Morning Routine - How To Start Your Day Feeling Productive

For a long time during my entrepreneurial journey, I completely rebelled against the concept of a morning routine. 

I viewed the structure as stifling, an enemy of the freedom I thought I needed to thrive creatively and professionally.

I mean, what’s the point of having my own business if I can’t work in my robe the whole day?

It took nearly a decade of this mindset before I realized that this was actually hurting my productivity. My days lacked a foundational start, and not doing what I meant to do left me with a sour feeling in the evenings….

The Power of Morning Routines

Morning routine, I've learned, is not your enemy.

On the contrary… Creating a morning routine can actually improve your days.

It doesn’t matter what the day brings, you’ll feel productive because you’ve accomplished so much already in the morning.

And it’s a cascading effect. The good feeling you get by getting something done before you start your work day will fuel up your energy to get more stuff done afterward.

Physical Benefits

Regular morning routines also promote physical health. 

Mornings are a great time for self-care, whatever that means for you.

Whether it's ensuring you hydrate first thing, engage in morning exercise, or have a nutritious breakfast, these habits contribute to sustained energy levels and a healthier lifestyle over time.

More Productivity

A structured start can significantly impact one's productivity throughout the day. 

By accomplishing key tasks early, there's a sense of achievement that propels you forward, reducing procrastination and increasing efficiency in tackling the day's demands.

Atomic Habits

My morning routine was inspired by James Clear's Atomic Habits book.

And it was a turning point for me. 

If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it - there are so many golden nuggets… Every time I read it I have a new realization.

But the part I want to focus on here is when he talks about the compound effects of small habits over time, and how integrating these habits into our lives can contribute to bigger changes.

The Science of Habit Formation

The book dives into the psychology behind habit formation, illustrating how habits, once established, become automatic responses that require minimal effort to maintain.

Once a habit is formed, you’ll feel an improvement in your daily routines and overall life.

Habit Stacking

A concept from the book that particularly resonated with me was "Habit Stacking."

That’s exactly what I’m doing and it’s been working super well. 

Habit stacking basically means adding new habits onto existing ones. Getting started is SO much easier and a great way to ensure those habits stick. 

To implement this, I followed these simple steps.

Step 1 - What habits do you want to add to your routine?

First, I identified things I wasn’t doing regularly that I wished I was doing.

In my case, there were two things:

1. Work out
2. Empty the dishwasher (I’d procrastinate the whole day on this one,,and it’d drive me crazy in the evenings)

Step 2 - What are your current habits?

Then it was time to look at all the habits I was already doing and figure out where I could ‘stack’ these new habits.

In my case, I identified things I already did every morning:

1. Make my bed
2. Take my mushrooms and drink my potion (the legal kinds lol)
3. Walk my dog Blue

Step 3 - Time to stack them!

Now to the good part - here’s how I stacked my habits to create a morning routine that works for me:

1. [NEW] Start with the gym clothes (does anyone else struggle with just putting the gym clothes on vs doing the actual workout? I know I do! So that’s why the first thing I do every morning now is put on my gym clothes.)
2. [OLD] Make the bed
3. [OLD] Take my mushrooms and drink my potion
4. [NEW] Empty the Dishwasher
5. [OLD] Eat Breakfast
6. [OLD] Walk Blue
7. [NEW] Exercise

Then I’m ready to work!

This routine may be lengthy, and it does take me between 1h30/ 2h.

But it includes everything I wish to accomplish in the morning, making me feel much better during the day and freeing up some relaxing time in the evenings.

How to Start a Morning Routine

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re also interested in developing your morning routine…So my advice to you is to start small. 

And make it easy.

The key is consistency, not complexity.

After all, if you start with massive changes chances are you’ll end up frustrated, and therefore those changes won’t stick.

Choose one or two habits you wish to incorporate and build from there.

The goal is to tailor your morning to fit your life and what YOU want to accomplish. I gave an example of what works for me, but this might look completely different for you.

It's okay to experiment and adjust as needed. 

What works for one person may not work for another, and that's perfectly fine.

Are you going to try it?

If you're on the fence about establishing a morning routine, I hope my experience was helpful. 

Remember: small, consistent changes can lead to significant transformations in your life.

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