How to Create A Morning Routine

How to Create A Morning Routine

Are you a morning person?

Well, I’ve got good news for you, even if you aren’t.

A morning routine, when done right, can change you into a morning person and make you feel excited to wake up every morning.

You change the course of your day by taking control of it instead of the day taking control of you.

Instead of waking up feeling like it’s just another day of work and adulting, you actually get excited for the day ahead and more is accomplished because you tap into your purpose in a way you hadn’t before.

And that’s the key to living a fulfilling, purposeful, joyful life.

Let’s talk why a morning routine matters, and how to create one.

Why A Morning Routine?

First things first.

You may be asking, “Why a morning routine?”

There are many benefits of having a set morning routine, including:

Mentally preparing yourself for the coming day.
Increasing your productivity for the day ahead.
Lowering your stress levels.
Allowing yourself to get excited for a new day and fully taking advantage of the day ahead.
Feeling in control of the day ahead, instead of the day taking control of you.
Boosting your energy levels.
Combating forgetfulness.
Improving your relationships.
It provides clarity in identifying your key priorities for the day.
Preventing yourself from feeling rushed as you head into the work day.
And more!

A morning routine is an intentional process meant to set you up for success for the coming day. Having a little dose of quiet time every morning to engage in your morning routine is so pivotal to experiencing peace throughout the day, no matter what circumstances arise.

Building a morning routine into your daily schedule is a great tool to use if you want more out of life. It is a common habit many successful people engage in that is pivotal to their success, and can be to yours, too.

Resources:

How to Create A Morning Routine

Below, I have provided some activities you can incorporate into your morning routine.

You don’t have to incorporate all of them if you don’t want to-this is meant to give you some ideas of popular activities successful people do in their morning routine.

Schedule A Wakeup Time

The first step is to schedule a wakeup time that you’re going to stick to. Even waking up 30 minutes earlier is beneficial.

A morning routine doesn’t have to be a specific length of time, but at least 20-30 minutes is good.

Depending on how you feel about getting up early, this may be a hurdle for you to overcome at first. But if you create a morning routine that really suits you, I promise it will get easier and you will end up actually wanting to get out of bed early!

I used to struggle to get up for work and hated getting up early-even if I went to bed early. Now, my body clock wakes me up before my alarm even does. Even on weekends.

So, it is possible to love waking up early, even if you aren’t a morning person.

Resources:

How to Wake Up Early

Goal-Setting & Review

If you haven’t set goals before, I have some resources below that can help you get started.

One practice you can implement into your morning routine is to review your goals and track your progress.

Many people like the idea of setting goals, but they don’t really follow through on them. The goals they set are either too vague or not written down, or they are written down, but then lost and forgotten in a drawer somewhere.

Reviewing your goals every morning keeps your goals fresh in your mind and reminds you of what you’re working toward.

If you’re serious about goal achievement, you should be working toward your goals in some way every single day. Reviewing your goals in the morning is a great way to ensure you follow through.

Resources:

Gratitude Journaling

Journaling your gratitude will improve your mood instantly and help you realize there are little wins in every day.

I recommend journaling five specific things you’re grateful for that happened within the last 24 hours.

Avoid making general statements such as being grateful for your job, house, or family. NOT that they aren’t super important, but the purpose of this activity is to find the good in every day, because it helps you realize that every day is special and not “just another day.”

I talk about this practice a lot, and it’s because I swear by it. It has really helped me out in some rough times, and it will help you experience purpose, fulfillment, and joy in your life, despite circumstances you don’t have control over.

Resources:

3 Ways to Practice Gratitude and Feel Better Today

Read

Depending on how much time you carve out for your morning routine, you may have time to read.

By read though, I don’t mean read a magazine or the news.

Reading a chapter out of a personal development book or other book that encourages personal growth or is motivating to you is what we are after here.

I personally read from a devotional every morning, and as I write this article, I’m currently reading this one by Joyce Meyer. It has made a tremendous impact on my morning routine and my attitude going into the day ahead!

If you are looking for some good book recommendations, I have some resources below to help you.

Resources:

The Best Personal Development Books for 2021

Review Your Schedule

If you don’t already have a planner or use Google calendar, I highly, highly recommend it. I’ve included some resources below to help you get started.

Scheduling out your life helps you stay in control of it.

If you find yourself wondering where the time goes or why you don’t have time for the things that matter, look no further than your schedule. It can help you rule out activities that don’t serve your purpose or your agenda.

Your schedule should be full of purposeful, meaningful tasks and activities, and not make you feel like you are just going through the motions of life.

Once you start scheduling out your days, take the time every morning to review the day’s schedule. It will help prepare you for the day and improve your time management and productivity.

Resources:

Exercise

Your willpower is at its highest in the morning, so if you can work out now, do it.

It’s much easier to get your workout in first thing versus at 6pm after you’re off work.

Even if all you have is just 20 minutes to take a walk-do it.

Exercise of any sort is like a bonus cup of coffee. The release of endorphins improves your mood instantly, and sharpens your thinking for the day ahead.

Resources:

How to Make Exercise A Habit in 6 Steps

Podcasts

Another activity you can implement into your morning routine is to listen to motivating podcasts. This is great when coupled up with exercise!

Podcasts in the personal development niche not only motivate you, but introduce new tools and practices you can implement into your day that will improve your life.

You can find the link to some of my favorites in the resources section below.

Resources:

The Best Personal Development Podcasts

Meditate/Pray

I know my readers all come from varying spiritual beliefs and backgrounds, so this activity may or may not be beneficial to you, or may look different versus what it looks like for me.

For me personally, I often write out prayers in my journal. You may consider meditation or your own prayer practice, depending on your beliefs, but this practice will bring you so much peace and clarity!

Even just 5 minutes dedicated to prayer or meditation is beneficial.

**What You Should Not Do**

Now that we’ve covered the good stuff, let’s cover what you should not do as part of your morning routine. These activities do not contribute toward positioning you for a fulfilling, purposeful, or joyful day and should be avoided when possible.

Resources:

3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing

Waking Up Late

Nothing will get your day off to a bad start like waking up early and having to rush around. You’ll go into the work day flustered, frustrated, and with no sense of intention or purpose for your day.

Scrolling Through Social Media

Wasting time scrolling through social media first thing in the morning is not useful.

It is a reactive action, versus a proactive action, like the healthy activities listed above, and you are essentially reading about other people’s lives instead of focusing on living your own.

Not to mention, social media often creates a negative experience for us-we see the bad news, the negative comments, etc. It is just not the best way to start your day.

Schedule a block of time where you will check your social media. Maybe for you that will be in the morning, but just ensure to stick to that block of time and keep it separate from your morning routine.

Checking Email

I know it can be tempting to check your email and respond back, but this is basically putting other people’s agendas before your own. Hold off on checking your email until you’ve made it through the morning.

Caving to the Office Donuts

While it’s probably not realistic to plan on having a home-cooked breakfast every morning, make sure you have a plan for a healthy breakfast of some sort. There are plenty of protein bars, oatmeal, and healthy breakfast burritos (among other options) that beat the office donuts any day of the week.

There’s nothing wrong with an unhealthy breakfast here and there, but your brain and body will thank you by fueling it with quality food for breakfast.

Before You Go

Your morning routine-whether intentionally created or not-is a pivotal part of your every day life.

When you take the time to engage intentionally in activities that set you up for success, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to wake up early and actually get excited for the day ahead.

It really is a game-changer, and a life-changer.

What is your morning routine comprised of?

I read and respond to every comment from my readers, so let me know in the comments below!

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Lisa

Hi! I'm Lisa. I help women live purposeful, fulfilling and joyful lives. I'm happily married and a fur mom to two boxers and two rabbits. I love Jesus, freelance writing, fitness, personal development, reading books, football, cross-stitching, and video games.