7 Ways to Have a Successful Morning Routine

Mornings can be tough. On some days, dragging yourself out of bed can be a struggle. But what if I told you that you could wake up every day feeling pumped and ready to take on the world? Here’s the secret: create a winning morning routine.

In "The Miracle Morning," Hal Elrod explains, “How you wake up each day and your morning routine (or lack thereof) dramatically affects your levels of success in every single area of your life.” Sounds too dramatic? I don’t think so. In fact, studies show a sustainable daily routine helps manage stress and anxiety and ultimately improves overall health.

While developing a morning routine may sound like you need to accomplish a million things before breakfast, it's actually about starting your day with confidence. The best part? You can definitely do it, even if you’re not a morning person! 

Here are some ways to have a successful morning routine:

1. Drink a Glass of Water

Your body naturally gets dehydrated while you sleep, so chugging some water first thing is a great way to replenish the fluids you lost overnight. Drinking a glass of water in the morning can also boost your mental performance, brighten up your mood, and hydrate your skin. To make this habit stick, keep a glass of water ready on your bedside table.

2. Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time

Everyone has an internal body clock that influences productivity. For instance, some of us are early birds who prefer to get creative as soon as we roll out of bed, while others are night owls who do their best work after the sun sets.

By figuring out which tasks you find easiest to tackle at different times of the day, you can allow your body’s natural rhythms to work for you. You'll be amazed at how much more efficient and creative you can be when you manage your energy (and not just your time)!

3. Journal

Our brains work in a stream-of-consciousness way. They’re constantly filled with all sorts of thoughts and feelings, which can sometimes make them feel like a jumbled mess. The trick to sorting through all that chaos is to write things down.

This is why I journal for 10 minutes every morning when I wake up. I love how it helps me stay focused on the present and gives me some alone time with my thoughts. Plus, it makes me practice mindfulness, which is a huge part of my life.
That said, why not add journaling to your routine? Your journal entries don’t even have to be perfect or coherent—just let your thoughts flow! And if you're not sure where to start, we've got you covered. Our Morning Practice Planner is designed for busy entrepreneurs like you to help you stay organized and keep track of your goals.

4. Do Your ‘Repeatable Morning Actions’

Successful entrepreneurs have one thing in common—they have tasks that set them up for a successful day. They don’t even have to force themselves to do these; these tasks are already ingrained into their morning routine.

So if you feel like your mornings are all over the place, you can make the most of the beginning of your days by having “Repeatable Morning Actions.” These are a set of repeated tasks that you must complete every single morning before doing anything else. It could be writing in your gratitude journal and checking your bank account.

To make these Repeatable Morning Actions a regular part of your mornings, take note of Leo Babauta’s advice and “Make it so easy you can’t say no.” In other words, keep things simple. This will make your habits a natural part of your day, and you’ll also likely stay consistent.

My current repeatable morning actions are:

1. Drink a glass of water

2. 30-second full body stretch

3. Write in my Morning Practice Planner

4. Check bank account

5. Write for 30-minutes

5. Avoid Emails and Messages First Thing

When you start your day by checking your inbox, you're putting yourself in a reactive mindset. As in, you make yourself at the mercy of other people’s to do this. This can make you easily distracted by external factors, so you’re more likely to get stuck reacting to everyone else's opinions and requests instead of starting your day proactively focusing on yourself.

The golden rule of thumb is to avoid jumping online within an hour of waking up. This way, you can fully enjoy your morning and live in the present.

A former client of mine used to not start ‘work’ until 11am. His work day was 11 am - 5pm. Far cry from what the typically startup world looks like. And guess what? He is successful because he set boundaries around his time, and spent the mornings with his family. He prioritized time with his partner and son over jumping into the busy-ness of business which made the entire day more rewarding. When he was at work, he was hyper-focused and never pitter-pattered around. He avoided the company ping pong table at all costs.

6. Sweat It Out

It’s a no-brainer that getting your heart rate up with a workout is a fantastic way to start your day with a bang. But sometimes, snoozing that alarm or being glued to your phone can be too tempting.

While making exercise part of your morning routine can be challenging, there are ways to make it easier. Try putting on your workout clothes the night before or place your running shoes right next to your bed. These extra steps may not seem much, but they can take you one step closer to getting your blood pumping every morning, whether you’re down for a run, some yoga, or CrossFit workouts.

Janet Omstead, Canada’s play expert, explains that you don’t need to invest an hour in your morning workouts. Even just 10 minutes of walking or doing something that raises your heart rate has a huge impact and can help set the mood for a productive day.

7. Prepare the Night Before

A productive morning routine is best done by planning the night before. You can start by whipping up some proper breakfast, packing your lunch ahead of time, or laying out your outfit for the next day.

Imagine how taking care of these things in advance can make your mornings so much easier. It can save you so much time and avoid that stressful morning rush, so you can savor a hearty breakfast or maybe even get extra minutes of sleep.

On Sunday mornings, I take 30-minutes to review my week, making sure that there aren't any conflicts or something’s taking too much of my time. How I do this:

1. 30k view of the week. Where do I need to be physically, and digitally?

2. Daily view. Do I have breaks between calls and tasks?

3. Reschedule/Cancel. Are there meetings or events that need to be rescheduled or canceled?

By doing this on Sunday, it helps to reduce the ‘Sunday Scaries’ and gives you a sense of ease going into the week.

A successful morning routine lets you start your day on the right foot. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and makes you more productive, focused, and energized. 

Sticking to a morning routine may seem tricky at first, but consistency is the key. Once you give it a shot and get the hang of it, you’ll set yourself up for success and be ready to wake up excited to start the new day!