Dream Chasers

Transforming Your Mornings: Top Productive Habits for a Better Day

• Eric Heidrich

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Are you tired of waking up to the harsh sound of an alarm clock and struggling to get your day started? We've got some game-changing strategies for you! Join us as we reveal a transformative morning tool like a light alarm clock that simulates sunrise to awaken you naturally and peacefully, and also share the science behind innovative morning hacks to SIGNIFICANTLY improve your daily routine.

In this episode, we break down the top ten habits for a productive morning, from setting a regular bedtime to incorporating activities such as cold water therapy, reading, exercising, and journaling every day. We promise you, these are not just random suggestions. These are tried and tested routines that we've personally incorporated into our daily lives. The benefits are real, and we're excited to share these with you!

So, tune in to the Dream Chaser Show and join us on this journey of transforming our mornings, and ultimately, our lives. Trust us, you don't want to miss out on this!

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Eric:

This is the Dream Chaser Show. What's going on everybody? This is Eric and Kate with the Dream Chaser Show Dream.

Kate:

Chaser.

Eric:

I was so glad to have you guys here and we got a great one lined up for you. Yeah, today we're going to be talking about some morning routines and how to win your day by winning your morning.

Kate:

These are proven success that morning people are more effective, more productive, happier, healthier individuals.

Eric:

This is backed by science. It's not just philosophy, it's science. It's science, dude.

Kate:

So take that nighttime owls, you people who can stay up past 9 pm.

Eric:

Let's cool it on the finger point, because that's me. I know In my heart That's like who I am. I think that's like an important thing to talk about real quickly. There actually is a distinct difference between a night owl and a morning bird. That's a real thing.

Kate:

Yeah.

Eric:

We're all different, just like our metabolisms are different. So I believe that some people really are night people And others really are morning people.

Kate:

And there's nothing wrong with it, other than I envy you to my core To be a night person?

Eric:

Yeah, why.

Kate:

It'd be so nice. Remember when we used to have friends and we'd hang out with them. And do you remember pumpkin Brittany? It was funny because pumpkin Brittany and I had the same thing in common that we would turn into pumpkins.

Eric:

Like seven Yeah.

Kate:

Yeah, and we knew like we would just be the tired ones on game night yawning and it's like after dinner time.

Eric:

Yeah.

Kate:

We're like can we just go to bed now, yeah.

Eric:

The reality is, when you get up early in the morning, you can get so many things done, and that's what this show is about. Today, we're going to talk to you guys about 10 ways to basically, when you're morning because that's the morning times when you have free time and no one's bugging you You don't have to answer emails, text, phone calls At least you shouldn't, you shouldn't have to Yeah. Yeah.

Kate:

And that's the like, the best way to set up the rest of your day. If you have a good morning, you're going to have a good day.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah.

Kate:

So let's get to it.

Eric:

Let's jump in, okay.

Kate:

So we're going to break down the 10 ways to have a successful morning and become a morning person. So the first one and the 10 principles is setting a regular bedtime. There's this crazy thing called a circadian rhythm and it's what your natural clock is for your body. Like, you just have an internal clock that tells you when to wake up, when to eat, when to go do all of the things. Like, your body is just set on an internal clock. So if you go to bed at a regular time consistently, then that will help you consistently wake up earlier.

Eric:

Mm-hmm.

Kate:

On a regular basis.

Eric:

Regular is the key.

Kate:

Do you remember when you were making that transition?

Eric:

I still struggle with it, do you?

Kate:

really.

Eric:

Oh, totally Yeah. Like I feel like I'll be good at it from Monday through Friday. I'm like getting ready for bed at 9, 9.30 and then on Saturday and Sunday is like, oh, I'm just going to slack off and stay up late.

Kate:

It's the weekend.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah. And then Monday I suffer and I'm like, ah crap. But I think if you stay like to a strict scheduled Bedtime, yeah, and you don't deviate from it, you just you start to get in a really good groove, yeah. So number two is Get an alarm clock. Now that one sounds really weird because most of us have alarms on our phone. But there's this really cool alarm clock that Kate found. It's on Amazon. It's called a light alarm, and what's so cool about this light alarm is it's actually a light and, let's say, she sets it at Five, at about 4, 30 or so. it'll start to slowly light up the room, almost like a sunrise. It'll start as a dull red and turn into a brighter yellow.

Kate:

I can change the settings on that. You know that the thing. It's just super customizable, like I can even Start waking up to the Sun an hour in advance, or just even 10 minutes before it goes off. It's pretty cool. Then I can set, like if it's a deep red or if it's a bright white.

Eric:

Yeah, it's pretty neat. How much better and nicer is that then we're waking up to the conventional like And you like jolt away, kind of bed well, at least it's your heart rate going.

Kate:

Oh yeah, almost have a heart attack.

Eric:

Yeah, if you got heart problems, that's. That's rough on your, that's rough on your body, it's pretty cool like it has.

Kate:

Like it, mine has little birds, yeah, that start chirping at 5 am And it's just lovely. Like I, i am a snow white living in my little fairy tale. I'm waking up with my birds.

Eric:

Yeah, it's pretty great. It's a peaceful way to wake up.

Kate:

It is. It's a spend your alarm clock though about 50 bucks, maybe even 60 bucks. Man, it is a game changer. If you're not a morning person They're me being the scientific Nerdy person that I am there's actually studies behind to like the light that wakes you up. You can see light through your eyelids. I mean, if you don't believe me, go outside and close your eyes and look at the Sun you still?

Kate:

see the Sun, right Yeah, so that's why that alarm clock works out so well is because that alarm clock is naturally waking up your body, so you're not jolted awake by that.

Eric:

Especially in the winter when, like the Sun, doesn't come up till 8 am Yeah in the winter time. Number three is hitting the snooze button. Now, this one's a whammy, and it affects me personally, because I am kind of a snooze button hitter by nature snooze button press and mother mother tracker.

Eric:

So I heard this in another podcast, though, where they're talking about hitting the snooze button, and and they were saying it's it, when You hit the snooze button, it's like telling yourself that you're okay with setting a standard and then missing that standard. So the night before you're like, okay, i'm gonna wake up at 6 am, i'm gonna wake up at 6 am, and then the alarm goes off at 6 and you hit the snooze button. So now you've lowered that standard by 10 minutes and you continue to do that every time you hit the snooze button. And It's interesting because that's like a trait, that's becomes like part of who you are you're like lying to yourself Yeah, i'm gonna wake up at 6.

Kate:

Nah, no, no, i'm not. I'm gonna wake up at 6, 15.

Eric:

Mm-hmm.

Kate:

That was your boy, ed, ed my let Ed my life.

Eric:

Yeah, that's true.

Kate:

Yeah, Eric's man crush She's my man crush.

Eric:

So if you're a snooze button hitter, i think with that light alarm clock There maybe isn't a snooze button on there And if it, if there is, put it across the room like get it away from you so it's not next to your bed.

Kate:

That's another helpful tip to any alarm clock Just sit it across the room, because if you get out of bed You're less likely to just thumb tap it and do snooze and go right back to bed.

Eric:

Yeah, let's take it across the room.

Kate:

Yeah, number four. So this is something that's helped both of us in different ways Hydrate and cold water. I like to drink cold water like hydrate right away in the morning And you like to splash cold water on your face.

Eric:

Mm-hmm.

Kate:

So just any kind of Cold water therapy right away in the morning I like to hydrate because you know like I'm fasting all night long from drinking, and Then drinking a cup of water. It's like it just wakes up my little internal organs and yeah, what it makes sense?

Eric:

because your body is mostly water, mm-hmm. And so if you've been fasting for eight hours, or however long you sleep, your body needs that, that water to basically replace from not drinking anything all night. Right, and then the science behind splashing water on your face. Some people take cold showers. That's a huge commitment. I don't know if I can master that.

Kate:

I don't think you need science backed up to prove it, just splash some cold water in your face.

Eric:

And you'll wake up. You'll find out real quick. Yeah, i mean it wakes you. You like gain. You gain like 20 minutes back because, let's say, you're groggy. For 20 minutes If you splash cold water on your face, it's like boom, like a lightning bolt just macked you. Good for you. Yeah, it's nice.

Kate:

That's one that I haven't committed to, because I like to have my nice cup of joe and warm up with that with my hands wrapped around the cup.

Eric:

Oh, slowly Yeah.

Kate:

And read, Yep, Read, which brings us into the next one, number five. Read or learn something right away in the morning. So yeah, I have my cup of joe and I read for 10, 15 minutes every morning.

Eric:

I think that's a good one to talk about, because a lot of us think there's no time, i don't have time to read, i don't have time to learn something new, even though I really want to learn how to play the guitar or learn how to cook or learn how to invest. But if you were to take just 10 minutes a day and read every day, you can get through like two or three books a month. And imagine how far you'll be mentally, physically, whatever you're learning about, if you just read three books a month. You'd be insane, and I can tell you from personal experience it's a game changer.

Kate:

It is, it is. It's pretty cool Yeah.

Eric:

Number six make your bed. Now, why do you think? I mean, i'm curious why that one is so important.

Kate:

I just don't like looking at our room without a messy bed. I just don't like messy beds.

Eric:

Yeah, so you don't have to return to a messy bed. Yeah.

Kate:

One plus I do laundry on the bed. We do a lot of things in the bed. That's another surface that we can use during the day. So I don't know, But why do you think so?

Eric:

So I heard. I don't know, i don't know who I heard. I listen to a lot of people and read a lot of things.

Kate:

Yeah, you do.

Eric:

They were talking about making your bed, and what's the reason to do it is because it's a small win. It's a small task that you complete in the morning and it kind of it kind of like carries over to the rest of the tasks in your day. If you already get one task knocked out right away in the morning, you're already. You've got some momentum going into the day, so the next task is easier and the next one's easier, and you're just kind of succeeding along the way, instead of sloppily rolling out a bed and then showing up to work late and then everything else is off.

Kate:

Yeah making your bed is one of those steps and at least, if you do have a crappy Monday, hey, at least you, at least you made your bed. Yeah, that's true number seven is Exercise. Now, i'm not a big meathead like Eric is, um, although I'd like to look with. Look like him. I think I could pull off the beard.

Eric:

Yeah, the bearded lady, Yeah the bearded, the bearded lady, we're into some different times right now, so you might be able to pull that off.

Kate:

I know, right, um, but some form of exercise, even just push-ups, sit-ups, something to get your heart rate up, because when your heart rates up it's hard to fall asleep When you're at 140 beats per minute.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah, just getting that blood flow going. Yeah, lubricating the joints, um. And the other thing is it doesn't have to be an hour long, it doesn't even have to be at the gym, like just 15 to 20 minutes If you do push-ups, sit-ups. you like to do yoga in the morning? I?

Kate:

do and stretch. Mm-hmm Stretch has been a really great Exercise.

Eric:

Yeah.

Kate:

I thought it was just, you know, one of those little menial tasks that you do after the actual exercise. But no, if you really focus on stretching, like your flexibility, That mind muscle connection that you're always telling me about, Yeah never really got it until I was stretching with intention I'm like oh wow, that's, that's what he's talking about.

Eric:

Yeah, exactly. The another thing about exercise, too, is it makes you happier. It releases endorphins and so It just makes your day like happier, brighter, cheerier You. You just have a better start to your morning if you're able to get even, like you said, 15, 20 minutes of exercise in Mm-hmm. Feel so good. It does and it's just to move your body and then, and then you're done with it. Yeah, like it's done, you don't have to worry about it after work.

Kate:

Yep. So number eight is meditating and journaling. I love journaling And I know that, like I never thought that I would love journaling, but I've got this cool five-year journal.

Eric:

It's literally five years five years. It's a thick textbook.

Kate:

I've been carrying this thing around for four years. Now going on, it will be five years in 2024, so that's pretty exciting. But it's really neat because I just opened up to today's date And then I get to see all the entries of the previous years on that date. So it's cool because I get to see the growth, the things that I was struggling with, how much I was complaining about you that day classic.

Eric:

Yeah, it's funny because I just I remember several times where we're sitting. I'm sitting down and you're reading through your journal And you're like huh, did you know that two years ago today, i was so mad at you because of x, y and z and I'm like, oh great, so you're just storing up. I'm mad at you. What a great start to the morning. I'm gonna splash some water on my face, don't disturb me, go run.

Eric:

Yeah, Go run away, Yeah um it is a cool journal though It is, we get to reflect back on where we were at that time. Yeah you know, three, four years ago.

Kate:

And and it's, and it's really neat and it's helped me realize too, like in those problems as I'm facing them, they just feel so heavy, like there's such weighted problems, i'm thinking, oh man, how am I ever gonna get around this or this is what I'm facing? um, how may we're gonna, you know, get past this thing? and then, a year ago goes by, looking back on at what I was struggling with over the last several years, it allows me to Realize and have faith That everything works out, for you know, it always works out.

Eric:

Yeah, it's so true because we'll look back and be like dude. I remember struggling financially, Emotionally we just had a baby, or whatever that struggle was at the time. Yeah, we had no answer. We didn't know what was gonna happen. And then you're you're like whoa, this, it worked itself out.

Kate:

And all I could do is write it down at the time, and it's been so, mending for my soul. Which then brings me into meditation and how I think that these go hand in hand And, uh, if you've never meditated before, it's pretty simple. There's like thousands of ways to do it, but just Um. I think the important part is be quiet, calm your mind, sit still for just a few minutes and then Be grateful.

Eric:

Mm-hmm. And also, what might help you guys out is downloading an app called Calm C-A-L-M. That helped us get started and it's guided meditation And it's for all kinds of stuff. If you have insomnia, if you have anxiety, depression. there's a lot of things on there that it helps with. Number nine eat food. Air is favorite Yeah.

Eric:

I know so many people that skip breakfast. I think of it like this if you're going to try to take your car somewhere, you've got to stick gas in the tank, right? So your body is just like a vehicle. Before you go anywhere and do anything, you've got to put gas in the tank. And it's important that the quality of food is a big deal. So, like the sugary cereals, that's not so helpful. But if it were fruit, vegetable, have some water and maybe some oatmeal or something like that. It also jump starts our—.

Eric:

Metabolism Yeah it also jump starts our metabolism too. So, believe it or not, you can actually lose weight if you eat a healthy breakfast. It's bananas, it's bananas.

Kate:

Eat a banana.

Eric:

Eat a banana.

Kate:

In the morning.

Eric:

Yeah.

Kate:

Number ten last but certainly not least, attack your day with a schedule. How does that saying go? If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter where, you'll just end up anywhere and see, i don't know, i'm terrible with those things. Something, help me out, captain.

Eric:

It's an Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, and he says a person without a goal is like a ship without a captain. If you don't know where you're going, you're going to end up washed up on some shore, deserted, basically with—you're just wherever the waves take you. But if you have a schedule and you have a set goal, what you're trying to accomplish that day, that week, that month, even that year, then you're going to end up in a destination. You're going to actually make progress and end up where you're going.

Kate:

Yeah, because you don't just accidentally trip on your goals. I don't think I've ever heard anybody say, oh yeah, i just happened to get to this goal that I wanted on accident, even though I didn't do—I didn't know I wanted it. It just doesn't happen. You have to have an aim and the best way to get there is having a schedule to get there.

Eric:

So we've been living on a schedule on the Google Calendar since we started our real estate team and it's been probably six years or so now and that has changed our lives dramatically. Because one instance I can think of in particular is when something pops in your head like, oh, i really need to do this thing. Instead of just writing it down and never finding that sticky note again, i just put it in my calendar for whatever date it is, and then it shows up and like oh yeah, i got to record this podcast. Oh yeah, i have to do my taxes. Yeah, i even put—I put everything in there. I put when I eat in there, we put when we work out in there.

Kate:

Addy has her own little schedule too. We got.

Eric:

Addy on a schedule. It's weird because it sounds like we don't have freedom, but I honestly I think we have more freedom with that schedule. It allows us to have more freedom.

Kate:

I agree. And just more certainty with how the day is going to roll out too. I hate uncertainty, so like when I wake up and I don't know what's on the agenda for the day, or if my Google calendar just disappeared. I would be genuinely scared.

Eric:

All right. So we talked about 10 ways to dominate your morning, to basically dominate the rest of your day. These are all things that we practice. We're not perfect by any means. There's days that we screw up, but I think it's important to start small and especially if you're a late riser like I am, starting small by just incrementally waking up earlier and earlier, so like setting your alarm back 10 minutes and send it back 10 minutes after that next week and just keep going. That is a great way to at least get started.

Kate:

Yeah, and if you haven't checked out the book already The Miracle Morning, check it out. I know he takes an entire hour for his routine, but he also says that he can take his entire routine and just condense it down to even 10 minutes.

Eric:

Yeah.

Kate:

So you can just wake up 10 minutes earlier and do important things that'll set you up for the success of your rest of the day. Why wouldn't you do that?

Eric:

Mm-hmm Boo-yah.

Kate:

Boo-freaking-yah.

Eric:

Thanks for listening, everybody. We'll see you next time. Adios, bye.