Written by: Jodi-Kay Edwards, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You know that moment when you first wake up? It’s those first few seconds where our brain reaches waking consciousness, our eyes are closed but our mind is open. Well, a majority of my success comes from that little moment, let me share how and why.
About five years ago I would reach for my phone as soon as I woke up, because of that repetitive action I added to my anxiety for years without ever really knowing why. On days where I kept my eyes closed a little longer to try and fall back asleep or took a moment before waking my body up, I noticed a shift in productivity. I experienced more clarity and calm throughout my day this way, versus the days I just woke up and went straight for my phone. By always reaching for my phone within my first few waking moments I didn’t realize that I was feeding my bad anxiety which trained my mind to work against me.
When I stopped scrolling and started living I noticed my mind working with me towards my goals, not against me. Back then my mind would quickly fill with anxious and overwhelming thoughts like, “why don’t I have that yet”, “when will my business reach six-figure months”, or my old personal favorite “She went to Bali… again?”. That one made me pause to really take a look at my internal communication. You see, all of these thoughts were feeding my fears not my future. I saw problems not opportunity, I gave my power up to others and social media every morning, so no wonder I felt anxious. I looked externally first everyday before looking internally and that habit I formed took a negative toll on my mindset and life. It took me a while to catch on to changing that, but I’m glad I did.
Severe anxiety and depression is something I’ve lived with the majority of my life, at least that’s what my doctor will tell you. On the outside looking in no one can really tell. I’m what they call “high functioning”. My bad days don’t look like what society has led us to believe as being in bed all day, panic attacks and removing oneself from society. In order to live the life I knew I deserved learning to master my mindset and self regulate was a must. On the inside looking out I’ve trained my brain to default to planning, not problems, power, not pain. Then the most important one of all, gratitude, not grief. I no longer feel addicted to scrolling on social media and when I do I’m freed from envy and comparison. I understand it’s not as easy to “be present” these days with so many distractions. Try seeking balance and harmony instead. Take the time when you wake up each day to create a mind body connection with your goals and notice how you’ll find yourself able to outthink any situation you’re in that no longer feels in alignment. For example, jobs, clients, relationships, or repetitive patterns.
Learning how to master my mind, especially in the morning when I first wake up was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. The mind is a garden. In order to plant seeds that grow the garden needs good soil with the right balance of sunshine and water. While we may not always be able to change our surroundings as quickly as we’d like we can learn to change our thoughts. It’s vital that we learn to grow through what we go through because when we do we’ll find peace within ourselves which gives us an immense amount of clarity. That clarity breeds confidence and that confidence breeds cash flow.
Some of us either feel or fear that we don’t have enough time or money to live a life we love living. What if I told you that in just a few moments each day you have a chance to change that? I call this moment Focus and Flow, it’s one of the values I’ve built my businesses around. Here’s how to implement it.
In those first few moments right before you open your eyes tomorrow and you realize you are in fact awake, keep your eyes closed and your mind open. Take this moment before you pray or craft affirmations to talk with yourself, decide what you want from life but detach from the outcome. This gives you hope and inner peace. Focus on what you want your life to look like in the future and make a conscious effort to select thoughts that match the energy of that life. This will give you the energy to implement. Draw inspiration for your daily actions or to-do list by thinking about the end result, this will help you harness the discipline to take consistent action.
Use this method to fill your cup daily, find your flow, find your focus. Don’t allow yourself to start your day with your glass half full, especially when we don’t really wake up that way, we just think we do. Thoughts are energy, our body then uses that energy not just for movement but to build momentum in our life, that momentum matches our thoughts. So, ask yourself this. Are you filling your cup each morning or draining it? The choice is yours.
Jodi-Kay Edwards, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jodi-Kay Edwards is the founder & CEO of Alignment Is The New Hustle and co-founder of Behind The Scenes Agency, a Dallas-based Media and Marketing company. Her coaching framework has helped hundreds of visionaries create a global impact worldwide. Her goal is to help CEOs and creatives get seen and get paid in a way that increases their impact and income.
