Successful people, whether they are athletes, business owners, entrepreneurs, musicians, or talk show hosts, all appear to have at least one habit in common: They intentionally set time aside on a daily basis to spend time with the person in the mirror.  The average person smashes the alarm clock and jumps out of bed to then hastily get ready for work while doing seven things at the same time.  They show up to work already stressed out where they spend the next nine hours rolling their own stress snowball.  We often spend too much time trying to stay busy without thinking.  When we aren’t busy, we go into default social media zombies.  We work, workout, go grocery shopping, make dinner, eat dinner, check Instagram, watch Netflix, check Instagram again, until we fall asleep in front of the TV.  All without having much thought or time to focus on bettering ourselves.

But what do successful people seem to do on a regular basis? They set time aside each day to meditate, pray, set and reflect on goals, read, and exercise.  Successful people are not superhuman, superior beings.  But they do (generally speaking) seem to have a better understanding of self and inner-peace.  Hal Elrod calls this his “Miracle Morning” in his (recommended) book of the same title.  Tony Robbins practices a daily routine involving expressing gratitude and very specific breathing patterns.  Tim Ferriss practices daily rituals to constantly better himself.  The morning is typically easier to set time aside because we can control waking up a little earlier.  Things always seem to pop up and get in the way in the evenings.  In any event, whether you choose to set time aside in the morning, at lunch, or before you go to bed, successful people seem to make “Me Time” a daily priority.

It is amazing how much you can accomplish in the one hour (or less) you intentionally set aside for just you.   Whether you finally open that book you’ve been meaning to read, you have a chance to finally write out your goals for the year, or you just have an opportunity to sit in silence with a cup of coffee to pray and think of three things you are thankful for, “Me Time” will likely have a significant impact on your busy day.  It’s not being selfish, it’s giving yourself a much-needed daily “recharge” to attack the day and approach your relationships to the best that you are capable of.   Give it a try.