How many people wake up and the first thing they do is reach for their phone?
Before we have even properly started the day, we are already looking at messages, emails, news and everything happening around us.
Then the rush begins.
Getting ready, getting children to school, travelling to work, thinking about everything that needs to be done — and sometimes we start the day feeling stressed before we have even stepped outside.
Martin, My Daily Factory Reset
Before I begin, I would like to mention someone whose philosophy has always resonated with me: Sir Dave Brailsford, the former Performance Director of British Cycling. He became well known for his concept of “marginal gains”—the belief that making many small improvements, even by as little as 1%, can add up over time to produce remarkable results.
For me the post is absolutely spot on, and I quite subscribe to the view penned by Dave Brailsford about ‘marginal gains’!
It goes something along these lines! If you have an objective, let’s say in this example you want to be more balanced and ‘feel’ more gratitude for everything you either have, see or experience, then it commences with breaking down your personal goal into small component parts!
Brailsford’s view is that by improving each component part by as little as 1%, it can lead to massive exponential success through the cumulative effect of these marginal improvements!
So as a morning person, when I rise at 5:15am, I experience the gratitude of Max as he knows we are about to spend the first hour of our day walking the golf course.
If you don’t have a dog, it may be hard to recognise the unconditional love, gratitude and fun they give you just because you are their ‘human’!
We walk for approximately 5km, which is interspersed with my 7 minutes of ‘walking tai chi’, breath work (box breathing 4 x 4), sun gazing to absorb the rays and vitamin D, enjoying the green and blue space and remembering to express the gratitude for the experience of a brand new day!
Every morning I choose to do this as my personal ‘factory reset’. No doubt you all do something similar when your IT system malfunctions, so why not start your day with the most important aspect—that is your investment in you!
Hopefully that’s not too much of a ramble through my daily start-up, but always here are some morning glory photos to complement the words!
Enjoy
Martin
Chris´s start of the day
I believe a good start to the day begins with simple things.
For me, after sleeping for several hours, one of the first things I do is drink water. During the night your body has gone many hours without taking in fluids, and I like to start the morning by giving my body something it needs before the day begins.
It is a small habit, but sometimes small habits make a difference.
Taking a moment for yourself before rushing into everything else can help create a better mindset.
A positive thought, some movement, a shower, breakfast and, if possible, a walk or some exercise can help you feel ready for the day ahead.
It does not have to be complicated.
Maybe it is walking the dog in the morning, taking a quiet walk before work, or simply stepping outside for some fresh air and noticing what is around you.
Nature has a way of slowing us down.
It gives us a moment to breathe, clear our thoughts and start the day with a calmer mind.
During the day, try to focus on what is important. Give yourself a goal or task to complete and approach people with respect and kindness, even when they are having a difficult day.
We cannot control everything around us, but we can control how we respond.
When work finishes, it is also important to create a moment where work stays behind.
The mind needs time to switch off.
Put the phone away sometimes. Take a break from constant notifications, news and endless scrolling. Even television, while enjoyable, can sometimes keep our minds busy when we actually need time to relax.
Instead, try something different.
Listen to music.
Read a book.
Go for an evening walk.
Ride your bike.
Work in the garden.
Sit outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Spend time talking with your partner, children, family or friends.
Real connection is something we should never forget.
A good day is not about being perfect. It is about finding small moments that bring balance, happiness and peace.
Walking has always been one of those moments for me.
Chris
We also support the mental health charity Mind and trail conservation project Fix the Fells.
July Post 2026