Off the Starting Block

How you start matters.

I was a high school sprinter. Before every race, we stretched dynamically, bounced around, checked our laces, fueled properly, and hydrated well. We used starter blocks to align our bodies for the best push possible. That big push forward forced the legs to power under us, avoiding face plants. Every step in the sprint was a catch of a forward fall. The contact of that foot onto the track had enough force to launch us into your next powerful stride and so on, moving as fast as those legs could go, until we pressed through the finish line.

Every night I head into bed with the following day in mind. What is on the agenda for the next day? At what time and how do I want to wake up? What are the first things I’ll do to make that day happen so I can check off items from the to-do list, lead a productive meeting, ace an exam, land a job, close a deal, get 10,000 steps in, make someone's day, fulfill a dream?

As soon as my brain wakes, I do a scan of how my body feels. If I am unable to focus from wheels turning too fast, I take a deep breath and proceed with breathwork to slow it down. With eyes still closed, I inhale through my nose and imagine that breath traveling down the back of my spine towards my hips. As I start to exhale, I follow that breath up the front of my torso, warming my throat as it continues to rise and exit through my nose. My next breath, I may visualize traveling up my nose, washing over my brain before traveling down the back of my throat on its way towards my hips. Once I can focus on mindfully following my breath, I then continue channeling subsequent breaths throughout my body, as I bring awareness to those parts and tune in to their sensations. If during the scan, there are some areas of tightness or feelings of tension, I “massage” them with gentle movements and stretches, even before climbing out of bed. Doing so helps me to be more mobile, warmer, energized, and alert. I spend five to ten minutes on this. It is one way to center myself and start the day relaxed, composed, ready to receive information, open to listening, and primed to tackle my tasks.

This takes a little more time and attention than hopping out upon the alarm and rushing to work, heading for the gym, shuffling to class, answering email, or preparing breakfast for the household. On the other hand, if I don’t have time to check in with myself, how will I fully check in with everyone and everything else? Or perhaps I can, but my wellbeing may be suffering, taking a back seat, eventually affecting my ability to live my best life and contribute my absolute best to everyone and everything I put ahead of myself.

How do you start your day? Are you prioritizing your wellbeing? Are you putting your best foot forward, optimizing your strides, able to truly give it your all… because you had that quality start? It starts with you.

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