How To Create A Morning Routine That Works For You
“Either you run the day or the day runs you” — Jim Rohn
What’s the one thing that all successful entrepreneurs and CEO’s alike all have in common? They have a morning routine (or a bedtime routine — but we’ve already discussed that).
Morning routines are essential for successful living, because, as Tim Ferriss would say, “master your morning to master your day.”
So how do you spend your mornings?
I could just throw a generic morning routine at you, but if I wanted to do that, I’d only refer you to my Ultimate Morning Routine — no — today, I want to help you define your morning routine.
Start With Waking Up Early
I know this is about creating your morning routine but — regardless — you have to start waking up early. I don’t care if that means setting back your alarm by an hour or if you go all in and wake up at 4:oo am every morning like I did. Waking up early gives you the chance to finish your priorities before your friends get out of bed.
Imagine having the whole day to do whatever you want because you finished all of your “to-do’s” before 8 am. Just think about the possibilities.
Get Grounded
It’s easy to get distracted right after waking up in the morning. Sometimes, the first thing I want to do is settle down and play some Skyrim or Fallout 4 (yes, when I’m not writing or reading, you’ll usually find me playing video games.) That’s why I’ve committed the first few moments every day to my morning routine.
The first step in any morning routine is to get grounded.
In the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, the first step to his morning routine (S.A.V.E.R.S) calls for Silence. He reasons that our minds are continually racing — even during sleep — so you should spend the first few moments every morning in silence.
“Take a deep breath. Get present in the moment and ask yourself what is important this very second” — Gregory McKeown
Meditation, journaling, deep breathing, and prayer are all good ways to give your brain some time to cool down.
Figure Out Something That Gives You Energy
How are you supposed to conquer the day feeling all sluggish? Get energized. Maybe my way won’t work for you — even I probably don’t need the three cups of coffee before 6 am — but you should find something to get you going.
Try exercising. I love to jog. Sometimes, if I need a boost, I’ll set aside my outfit the night before, wake up, get dressed, and head out the door before my brain has the option to say, “no, I should play some Skyrim and relax.”
Sometimes, I prefer to take a cold shower. What better to wake up than a douse in some cold water? As I said, this is about building your morning routine. Maybe a cold shower isn’t an option — that’s fine — but find something that perks you up, gives you energy, and gets you ready to get productive.
Get Productive
Do you have goals? I mean, you probably do if you’re reading this post. If not, morning routines give you a perfect chance to follow through on some long-awaited goals. Set some goals and use the remainder of your morning routine to follow through.
“Your morning routine generates a 10x return for good or for bad. Make it good” — Todd Stocker
Conclusion
The purpose of any morning routine should be to adapt powerful, life-changing habits.
If you brush your teeth enough — it becomes a habit.
If you get up at 4 am and write every morning – it eventually becomes a habit.
Set some habits by adding them to your morning routine, lock them down, and then put some new ones on the list. Your way doesn’t have to be monotonous. Use a morning routine to your advantage. If something doesn’t work, find something else that does.
”Your habits will determine your future” – Jack Canfield
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