Have you considered the importance of a good morning routine? It’s no coincidence that many of the most high-performance people on earth share a structured morning ritual of 30 to 90 minutes that gives them a head start to higher productivity. Think of people like Brendon Burchard, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos…. all of them have their own morning ritual which they contribute to their success.
If you haven’t built your own morning routine yet, you’re leaving a lot of potential in reserve. A morning routine adds many benefits to your day including taking control of your morning and bringing a clear structure to your life. You will find that you experience less stress as you start the day with more energy and a positive mindset. More structure + less stress = more productivity. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: “If you win the morning, you win the day”. Successful people talk about the importance of their morning routines because most people lack the willpower or discipline to carry out a daily morning routine, and those who do gain an advantage. This advantage compounds over time with your daily routine and assists you in reaching your goals faster through increased productivity. This all leads to a healthier, happier, more confident you.
So how do you start a morning routine? It depends on your objectives. What do you want to achieve? Keep your own goals in mind as you work to develop habits and routines that work for you. An extremely effective method to do this is the “Habit Loop”, described by Charles Duhigg in his book “The Power of Habit”. Habits are developed by combining a cue, a routine, and a reward. Part of the morning ritual for my husband and I is a 60-minute workout. Our cue is a pre-workout drink and putting on our exercise clothes which triggers our body to perform a routine. The endorphin rush we experience from the workout followed by a delicious protein shake is the reward. This becomes a healthy addiction which drives us to complete the “habit loop” each day.
In addition to our 60-minute workout, I've come up with my own morning routine that I’d like to share in the hopes it will provide ideas for you to implement. You will no doubt come up with your own routines which can be tweaked over time to help you enjoy greater success over your day.
My morning routine begins with a cup of coffee in my home office. I brew an organic, non-acidic coffee, bring it to my desk and have my prayer time, either journaling my thoughts or working in my daily devotional. I also have an online app I use called “the Bible App”. I’m involved in a weekly Bible study group and sometimes I may use this part of my morning to catch up on the weekly study. This work is my focus and first priority of the day to begin my day in the Word.
The second cue of the morning is my pre-workout drink with my husband as we prepare to exercise. And for me, it's a combination of Moringa with mixed fruits and greens, taken with my daily vitamins. As I consume the pre-workout drink, I begin responding to LinkedIn messages. I set up my post for the day and spend a few minutes on LinkedIn. I then log-on on to my CRM program called Penny which reminds me which customers, prospects, and clients are scheduled for follow-ups. I complete as much of this contact work as I can before I finish my pre-workout drink.
Next up is workout time and I spend at least an hour every day doing something to move my body whether it is running, walking, being outside in nature, a yoga class, or weight training with my husband. Whatever the exercise is that day, whether it be with girlfriends, my husband, or by myself, I devote an hour every morning to moving my body and getting my mind in the right place. Following my workout, I fuel my body with great nutrition: either a protein shake, or oatmeal with protein. Since I am a plant-based I make sure to supplement with plant-based protein and then I’m ready for the rest of my day.
It's the same thing every single day. The only thing that changes is the type of workout because the same workout every day can become monotonous and lead to plateaued results. So, while I alter my workouts, everything else remains the same. If you want success with your morning routine, you've got to find what works for you so start by listing out your priorities. My faith, my work, and my family are my priorities which drive my morning routine. Assess your priorities and the routine that will support them and work for you.
You also need to recognize that your morning routine will change as your life evolves. My morning routine is vastly different now than it was 12 years ago when I had four kids in the house, and my priority was to help get them out the door for school! Today I no longer have that responsibility. Whatever season of life you find yourself in, figure out a morning routine that works well for you. Because when you start your day off with a great healthy routine, you're going to have more success, more productivity, and you're going to feel better about yourself and the day. As you can see from my routine, this is nothing complex. Morning routines are simple, and you can start one right away! Come up with a morning routine for yourself and put it into action tomorrow.
