No, you don’t have to wake up at 5:00 AM, drink kale juice, and go on a 7-mile run to be successful. Success can only come from a morning routine that you find sustainable.
The morning routines of successful people work because they’re the perfect balance between productive and joyful. You can only sustain a routine that’s simple and proves to be effective.
Your morning habits shape your mood and energy for the rest of your day, so it’s best to have a routine that works for you. Each successful morning leads to a successful day and ultimately adds up to a successful year.
Are you looking to get the ball rolling and try something new? We’ve stolen some morning routine ideas from other people’s success stories.
Morning Routine Ideas
#1 Stop Hitting Snooze
Snooze button who? Sure, the snooze button was a handy-dandy invention, but it’s also a direct trigger for putting things off.
It’s perfectly reasonable to feel that you’re not ready to hop out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off, but that doesn’t mean you should hit snooze. If you need a minute to lie down and take a few deep breaths, certainly do that, but don’t go back to sleep.
Even though you’re not jumping out of bed and starting with productivity, you’re still actively setting yourself up for a productive morning by taking time for yourself.
#2 Avoid Your Phone
Your phone is typically the first and last thing you look at each day, but this isn’t the best habit to keep in your life. We know, we know, your phone is an important part of your life; it’s how you stay connected with work and family, and it’s your alarm, but try giving it less importance.
A phone is frequently left out of highly successful people’s morning routines, and for a good reason. Phones and social media are designed to be distracting and addictive. Without even noticing, you may be experiencing some seriously negative side effects.
The start to a healthy morning routine should be peaceful and refreshing, not a frantic scramble for your phone. Although practical, phones bring anxiety and stress to your day. Set your alarm on a traditional alarm clock and save the e-mailing for when your workday has officially started.
Many successful people sleep with their phones in a separate room — out of sight, out of mind. Give it a try.
#3 Do Your Must-Haves
One of the easiest ways to get yourself out of bed, especially if you’re not a morning person, is by creating a morning routine that makes you feel good.
If you know that getting out of bed means you get to enjoy a mocha macchiato, cinnamon oatmeal, and one chapter of your new murder mystery, then you’re much more likely to enjoy the morning. The things that make you excited to get out of bed are your morning “must-haves.”
Note that a cup of coffee and a chapter of your book have an end; scrolling through Instagram does not. Make sure that your must-haves are still adding to your productive morning routine, not just a loophole for getting out of it.
A happy morning routine is easy to keep up with and is the best way to kick off a productive day.
#4 Be Fluid
If you stick to the same precise routine every single day, you’re going to get bored and ultimately lose your drive. Be okay with fluidity and change. If you wake up one morning and find your focus is elsewhere, go to the gym and accomplish that task before you start working.
Falling off schedule once or twice doesn’t mean you can’t still have a productive day or successful life. Priorities change, and sometimes you have to adjust your schedule to keep you getting done what you have to and want to.
#5 Set Your Body Up For Success
Your evening sets you up for your morning, and your morning influences the rest of your day. When you have a good night’s sleep, you can wake up feeling refreshed, clear-minded, and ready to go. Just like you need rest, you need food to fuel you.
Eating breakfast can make or break your day. If you’re not getting in all of your macro and micronutrients, you can start to feel sluggish or overwhelmed midway through your day. Some of us turn to caffeine for a boost of energy, and some of us prefer the way Vitamin C feels from a gorgeous glass of orange juice. One thing we know for sure about the morning routine of all successful people is that efficiency is key.
If you’re struggling to fuel your body with all the good protein, nutrients, and energy-boosting ingredients your body needs, turn to concise and efficient meals like Soylent. Soylent is a ready-to-drink meal that’s designed to meet your body’s needs.
In one 14oz bottle of Soylent, you’ll find 20g of plant-based protein, 28 vitamins and minerals. Spending less time planning for, preparing, and cooking supportive meals can help you get more out of your day. Don’t fret; there are also options for you coffee drinkers. Soylent Cafe Mocha contains caffeine and L-theanine to help you jump-start your day without jitters.
#6 Create A Checklist
We don’t know about you, but we love a good checklist. Not only does a checklist help keep you on track, but it’s also a great way to free up some thinking space, keep you motivated, and add some extra dopamine to your day.
Every night or every morning, create a checklist of everything you have to get done. We prefer checklists to schedules because they allow for more fluidity.
By laying everything out ahead of time, you don’t have to keep recalling all that you have to do. When you write it down once, you can avoid exerting your brainpower again and keep some stress away.
Also, what’s more satisfying than ticking off another checkbox? Every time you complete a task, you’ll feel better, and crossing it off your list can free you from thinking about it any longer.
Checklists are also so visually comprehensive that they’re great assets when designing morning routines for kids. Stick a list on the fridge, and let your child handle what they have to before heading off to school.
Getting It All Done
Crafting the perfect morning routine is a process that requires some patience. You’ll experience some trial and error, but don’t give up. Continue to swap out things that aren’t working and add items that might.
Remember that everything builds off of a strong foundation. You need to keep your mind and body well-rested and fueled with proper sleep, movement, and a balanced diet so that you can keep going. If you’re constantly feeling drained, you’ll never be able to sustain a routine, no matter how joyful it is.
Keep listening to other people and learning from those that inspire you. Ultimately, you’ll find the morning routine that works just right for you.
