Mornings Win in Hospitality
By Daniel Zolinski | November 15, 2024
The older I get, the more I am convinced that waking up early is the ultimate life hack. I was sitting at my desk at 5:15am with two screens blasting light into my eyes. All that covered my body was my matching sweatshirt and sweatpants set with my headphones faintly playing Lo-fi music into my eardrums. My half gallon jug of water was placed to my right and my freshly brewed 12oz coffee to my left. No phone in sight. I realized a quiet morning like this is the perfect way to counteract the noise in the world. I’m sure you can relate from being in the hospitality industry. Many times, the things that truly move the needle, both for yourself and in hospitality, come down to simple changes in your life; your morning routine being one of them. Here, I want to share 5 protocols to do to win your day.
Create a Morning Checklist
The productive morning’s biggest enemy is decision fatigue. When your brain doesn’t have a clear agenda, it focuses on trivial decisions, such as “What should I have for breakfast?” or “Which café should I work from?” To avoid this, create a morning checklist. Your checklist should include your non-negotiable morning habits. Keep it simple, actionable, and realistic.
Prepare Your Laptop the Day Before
Your brain’s sleep state is like a flow state. The faster you get to work after waking up, the faster you get into your flow state. I like to prep everything the night before:
- I’ll open the necessary tabs on my computer.
- Put my half gallon jug of water on the desk.
- Have the coffee pot preset so I only click the power button.
Practice Knowledge Priming
Your brain solves problems even when you sleep. You might think this sounds crazy, but try it for yourself:
#1 Write three questions about your main challenge for the next day.
#2 Place them where you’ll see them first thing (bathroom mirror, coffee pot, desk).
#3 Your subconscious will process these questions while you sleep.
#4 By morning, you’ll have insights and ideas ready to go.
Create Micro-Challenges
Small wins in the morning build momentum for the rest of the day. Do 10-pushups or read a chapter of a book. Each small win creates confidence and motivation to get more done throughout your day.
Cherish Yourself and the Silence
This is what I’ve found most beneficial to my success. When I first started as an entrepreneur, it felt like I didn’t have a single moment of silence. From the moment I woke up to the moment I fell asleep I was constantly being bombarded with text messages, phone calls, and emails. I didn’t block out any time for myself. I found that the early mornings are where I recover the best. I think you’d experience the same thing.
These simple implementations to your morning may be exactly what you need to move the needle in your own life and hospitality journey. Give it a shot.
