The Power of a Morning Routine

Over the past few months I’ve been working to build a solid morning routine in order to improve my productivity, health, and wellbeing.

Currently, my routine is as follows:

• 5:48am – Alarm, get out of bed, drink glass of water
• 5:50 to 6:00 – Eat breakfast, consisting of 30 grams of protein, which I have shopped and prepared for on Sunday
• 6:00 to 6:10 – Shower
• 6:10 to 6:15 – Dry off, shave if needed
• 6:15 to 6:20 – Get dressed
• 6:20 to 6:30 – Meditate and stretch
• 6:30 to 6:35 – Brush teeth
• 6:35 to 6:55 – Write down all the things I plan to do that day
• 6:55 to 7:00 – Pack bag, water plants, leave for the bus
• 7:00 to 7:30 – Bus/Walk to work while listening to an audiobook
• 7:30 Arrive at work
• 7:30 to 8:30 – Read
• 8:30 to 8:45 – Prioritize all daily tasks, estimate time required for each one, and write out daily to-do list
• 8:45 – Start working!

I’ve gone through a number of iterations in landing on this current routine, but doing so has allowed me to significantly improve the way I approach each day.

Our bodies operate on cycles, and by helping your body become accustomed to a specific rhythm, you’ll feel more energized both in the morning and throughout the day. Setting that morning routine also makes it a lot easier to get out of bed.

A mentor of mine taught me that you have to control your day – you can’t let your day control you. This starts from the minute you wake up, and by being intentional about how you spend you’re morning, you’re taking control of your own day, and ultimately your own life. Furthermore, in order to build better habits, incorporating these tasks into your morning routine can greatly increase the likelihood of success. I’m in the process of building a meditation habit, so I do that in the morning and haven’t missed a day since I started.

Make sure you take the time to write out, in detail, everything you want to accomplish in the morning. This will force you to estimate the time required to perform each task, as well as keep you focused on the things you have to do each morning. Doing so allows you to eliminate time wasting activities that aren’t serving you well.

Some people like to wake up early, others don’t. Regardless of what time your alarm goes off, setting a morning routine can help you control your day, be more productive, and live a healthier life.