7 things unsuccessful people do at the start of every day

Have you ever wondered why you’re not getting anywhere? Every day seems to be the same for you. Did you know some morning habits are unproductive and may hinder your success?
We all know there are certain things that successful people do at the start of every day, but there are also certain things that have the opposite effect.
Read on to find out what you might be doing wrong each morning.
1) Sleeping in too late
Have you ever slept in for too long, then woken up with a start because you had somewhere to be? It’s happened to me many times before and when it does, I always feel like I’m running behind the entire day.
When we sleep in too long, we often have to get ready in a rush, which is never fun. It’s common to forget things, and instead of leaving the house calm and relaxed, we feel flustered and full of adrenaline. Not the ideal way to start a day.
Often when we start a day flustered we continue the day in that way, being less productive and not feeling in control.
It can also, ironically, make us feel more tired, and even unwell, by ruining our sleep schedule and circadian rhythms.
2) Using your phone as soon as you wake up
I don’t know about you, but I find it so easy to go on my phone as soon as I wake up. I can easily pick up my phone, check my messages, check the news, play a couple of games, and waste a lot of time on social media before even getting out of bed.
How many times have you gone down some kind of rabbit hole only to realize that you should have got up half an hour ago?
When we check our phones first thing in the morning, not only are we skipping some of the vital stages of waking up, but we also get an unneeded dopamine rush.
Studies show that if we receive this type of dopamine rush as soon as we wake up, we will continue to chase it for the rest of the day.
3) Skipping healthy routines
Skipping healthy routines like breakfast or exercise can lead to failure, because it can leave you feeling tired and low on energy, making it harder to focus and do well in your daily activities.
Taking care of our bodies helps us stay alert and ready to tackle whatever comes our way during the day.
I always feel a positive difference in myself and am much more productive if I get up, drink some water, exercise, and then have a healthy breakfast.
Those days I forget or don’t feel like exercising or meditating are the days I’m more grumpy and can’t sit still for as long. I find I can only focus for shorter periods on these days.
Exercise and a good diet also give us endorphins, which are one of our ‘happy’ hormones. Endorphins have many positive effects on the body such as reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. They also boost self-esteem and possibly improve memory and brain function.
If that’s not the recipe for success I don’t know what is.
4) Not using your time well
How many times have you looked at the clock and wondered where all the time has gone?
We only get so many hours in a day, so we need to use them well if we want to be successful.
Wasted time equals wasted opportunities.
If you find yourself sitting around with time to spare in the morning try to think of something productive you could do in that time. Reading, learning, cleaning. Something that will give you more time later on in the day.
When we sit around or waste our time, we don’t get that back.
If you have 10 minutes to wait while your kids are getting ready for school, or 20 minutes while your partner is in the shower, use and you’ll be surprised what you can achieve if you do it every day. 20 minutes a day every day for a year is over 120 hours, that’s five whole days!
So, what will you do with those minutes, those days, those hours? Use them or lose them?
5) Forgetting to plan
How do you feel when you don’t plan for the day? Lost, confused? Do you forget things? This is a sure way to fail.
It’s very easy to make a plan for your morning, but then you also have to remember to stick to it each day.
As someone with ADHD, it’s especially important for me to make a plan for the day.
If I don’t plan my morning, I’m a mess. I forget things, I’m late, I have to run back inside a million times to get something, I’m all over the place.
When you organize your day, you can make sure that everything you need to get done is done. You know where things are, and ultimately you can set out feeling calm and confident. The start of a successful day.
Planning can be as simple as picking out your clothes the night before or giving yourself a list of things to do before you leave home. It’s about having enough time to get everything done, and for me it’s about doing everything in the same order, so I don’t forget anything.
6) Procrastinate
We’ve all done it before, put something off until the last minute. But procrastination can inhibit our success because it means putting off important tasks, leading to a bunch of work piling up and causing stress later.
Getting things done on time helps them stay organized and less overwhelmed, making success more achievable.
When I was in college, my whole life was procrastination. Everything was completed and submitted at the last minute. Did I pass? Yes. Did I get good grades? No. Did I learn as much as I would have had I spent time on the work?
Absolutely not.
If we spend time in the morning on work, projects, chores, etc, we get extra time later. We stress less because we don’t have so much on our minds, and we also have a time buffer in case something takes longer than expected.
Procrastination robs us of giving our full potential and doing the best we can, resulting in a much lower rate of success than if we start earlier.
7) Have a negative attitude
If you start the day in a grumpy mood, it’s like hanging a raincloud over everything, making it tougher to face the challenges of the day.
A negative attitude is less motivating and makes you someone who others don’t want to be around. Which not only will ruin your morning, but may also throw off the morning of the people close to you.
Success often comes to those who are confident, motivated, and have a positive go-getting attitude because these qualities create a winning mindset.
Confidence helps us navigate challenges, motivation fuels sustained effort, and a positive attitude fosters resilience. This makes us more likely to overcome obstacles and persist in the pursuit of our goals.
Final thoughts
Remember that consistency is the key. If you are constantly doing these 7 things, you will stay living the same mundane life you’re stuck in now.
But, if you quit these habits, you will have more enjoyable days and also, that success you’ve always dreamed of.