The Key to Creating a Successful Morning Routine 

Do you have a successful morning routine that allows your days to run smoothly? Do you find that if you miss a day of your routine, you quickly feel out of sorts in other areas of your life? How do you adjust in these moments? I believe that one way we can use our morning routine is to focus on developing the skills we need to pursue our calling.

The Lazy Genius recently shared that her goal for her morning routine is to have a slow start to the day. And I’ve written over at The Glorious Table about how important it is to me that I help my kids have a positive morning routine at home before heading to school because I know when they do, it sets them up for a better day engaging with friends and teachers.

When you’re preparing to transition the kids back to the structure of the school schedule, it’s time to take a second look at your morning routine. When you’re facing a new season at work, on the athletic field, or in life, it’s a great opportunity to take an honest look at your daily routine and consider how you can set yourself and those in your household up for a great day. Whether you’re a morning person or you just need a few extra minutes of calm before you start your work day, creating a successful morning routine will help you meet your goals when you consider the following tips.

The Importance of Morning Routines for Success

First, let’s commit to the need for a daily morning routine. When we accept we need something, we’re more likely to put effort into its success. 

A morning routine is proven to improve mood, increase productivity, reduce anxiety levels and help you focus throughout the day. It helps you feel like yourself again, and it gives you a sense of calmness. Depending on the routine you establish, you’ll find science-backed studies to help you maximize your decisions.

Habits vs. Routines

One note about morning habits vs. morning routines. These are not the same things. Morning habits include brushing your teeth and taking necessary medication, whereas routines will look more like your daily rituals. 

The Key to Creating a Successful Morning Routine: Consider YOUR Goals

Here’s the thing. There are a hundred posts about how to create a positive morning routine or establish powerful morning habits, but if the list of actions doesn’t fit your personality or purposes, then the tips aren’t actually helpful. 

Rather than taking a preset list to-do list or incorporating a list of actions that other successful people do each morning as part of their routines, take time to decide what your goals are and work backward.

Start with the End in Mind

Find Your “Why”

The reason you wake up early in the morning is usually important. Whether you choose your wake-up time based on when your kids wake up or when your work day starts, your choice says the goals you are incorporating into your routine are important.

• Why are you waking up early?
• What makes you happy?
• Are you trying to lose weight?
• Is there anything else you want to achieve?
• Are you hoping to learn a new skill?
• Do you have a side hustle you’re focusing on?
• Do you use the time for morning pages writing?

When you know where you want to go, you’re able to focus on achieving your goals. And when you have a goal in mind, it becomes easier to get motivated and excited about your day. Even if you aren’t naturally a morning person!

Start Small

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, wrote, “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”

When developing new habits, it’s always best to take small, consistent steps over time. Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into extraordinary results if you’re willing to stick with them over time.

When you start small, you’re able to adjust more easily, which allows you to be intentional about slowly establishing healthy habits and routines.

You may consider using a routine to identify and change bad habits you want to get rid of, such as watching TV rather than exercising first thing in the morning.

Plan Ahead

Reading this post may make you think about starting a productive morning routine, and that might even motivate you to get out of bed. But will you still be motivated at 6 am tomorrow? 

We know that motivation ebbs and flows throughout our day. We don’t always wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world, and sometimes we just aren’t in the best mood for working out. This doesn’t mean that you should never set goals or try to improve yourself. But there are ways to make sure that you remain committed to your goals over longer periods of time. Here are some tips for planning ahead:

1.Set Up Cue Triggers

Cue triggers are small reminders that let us know when it’s time to work out. They could include anything from turning off the lights to waking up earlier. When you set up cue triggers, you’ll be less likely to skip workouts because you didn’t remember to turn off the lights.

2. Don’t Be Afraid To Say “No.”

If you want to avoid skipping workouts, one of the easiest strategies to implement is to say no to activities that won’t contribute to achieving your fitness goals. For example, if you usually go running on weekends, you could choose to spend your Saturday watching movies rather than hitting the pavement. Or maybe you’d prefer to kickboxing class instead of spinning class on Sunday mornings. Whatever works for you is what matters. Just make sure that you’re saying yes to the right things.

3. Keep Your Goals Small.

As already addressed above, start small. You don’t need to change everything at once. For example, if your overall goal is to walk for an hour a day and you haven’t exercised at all, start with a 10-20 minute walk each day. It’s better to walk for a few minutes every day than one hour once a week when establishing a strong morning routine that includes exercise.

Create Balance

The idea behind creating a daily routine is simple—to make sure we are doing something every single day. But what does balance look like for each of us? For some people, balance might mean spending quality time with friends, while others might feel better about themselves if they devote their time to exercise.

There are many different ways to achieve balance, including making sure that our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual selves are being taken care of. We all want to improve ourselves in certain aspects of our lives, but it’s important to remember that there are times when focusing solely on one area of improvement can lead to burnout.

Are You Seeking to Thrive in Your Purpose?