How to Create a Morning Routine

Begin your morning routine with coffee — Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

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Did you know that our willpower is highest in the morning? Starting your morning in a meaningful way can have such a big impact on your day. It’s more than a few hours of the day, it’s a mindset. If you’re like me, you’re not really a morning person, but sleeping into the afternoon isn’t really an option either. Setting a morning routine will help your whole day.

I can sit here and preach about how your morning will affect the rest of your day, but here’s a real-life example straight from my life. One day, I decided to set my alarm a little bit earlier than usual because I had a laundry list of chores I wanted to get done. The alarm went off and I turned it off. Two hours later, I woke up. I was angry and frustrated with myself for having slept away a perfectly good Saturday. Plus, I ran out of time and didn’t get everything accomplished.

How Your Morning Routine Affects You

Take a moment to consider your own experiences with hitting the snooze button or going back to sleep. How did your day go when you hit the snooze instead of doing what you planned? Did you feel different? Did you accomplish less on those mornings? Compare that to the mornings when you got up when the alarm first rang. How did they differ and how was your productivity?

You set the tone for how the whole day first thing in the morning. That’s why “getting up on the wrong side” has such an effect on your day. I’d like to help you get up on the right side and start your day off in a positive and productive way.

Now that you know how important your morning routine is to your whole day, let’s talk about how you can create an energizing and effective routine to keep you going all day and help you accomplish more.

Since a morning routine is quite clearly important, you may be wondering how to create an effective one. First, start with what you’d like to accomplish. Consider what gets you going and motivates you. Don’t just think about your to-do list. Include self-care and health routines into what would make a good start to the morning.

Decide on an Objective

We all want to be productive during the day, but what is that one goal you want to achieve? Do you want to get more done or promote a positive mental attitude? Do you want to get fit or take better care of yourself? Maybe you just want to get up on time and stop rushing around to get to work on time. Use what you’d like to accomplish as your guide to developing a morning routine.

Make a Plan

You know what you want to accomplish but without a plan, you won’t get very far. Plan out what you will do and how you will do it. Decide on the time you’ll get up and how long your routine will take. Consider writing your plan down to cement it. Putting it in writing will help you stick to your plan and hold yourself accountable.

inspirational quotes on a planner — Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

Create a Ritual for Your Morning Routine

Humans are creatures of habit. If you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, a ritual could make it easier to get going. It will also start you on the journey towards your objective. Some helpful rituals include yoga, meditation, and enjoying a hot beverage. Don’t let the word ritual fool you, it’s just a (hopefully positive) routine. Your ritual should further your goal in some way.

Put It Into Action

A plan isn’t much of a plan if you never implement it. Once you have a plan, go for it. The faster you start, the quicker you achieve more. You’ll become more productive and you’ll feel better about yourself. Even if you’re not a morning person, you’ll find yourself looking forward to that routine. You’ll feel more effective and productive in your daily life and experience less frustration.