The 10-Minute Rule That Will Change Your Morning Routine
Small Steps To Build Momentum and Accomplish More By 8am
Mornings set the tone for our whole day. When we start off feeling rushed, overwhelmed, and disorganized, there’s a cascading effect on everything from motivation and focus to interactions and mood.
I know I do my best work when I ease into the day slowly and intentionally vs. jolting awake to an alarm and scrambling till I’m out the door.
However, taking things slow in the morning can feel next to impossible when you’re trying to get yourself ready along with kids, make breakfast and lunches, get work started, and somehow fit in any personal habits like meditation or exercise.
The solution I’ve found to build more ease, productivity and satisfaction into my mornings is what I call the “10-Minute Rule” — dedicating just 10 minutes at a time to each task on my morning routine checklist. Here’s how it works:
Identify Your Top Morning Priorities
Make a list of your typical morning to-dos like getting dressed, eating breakfast, checking email, etc. Then highlight the 3–5 that feel most important to you. These form the foundation of your routine.
Allocate 10 Minutes Per Task
Review your priority tasks and mentally assign about 10 minutes for each earlier in your morning. So for example:
- Get ready (10 minutes)
- Breakfast (10 minutes)
- Meditate (10 minutes)
- Scan news/email (10 minutes)
- Exercise (10 minutes)
Use a Timer
I cannot stress enough the power of actually using a timer here! Setting it for 10 minutes forces you to direct complete focus vs. putzing aimlessly. You’d be amazed how even just 10 minutes of intentional effort yields solid progress.
When the timer goes off, quickly assess if you need/want another 10 minute block on that task or if you feel ready to move onto the next routine item.
Adjust and Improve As Needed
Pay attention to how the 10 minute intervals feel — too rushed or too long? Did you accomplish what you hoped to in that timeframe? Make tweaks accordingly.
Also monitor when morning morale or energy starts fading as a signal you may be better served wrapping up your routine vs. powering through more tasks just because you blocked time.
The Takeaway
While it may sound rigid at first, the 10-Minute Rule has transformed my mornings. Not only do I accomplish more in less overall time, but I also feel more grounded, motivated and peaceful heading into my workday.
Give it a try for yourself! Let the simplicity of dividing your morning to-dos into 10-minute blocks boost your productivity and satisfaction through mornings where you not only get more done but start things off on the right foot too.
