The five things successful people do in the morning

Good morning, sunshine! Tear a page out of the a.m. playbook of successful people to learn how they get ready for the day ahead.

Last month, we told you five thing successful people do before they go to bed. Today, let’s focus on five things that successful people do first thing in the morning.

Hint: Hitting the snooze button on the alarm is not one of them!

Exercise. Odds are good that if you don’t exercise in the morning, you won’t exercise at all. So whether it’s a spin class, a killer crossfit workout, or a 10-kilometer tempo run, get ‘er done before heading to the office.

If you’re among the crossfit ranks, go here for an apps roundup of this core strength and conditioning program. If you prefer cycling, check out this story on how Lumia is your perfect bike partner.

And this story compiles some of the best apps that track your run, log your steps, and help you get a better workout in the gym. Now, drop and give me 20!

Eat a healthy breakfast. Nutritionists say this meal—when you literally break an overnight fast–is the most important of the day. So back away from that chocolate-glazed doughnut and go for a heart-healthy meal instead.

How about oatmeal with low-fat milk, almonds and blueberries? Or an omelet with spinach, mushrooms and cheese? For nutritious and tasty recipes, check out our recent story on the new Zipongo app.

The Big Oven app for Windows Phone (we wrote about it here) is also a great resource for breakfast recipes, as is AllRecipes.com, which we included in our post on planning Thanksgiving.

Map out your day. Early morning is one of the few (and perhaps only) quiet times of the day. So it’s a perfect time to calmly reflect and assess the day’s priorities and how to tackle them.

If you need to jot down notes, OneNote is a great tool. I like using the app’s hands-free microphone function. In addition, Wunderlist is one of my go-to apps to organize tasks and projects (which you can share with colleagues). And I love hearing the app’s whimsical “ping” when I mark a task as complete.

Visualize. Research says that even just a few minutes of meditation helps boost confidence, slow heart rate, and reduce stress and anxiety.

So take 10 to 20 minutes to clear your mind for the day ahead. Visualize the successes that you will have and draw energy from your inner strength.

I like using The Mindfulness App whenever I need a booster shot of serenity. The app, which we wrote about in this story on apps to help you relax, has three to 30-minute guided meditations.

Tackle the toughest challenges first. In the morning, while you’re still mentally fresh, tackle the most difficult or least desirable project first.

That way, you won’t have to dread it the entire day and completing it will help relax you and give you the energy for your other work. You can ask Cortana, available in select countries with Windows Phone 8.1, to remind you to do the most challenging task first.

Do you do any (or all) of the things above?

If you have other suggestions on how to better prepare yourself for the day ahead, please share them in the comments section below.