Best Morning Routine Ideas for Success (& How to Implement Them Now!)

I’ve always loved morning routine ideas, but like many of us – I struggle to stick with it! I’ve finally found my best morning routine for success, and I’m excited to share what I do daily, as well as, the benefits of a routine and how to start your own!

Successful people utilize the morning because they know it’s a time they’re less likely to be interrupted – whether it be by kids, email, or the office. Creating a morning routine can help you be more productive and less stressed. So let’s dig into what should be a part of your routine!

We also did a podcast about our Morning Routine Checklist that you might like!

What should be your morning routine?

Your morning routine should consist of the things that are most important to you. Even if you typically put your kids’, spouse’s, or boss’s agendas before your own, this routine is all about what you want and need.

Some ideas to include in your morning routine are:

• Bible Study or Prayer
• Exercising
• Meditation or Visualization
• Journaling (get a free template to future self journaling)
• Reading Personal Development
• Breakfast
• Tackling the Most Important Thing on Your To Do List

Now you may be thinking to yourself – this is all great, but I can barely get done what’s on my to-do list now, and you want me to add in visualization?

I learned in my early 20s that the things that make us successful are usually easy to do. The flip side to that is that they are also easy not to do.

It’s easy to journal for 5 minutes or take a walk around the block, but it’s also easy not to do those things, too.

So creating a morning routine around the things that you value help you create time for them.

(This epiphany and many others came from Darren Hardy’s Compound Effect).

Get Our Morning Routine System to Maximize Your Time (Without Stressing!)

Why is a morning routine important?

Not only does your morning routine allow you to make time for the things that are most important to you, it is also the time of day when your willpower is the highest.

Typically people don’t mindlessly eat a whole bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos at 7AM, but give them a rough day, and they’ll find themselves in front of the TV with that same bag of Doritos and an orange-covered hands from devouring the whole bag.

This is because our willpower declines with every decision and action we take.

So it’s best to start our day with things that uplift us and make the biggest difference in our day.

When we do this, it also helps us feel accomplished early in the day and boosts our dopamine! Dopamine is connected to our ability to focus, motivation, and satisfaction; all of these things help us feel our best and boosts our productivity.

My Morning Routine

I learned my morning routine from Darren Hardy. He spent 25+ years interviewing successful people, and he found the secrets to creating better results with less stress through their expertise. You can grab the same free morning routine training I used from him as well!

While he’ll share his routine in the training, I had to customize it for my own needs, and I think you’ll want to do the same.

• 7:30 Wake up, listen to a quick 5 minute personal development training while brushing my teeth and hair.
• 7:45 Look over my goals and affirmations and take a few minutes of gratitude.
• 8:00 Sit down with my Bible study and pray.
• 8:30 Start either a workout or most important thing on my to-do list.
• 10:00 I eat breakfast.

I chose to have my breakfast a few hours after waking because I’ve been following intermittent fasting.

Depending on my day, I either workout or hit the most important thing on my to-do list. If I know I’ll be out most of the day, I workout. If it’s a full-day at home, I’ll tackle the most important thing on my to-do list.

Have kids?

I realize trying to get the kids out of the door can be one of the most hectic parts of the day. So I encourage you to wake up 1 hour before the kids to do what is most important to you.

I also love these printable morning routine charts and tips to getting out the door for school. Both of these resources can help build personal responsibility in kids which can make mornings run smoother.

How do I start an early morning routine?

I realize my schedule is a little cushy now because I set my own hours and don’t have kids. With that said, you can still create a plan for yourself. I set aside 2.5 hours for my morning routine.

In order to start an early morning routine, figure out what you’d like to do daily and how much time it will take. Then, this will help you decide what time to get up!

How long should a morning routine be?

I’ve seen morning routines range from 30 minutes to 3 hours! It depends on your schedule and what’s most important to you.

How do I stick to a morning routine?

It’s pretty easy to write down what you’d like to be your best morning routine for success. Sticking to that routine is the hard part.

So here are a few tips to sticking to your morning routine:

Prepare the week and night before.

You’ll want to decide what time you’ll wake up and what you’ll do first thing in the morning. I know what my most important task for the day is, as well as, my specific workout. I plan out my week using a Sunday Planner and then look over it each night.

Make it easy to start and hard to stop.

If you find yourself hitting the snooze button, put your alarm somewhere you have to get up to turn it off. Want to drink more water? Remove soda from your house and set a glass of water on the nightstand to wake up and drink first thing. Starting a new workout routine? Consider an at-home workout so you don’t have traffic and crowds to deal with!

Figure out ways to make your new habits easier and your old bad habits harder to do.

Don’t allow for interruptions.

Part of the magic of a morning routine is that it’s quiet. Make sure you honor this quiet time of your day by putting your phone away or on Do Not Disturb during your morning routine. Don’t check emails or social media yet. Let this time be all yours.

Focus on what’s important.

Steve Jobs asked himself daily, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

And maybe you’re like “Heck no, I wouldn’t drive an hour to go to this miserable job for another 8 hours!” I think we’ve all been there.

But, think about why you do what you do (to provide for your family, make a difference in the company, etc) or how you do it (you are the freaking best at graphics or pitches!). If you’re not passionate about why or how you do something, figure out something you can do in your morning routine that brings you joy.

How to Create a Morning Routine

Now you’ve seen my best morning routine for success and know why the morning is the best time to start. It’s now time for you to figure out how you’ll start your day!

Here is Our 6 Step System to Creating a Morning Routine

Step 1: List anything you’d like to do on a daily basis

Step 2: Prioritize the list based on importance

Step 3: Decide the 3-5 things that are most valuable and forget the rest.

Step 4: Figure out how long each task takes.

Step 5: Put the tasks on your calendar and set your alarm for tomorrow

Step 6: Track your habits and how you feel on the routine

It can be tempting to be rigid with yourself once you have your morning routine outlined, but it’s important to notice how you feel after a week on the plan.

If you feel great, productive, and have more energy – you’re in a sweet spot! On the other hand, if your routine is bringing on more stress or you’re not getting 8+ hours of sleep, consider tweaking your routine until you do feel productive, energetic and happy with it!

Get Our Morning Routine System to Maximize Your Time (Without Stressing!)

Other Resources to Help You:

• Darren Hardy’s Morning Routine Training
• Using the Miracle Morning Routine
• Developing a Gratitude Practice
• Daily Affirmations to Inspire You
• Time Blocking Your Day to Get More Done