as part of my alarm. Your body will naturally want to wake up and it feels more alert when the sun is out due to your circadian rhythm. But if you are like me, there is a good chance you will wake up while it is still dark out. I use a set of Phillips Hue lights programmed to replicate a sunrise by gradually turning on as my desired wake time approaches. There are alarm clocks out there that function similarly and even have soothing nature sounds to wake up to. I have programmed motivational clips to go off as my alarm and gets me jacked to take on the day, boosting my energy levels even higher.
Don’t Hit The Snooze Button
When the time comes and your alarm is going off, act immediately. The best thing you can do is get out of bed within the first 5 seconds. Yes, the first 5 seconds.
Want to dig deeper? Check out Mel Robbins and the 5 Second Rule
Anything longer than that your mind will begin to wake up and talk yourself into hitting the snooze button. Remind yourself of your business goals, your dreams, and your motives for wanting to start your detailing business. Then trust that starting the day on the right foot is the best path to get there because it is. When it comes to waking up and getting out of bed, follow Nike’s slogan, Just Do It!
Hydrate Yourself Immediately – 5 minutes
Many detailers go through the day dehydrated. This can lead to fatigue, cramping, dizziness, and lack of mental clarity. A majority of your body is made up of water. And when you wake up, your body will be dehydrated, which is part of the reason you may feel lethargic. One of the best ways you can start your morning routine is by drinking at least 16 oz of water. This will help rehydrate your body and jump-start your metabolism. It will help you think clearer and will help flush out toxins in your body. It can also stop you from immediately filling yourself with food because quite often that feeling of hunger can simply be your body telling you to rehydrate it. If you are a coffee drinker or consume caffeine in the morning, the impact of consuming that will be more potent if your body is properly hydrated.
Make Your Bed – 5 minutes
You might think this is a joke, but it’s not. Studies have shown that making your bed as soon as you get out of it can help create a sense of immediate accomplishment for the day, which helps you complete more tasks, and strengthen your willpower. Making your bed will also create a sense of cleanliness and organization. They say the condition of your room, car, or workspace is a representation of the condition of your mind. Keeping things neat and in order in your bedroom will translate into an orderly shop and garage. It reinforces the practice of discipline and routine, something anyone can benefit from in every aspect of their life.
Gratitude – 5 minutes
Get in the habit of starting your day in gratitude. Being grateful helps you stay grounded and can help you deal with stressful situations throughout the day, especially when dealing with customers. I personally use an app called Five Minute Journal, that prompts you for a few things every day:
- 3 things you are grateful for
- 3 things you will do to make today great
- A daily affirmation. I am…
Then at the end of the day you reflect on 3 amazing things that happened that day and you identify 1 thing that would have made that day even better. I was surprised how doing something so subtle boosted my day.
Get the Blood Flowing – 10 to 20 minutes
It is important to start your day with some form of stretching to get the blood flowing to all areas of your body. Don’t confuse this with your weight training if that is part of your regular routine. As a detailer, you know you will be getting into strange positions as you service the vehicles you are working on. This might take you out of your comfort zone, but we suggest some form of regular practice of yoga, qigong, tai chi, or something similar. Try a quick search on YouTube for qigong morning routine. The idea is to stretch out your body, get the blood flowing and prepare yourself for the day, not tax yourself like you would in the gym. You may find other benefits hidden in these practices when you commit to them on a regular basis.
Take a Cold Shower – 5 minutes
This is perfect to do right after your stretching routine. Trust me, there is more to it than making you feel awake and energized. Here’s a 7-minute video outlining the key benefits of taking a cold shower.
Key takeaways of taking cold showers are:
- Improves circulation
- Relieves depression
- Burns fat
- Improves sleep
- Keeps skin and hair healthy
- Increases fertility
- Improves emotional resilience
- Improve immunity
- Speeds up exercise recovery
- Increase testosterone
- Energy boost
Fuel Up – 10 to 20 minutes
Whether you are into coffee, MCT oil, and grass-fed butter or like a healthy breakfast like eggs and avocados, you want to fuel your body properly. Your diet will play a major factor in how much energy, focus, and drive you have, so make it count. Garbage in equals garbage out. Think of your food as your fuel, you wouldn’t put 87 octane in a Ferrari, would you? Then why would you treat your body any differently? Get serious about your diet, it will keep you at the top of your game and pay off in so many ways.
Mindfulness Meditation – 10 to 20 minutes
Practicing some form of meditation on a regular basis can do wonders for you in all areas of your life. In terms of professional benefits, it can help reduce stress, you may think more creatively, you may interact with customers on a deeper level, you may become a better listener (which may lead to more sales), you will be able to focus for longer periods of time (especially helpful when doing paint correction), and you will be more in tune with your body and mind. If you look up daily routines of highly successful people, more than 70% of them have some form of meditation in their morning routine. If you haven’t practiced mindfulness, try it for 30 days and see if you can tell the difference.
How do you start practicing mindfulness?
If you are not familiar with mindfulness meditation, I’d suggest starting with something like Headspace. They have short guided meditations that walk you through the mindfulness practice. It’s easy to follow and they do a good job keeping you on track. I’ve also read some books on the topic, but the app is probably the quickest and most effective way to get started.
Walk Through Your Day – 10 minutes
Go over your schedule for the day and make sure you create a list for any immediate action items or set any reminders in your phone or calendar. As you end your morning routine, you will want to hit the ground running. Taking a few minutes out of your day to review your schedule will help you transition into the workday. You will remain more organized, get more done, and have a greater sense of accomplishment. Visualize how your day will play out in the best case scenario. Make it happen.
Start Tomorrow. Track Your Progress.
If you have never committed to a morning routine, this is a perfect place to start. We call it the Power Hour for Detailers. Focus first on building the habit. Stick to this exact routine for at least 90 days before tweaking or changing anything. The items listed were chosen for a reason. There is always more you can do, or new things you can try, but these are the foundational elements we recommend starting with. We’d love to hear from you if you decide to give this a try and how it has impacted your life and detailing business. Drop us a message or start a chat!
