What’s your morning routine? Do you have one?
I recently made a huge move with my family from the island of Maui to the city of Las Vegas. In all of the upheaval, I lost track of my morning routine for several weeks. I started missing it when I realized how its absence affected my productivity.
My routine gives me the ability to complete more tasks and maintain a high level of productivity throughout the day. Without it, I felt out of sorts! As soon as I realized this, I jumped back into a routine that fit my current situation.
Today, I’m sharing my routine and giving you some tips you can apply to a routine of your own.
By the way, if you want to hear this in podcast form, simply follow this link.
Why Should You Have a Morning Routine?
The habits of a routine make it easier to accomplish important tasks without having to make the decision about what to do next. The elements of planning make it more likely that I won’t neglect crucial elements of my day. My morning routine contributes to my current and eventual success.
In previous jobs under corporate bosses, I lacked self-discipline. I couldn’t carry those tendencies into my efforts as an entrepreneur—I needed a more disciplined approach to find the success I wanted. At first, it felt hard because I thought I didn’t want to have discipline. I wanted what I thought was “freedom”—not worrying about schedules, productivity, and routines.
I soon learned that real freedom included taking steps toward personal growth. To achieve the level of living I wanted, I needed to be disciplined. I’ve learned that the more success someone has, the more discipline they have in their life.
If you want to know the secret to productivity, balancing your workload and family life, and finding success as an entrepreneur, listen in… It’s developing routines.
Do you want to know the strategies I used to grow my business? Make sure to download my FREE guide about how to take any idea or product and turn it into a huge cash cow.
4 Tips to Start Your Morning Out With the Best Chances of Success
These four steps include my own morning routine so you can get a look into how I set myself up for success:
- Start Your Morning Routine at Night
My morning routine starts extra early—the night before! When I know I have several items I want to accomplish the next day, I have to prepare ahead of time. I like to exercise, have time for personal development, and have breakfast, so I have to plan that out based on the rest of the day.
Between kids’ school drop-offs and activities, time with loved ones, work, and anything else I need to fit in, my days can get busy! I think about the schedule I need to work around. That way, I know how long I have for a given activity. I don’t wonder about what I need to do next.
You can plan the following day in a way that works best for your own mental processes. Use your phone to make a list or schedule your day in a planner. You can experiment with a few methods until you find something that works.
- Get Up—and DON’T Hit the Snooze Button
Ask yourself how much time you need to fit in the morning essentials. Then, bite the bullet and get up at the time you set.
Not everyone has to get up extra early in the morning to have a routine. Different wake-up times work for different people in the different seasons they’re in. I’ve had routines where I set my alarm as early as 5:00 AM or as late as 8:00 AM. It’s really a matter of having a routine in place and then doing it every day.
I’m not naturally a morning person. I don’t spring out of bed with a Zipadeedoodah song. To set routine up for success, I use a few strategies to help me get moving:
I make decisions the night before to make my morning as easy as possible. I prep breakfast items. I sleep in workout shorts so I’m already dressed to exercise. If you love coffee, set the timer on the coffee maker, and you can wake to the scent wafting through your home.
When the alarm goes off, don’t hit the snooze button! (I don’t always succeed at this, but I’m improving.) Then I go brush my teeth so the minty-freshness wakes me up. I drink a big glass of cool water, and I’m ready to move!
- Start With the Most Important Items
I exercise first thing in the morning. I know if I wait to exercise, I’ll get busy and I won’t get around to it. If I work out before I do anything else, it’s out of the way! I don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day.
I view my personal development time the same way. I want to make sure I get that in, so I put it at the very beginning of my day. I spend about an hour reading an inspirational book and thinking about the day ahead.
When I sit down to work, I do high-priority tasks first. That includes responding to important messages. You may have different priorities—do what works for you!
- Don’t Give Up
What do you do if you fall out of the habit of morning routines? People often feel guilty about habits they “should” start. Many feel defeated because they have a hard time making routines stick.
When I recently got out of my morning routine, I started it again. Maybe you had a morning routine you stepped away from. Life happens, you get distracted, and you sometimes fall away from consistency. It’s not a big deal to just start again.
Don’t worry about long-term habits or sticking to it forever. You can change your mind and change what works best for you. Just start today, and build one day at a time.
When people ask me for resources, I recommend The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs by Hal Elrod and Cameron Herold. I also recommend an app called Streaks. You enter and check off items you want to do every day, and over time, you build up “streaks.” The active to-do list works as a great motivator to help you keep up with daily habits and routines, and you can feel the accomplishment when you see your daily progress.
My morning routine has been a crucial part of my productivity and building a successful life. I hope these tips will help you make habits that contribute to your success on a daily basis.For more secrets the so-called “gurus” won’t tell you about making money online, check out my podcast.
