We all get the same 24 hours in a day, but why does it feel like some of us can get so much more done in the same amount of time? How is it that some people just seem to stay focused and lose their crap less often than others? Over the years, much has been theorized, discussed and debated about the secrets to productivity, success, and happiness. One common thing that all the research has pointed to? A morning routine.

So when Hannah Northcott and Rebecca Archer, the visionary women behind the Well Women Community here in Beijing, launched their Magical Morning Mastermind last year, I decided to sign up. I was lured by the promise of less chaotic and rushed mornings; of flowing productivity that will carry on throughout the day as a result of the Magical Morning routine, or MM as it’s affectionately termed.

So, I hear your question, “How was it?” In two words, game changer. One year on from that 21 day workshop, most days I continue to wake up just a little earlier than the rest of the family, because that isolation determines my focus, and I practice the 7 MM tools. I’ve tweaked them to make it work for me, and it comes naturally now. The results I, as well as others around me, have observed:

Better time management: I no longer scramble as much throughout the day from appointment to appointment.
Better temper: I don’t get quite as upset quite as often – my kid can attest to this.
Focus: I tend to stay on task until it’s done, rather than getting distracted halfway through.
Memory: I misplace fewer things and find myself remembering what I said I would do more often.

This year, Archer and Northcott are spreading the magic and taking their MM course online! This decision was made because they learned from last year’s live workshop that it’s extremely challenging to coordinate multiple schedules for a live workshop. A digital course accompanied by a live community group is a solution that fits most schedules, whilst promising support when needed. This MM digital course will be available on Teachable from Jan 19 for a special introductory price of RMB 599.

As a jingkids exclusive, the dynamic duo is giving one reader free access to their digital course! To win this life-changing course, all you have to do is tell us “Why you need Magical Morning in your life” in the comments section below. Northcott and Archer will pick and announce the winner on Sunday, Jan 23 during their free introductory webinar.

So go on then, tell us why you need Magical Morning in your life for a chance to win your own Magical Mornings!

KEEP READING: Celebrate CNY With a Sustainable and Meaningful Touch

Images: Dave’s Studio, Pexels, Vivienne Tseng-Rush, Well Women

Say what you will about New Year’s resolutions, but there’s a lot of power in fresh starts. New Year resolutions get a bad rep mostly because people put too much pressure on themselves to succeed at too many things at a time, and once the New Year’s hype has come and gone, the resolutions are left in the dust, along with the hopes and dreams we had of achieving them.

I fall prey to this a lot. I would have my brand new planner for the new year; a blank slate to start anew and become the person I envisioned in my daydreams. Wake early, meditate, work out, eat five servings of vegetables, drink three liters of water, read, floss, and sleep by 10pm being a few of the many habits I saw myself fulfilling from the moment the calendar page read Jan 1. However, the instant I failed at one of them, I despaired and thought myself a failure, then gave up the entire pursuit altogether. Sound familiar?

It took me many years and many books before I began to learn how to make habits stick, and which ones to work on first, so that others fall in place more easily. Charles Duhigg – author of the pivotal The Power Of Habit – calls it the keystone habit. For example, when you start exercising, better meal choices come much more naturally since you’ve kickstarted a healthy journey.

Another key realisation is that there is no perfect time to start a habit or make a change, so don’t wait for the stars to be in cosmic alignment or for next Monday to start working on yourself. Every new day is a fresh chance to start a new habit that helps you grow in the direction you want.

And forget about streaks! You meditated for 59 days straight then slipped up on the 60th, and now you’re back to zero. So what? Celebrate the fact that you successfully did it for a period of time, forgive yourself for falling off the wagon, then get back on and try again! Life happens. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.” Truly, the only constant is that nothing is.

With that in mind, here are three habits you could consider starting some time this year:

1. Morning Routine: You don’t have to be part of the 5am club but waking up to a clear and quiet morning can truly be life-changing. I’ll save you reading the (rather indulgent and unnecessarily lengthy book) but essentially you should start with physical activity – preferably enough to get your heart rate over 120 so you actually sweat – then do some journaling followed by reading or some form of learning. It echoes the same basics that I acquired from the Well Women Magical Morning workshop conducted by beloved Beijing expats Rebecca Archer and Hannah Northcott, though theirs is catchier and way more fun to learn about and practice. Whatever it is you choose to do in your pre-morning madness time, savour that serenity.

2. Nutrition Log: Almost everyone is dehydrated, from a sliding scale of mild to very. A simple water log app or even pen and paper will help you keep track of how much you drink. You’ll probably be surprised by how little that amount is, and in turn be encouraged to up that intake. It’s amazing how much better your body operates when well-hydrated, especially in Beijing’s dry winters. I might even suggest you go a step further and log your food intake with a simple photo app (maybe you’re already taking photos of your meals anyway!) like SHYE, aka See How You Eat. If you want to go even further, I recently had fun testing a free Water & Poop Tracker app by Zinitt , which allows me to track my bowel movements down to the minute, so you’ll never have to think twice about whether you already “went” today.

3. Photo/video diary: Let’s face it, the days go by in a blur when you’ve got kids, or a healthy social life. So it is really cool to have a straightforward visual diary of what you did last Tuesday, or where you went last summer. I’ve been on the free version of Day One for the longest time and when I’m dead tired, I just choose a photo of the day and save it with a short caption. One super handy feature is that I can tag each entry, so I can see how many times the kid fell sick in 2020 by calling up the “sick” tag. In 2022, I’m going to try the 1SE app which lets you save one second a day, and at the end of the year, you have a 6.5 minute long video of the entire year!

Do you have new habits that you’re starting this year? Share them with us in the comments below!

KEEP READING: 22 Things That Beijing Expats Are Wishing for in 2022

Images: App Store, Unsplash