- By Charles Miller
I’ll always remember sitting on Mount Luxmore, sipping coffee as the sun rose, bathing the mountainside in soft yellow light.
My brother and I planned the day ahead – our route, pace, potential hazards, and responses for each. In that quiet moment, we laid the groundwork for a successful hike.
The clarity it brought ensured a safe and enjoyable day and is a lesson we can all take from the mountain. Mornings hold unique energy and present an opportunity to start well.
Leaders like Tim Cook and Sir Richard Branson use the early hours for exercise, reflection, and planning.
Sir Winston Churchill, however, famously began his mornings early but from the comfort of his bed, drafting memos and strategising.
Many revel in being members of the “5am Club” – those who rise early with discipline and structure. Yet Churchill shows this isn’t a necessary condition for success.
“Winning the morning” isn’t just for the hyperactive. It’s about preparing and intentionally focusing, reflecting, and mapping priorities.
This is a game anyone can, and should, play. To “win the morning”, prioritise.
Spend your time and energy where you’ll get the biggest return.
Focus on high-impact tasks that deliver your key goals. Then plan your day like a hike.
What tasks, in what order? Which require you to be fresh and at your best?
Where are potential problems? Plan for flexibility, with options A, B, and C for the unexpected. Success begins with intention but also adaptability.
As you go, reflect and adjust. Keep a record, whatever that means to you.
It’ll guide follow-up and future planning. Track tasks completed, modified, or deferred.
Success is built on simple actions: timely, clear communication, meeting deadlines, and progressively ticking tasks off. These disciplines compound into progress.
Finally, visualise success. Anticipate obstacles and mentally rehearse responses. Picture yourself navigating challenges with confidence and ease.
This builds agility, resilience, and composure. Ultimately, focus on what you can control.
At the heart of every successful day is directing energy toward actions within your influence and letting go of the rest.
You cannot control others’ reactions or eliminate uncertainty, but you can respond with composure and achieve your desired outcomes. It’s the responses you choose to make that define your outcomes.
Every day is a hike – a narrow path with ups and downs, but also rich with opportunities to consider, plan, and prepare for.
Like sitting on Mount Luxmore, mornings offer a quiet space to anticipate challenges and joys.
By mapping the route, steadying your footing, and savouring the process, each day becomes an enjoyable journey, where you are in control and success is achieved one step at a time.
