How to Create a Morning Routine (that will help you change your life)
A morning routine will give you up to two or even three hours a day – to focus completely on yourself and what you need to do to change your life to the way you really want it.
Imagine that – two whole hours of uninterrupted time to yourself, every day, to catch up on things you really want to be doing, to think, and to get ahead on your dreams, plans and goals.
When you start your day with a morning routine, you are investing in yourself first. This investment will pay off throughout the day – and throughout the rest of your life.
Not yet convinced? Here are some of the benefits:
- It gives immediate momentum and motivation to conquer the rest of the day
- You think about and focus on your goals and the kind of life you want on a daily basis
- You are giving yourself small victories that compound later in the day
- It literally makes you more productive – you will have achieved before most people have even woken up
- You consciously and subconsciously start taking daily actions towards the life you really want
- You are no longer rushed for the rest of the day – you are acting instead of reacting – you are proactive instead of reactive
And if you want more evidence that it works, It is well known that some of the most successful, the wealthiest, most wise people in the world all do this on a consistent basis, and attribute a lot of their success and focus to their morning routine….
- Barack Obama works out at 6.45 am, reads the papers and has breakfast with his family – all before 9 am
- Steve Jobs, late Apple CEO spent his early mornings examining his work and desire goals on a daily basis
- Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief, Vogue gets up everyday pre-dawn, plays tennis at 5.45 am, gets her hair blow-dried – all before being in the office for 9 am
- Michelle Gass, President of Starbucks, has for 15 years woken up daily at 4.30 am to go running and says her morning routine is the key to her happiness and business success
All very well for them, but I don’t have staff or childcare – how on earth can I do this as well as everything else?
I have been doing my own morning routine for exactly a year now after someone recommended reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. I have an 11-year-old daughter who I take to school at 8 am, I certainly don’t have any staff, or a live-in partner to help me out. This is how I do it…
| 5.30 am | Alarm. Glass of water, open curtains and window |
| Brush teeth, splash face with cold water | |
| 5.35 am | Make a pot of coffee |
| 5.40 am | Meditate |
| 6 am | Journal – gratitudes, acknowledgements, three things I want to achieve/experience that day |
| 6.30 am | Read – self-help book/specialist subject book |
| 7 am | Wake up daughter |
| Go running/do a HIIT session | |
| 7.45 am | Checks / gather up everything for leaving the house |
| 8 am | Leave house |
And a year on, I absolutely attribute what I’m doing now, to those extra hours each morning.
Since starting my morning routine, I have read a stack of books I never would have gotten through – books that support my learning and growth as a coach and as a businesswoman. I have actually been able to launch this blog and YouTube channel because of the extra time, focus and motivation it has given me.
I have also conquered my stop-start habit of exercising, and generally just feel better, both physically and emotionally, because I am focusing on me and my life on a daily basis. So what does a successful morning routine generally consist of – what are the basics? The whole function of a morning routine is to set your own focus for the day – rather than allowing that focus to be set for you by all of those outside pressure. The whole point is to create a handful of habits that will literally transform your life on a daily basis.
Habit 1 – get up!
The first actual habit is that you actually do get up when your alarm goes, and this was the hardest one for me. What really helps here is a big glass of water (for dehydration which makes you feel sleepy), and opening the curtains. So that is the first step, get up.
Habit 2 – Meditation
I use a 10-minute meditation app called Calm, another great one to get started with is Headspace (a lot of my clients also like this one). Meditation really gives you clarity, focus, and a way to control all of that mind chatter, and it’s really helped me with stress and anxiety.
Habit 3 – Journalling
Very good for reflecting, thinking about what is important to you on a daily basis, and also helps you keep a track of what you’re doing. The way I journal is I do three gratitudes, three self-acknowledgements, and three things that I want for the day.
Habit 4 – Reading
Over the past year, this has been the real life-changer because I have gotten through a whole stack of books that I never would have read. If you read for 30 minutes every day – think about how quickly that adds up.
Habit 5 – Exercise
This was the tough one for me – getting out there even in the cold. But again this is a great one for making you feel more focused, motivated, and is great for stress and anxiety. Best to start small – 5/10 minutes, and gradually build up to a regular 30 minutes a day. I currently alternate running with HIIT sessions by The Body Coach Jo Wicks (all free, on YouTube).
Habit 6 – Visualisation
The other great step that will help you stay on track, stay on goal, in terms of changing your life, is visualizing.
So set a timer on your phone, 10 minutes is ideal, 5 minutes is enough to start with, and just sit there with your eyes closed and imagine the goal and the kind of life you want to be creating.
There they are.
They’re the habits that can really help you if you want to start taking active steps towards changing your life on a daily basis. If it seems daunting to overhaul your morning routine all at once, try one new habit, just for 5 minutes, for a week, and see if you a notice a difference to how you feel. If you want to find out more about each of these habits, please sign up below and I will send them through to you.
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