How to Create a Morning Routine for All Day Success
Is a morning routine important?
Let’s take a moment to discuss routines in general and how they affect our lives.
When I was in my late twenties, I got my first dog. I read as much as I could about dogs so that I could be the best doggie mom possible. One of the biggest takeaways I learned was how important routines are to a dog’s daily life.
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Since pets are reliant on us for all necessities: when to eat, sleep, walk, play, and relieve themselves, a consistent routine really helps them remain calm.
They are less likely to feel stressed when they know what to expect throughout the day.
Guess what? Humans aren’t any different!
When my daughter was born, I also read how important routines are for babies.
So, I made a point of creating a consistent routine to provide a relaxed and happy home where she could thrive and know that things would happen as expected.
Should I have a morning routine?
You may be wondering if a morning routine is something you really need or not.
Well, as a kid it was your parents’ job to tell you what to do, when to get up, etc. They told you went to brush your teeth, do your homework, make your bed, clean your room, eat breakfast…now it’s up to you.
Some of those things aren’t fun but they are important to live a successful life.
By creating a routine, it allows you to complete tasks without having to think about whether you want to do them or not - they are just tasks you get done to live the life you want and help you achieve your goals.
In fact, US Navy Admiral William McRaven sums it up perfectly in this speech below. It’s called, If You Want to Change the World, Start by Making Your Bed.
Let’s talk about your current routine:
Do you have routines in your life?
How are your routines working for you?
Do you feel like you run the day or the day runs you?
Do you start each day with a schedule?
Are your plans and to do lists aligned with your goals?
Do you give yourself time for self care and reflection every day?
Whether you are a student, a stay-at-home mom, working gal, or retired - you need a routine.
How do I start a healthy morning routine?
Make a list of all of the tasks you do every morning (shower, dress, brush teeth, etc.)
Then add in things you’d like to include to become healthier (eat breakfast, exercise, meditate, journal, etc)
Now scroll down the page to How to Create a Successful Morning routine and we’ll go through the process together.
How long should your morning routine be?
A typical morning routine is between 30 minutes and 2 hours. How much time can you allot in your morning to achieve your goals?
You DON’T need to wake up a 4:30 am to have a successful morning routine but you might need to wake up a half hour or hour earlier every morning.
When you think about it, many of the tasks you do take less than 5 minutes each. I’m sure there are also tasks that take less than one minute to complete. You’ll be able to pack more into your morning routine than you realize.
How to Create a Successful Morning Routine
Materials
Pen
Paper, Notebook, Journal, or Planner
Colored Pencils, Markers, or Highlighters (optional)
Make a List
Start by making a list of everything you need or want to accomplish in your morning routine. Here are some tasks you may want to include on your list.
Get up on time
Make bed
Brush teeth
Shower or bathe
Get dressed
Apply makeup
Dry and style hair
Feed pets
Check calendar for today’s plans/appointments
Exercise
Read
Go for a walk
Journal or bullet journal
Write in a gratitude journal
Meditate
Schedule your day
Also include time to achieve goals such as running to train for a marathon, working on a side hustle, or learning how to play an instrument.
Just think, if you spent 15-30 minutes on that goal every day how quickly you would achieve that goal.
Now write out how you would like your morning routine to go in order. Assign amount of time necessary for each task.
Test Out Your Morning Routine
Give your routine a test run.
You may have over or under allotted time needed for each task. That’s ok.
Don’t think of your routine as permanent yet. It’s something you’ll want to tweak as you go until you figure out what works and doesn’t for you.
If you feel like you are spending too much time on certain things, see if there are tasks you can adjust.
For example, maybe you don’t need to spend 20 minutes on makeup every day. Perhaps on days where you aren’t working in an office or have meetings, you can go with minimal makeup or no makeup.
Or perhaps you spend way too much time trying to figure out what to wear every morning. Check the weather the night before and plan out your outfit the night before so it’s ready to go when you wake up. Perhaps you need to organize or clean out your closet to make choosing clothes easier.
Tips for a Successful Morning Routine
Set a wakeup time that works best for you. Use an alarm clock and not your phone. That way you won’t be tempted to check email or social media.
Rise and sleep at the same time every day even on the weekends.
When the alarm goes off, get up! Don’t hit the snooze button.
Track your habits so you can adjust amount of time for each task if needed.
Recharge and prepare for the day - Avoid the TV, computer, and phone.
Check your goals for the week/month. Align your plans and tasks for the day to work towards those goals.
Create a schedule for the day and use time blocking.
Eat the frog - Conquer the most important task first
When all other tasks are completed, check email and schedule time to respond.
Morning Routine Examples
Taking a glimpse into how others plan their morning routine might be helpful when coming up with your own.
I’ve rounded up some excellent ideas - I hope they will inspire you to start your own morning routine.
This student created a morning routine to include time to workout and have breakfast before heading off to university for the day.
The.Petite.Planner used adorable doodles alongside each task. She noted what time each task should start and end, too.
She has coffee, sets plans for the day, fills in daily trackers, exercises, records gratitude and intent for the day, and gets dressed - all before waking up her kids!
WhenIshouldbestudying created a morning routine filled with personal hygiene and also time for prayer and Bible reading before heading off to school. What’s important to you? Schedule it in your morning to make it a priority for your day.
Moon.journalhoney created bullet journal page for a morning routine. It looks like wake up and leave for bus times are still to be scheduled but it’s packed with tasks to have a prepare for the day ahead.
Loveyourbullet made a simple morning routine with a focus on exercise before school. I also love that she has a page full of daily quotes and confirmations to reflect on while accomplishing those tasks.
Skydragon also created a simple bullet journal morning routine page.
TheBujoPhase created an ideal morning routine complete with timeline! It includes time to shower, dress, eat breakfast, read, catch up on the news, and review goals before starting the day.
Here’s a minimalist bullet journal page focused on a morning routine. It just shows your morning routine does not need to be complex to be effective.
I’m a visual person, so timelines work well for me. I like this one from zigzagsandzebras. Not only is it easy to look at and get a quick overview of the tasks ahead, she also schedules an hour of free time. What would you do with an hour of free time? Start a business? Read? Learn something new?
Winniethe_pincollector made a straight and to the point 4 part routine. 1 Stretch. 2 Wash face. 3 Drink water. 4 Play with baby.
I love how focused she is on her top priorities. What are your priorities and how will you make them part of your morning routine?
