Build-your-own morning routine

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What if you could manufacture a perfect day? One of those ah-so-amazing days when you have the “productive touch” (similar to the midas touch but instead of turning things into gold, you open a can of todo-list destroying whoop-ass).

I’m having one of those days today. And what I’ve learned is— it’s no secret to make it happen. I can have one everyday.

What’s the big secret to an incredible day?

Well, I’ve written about it before and I’ll write about it again. It’s the morning routine. If you haven’t read my posts on my daily morning rituals, start there—

• Morning Rituals- 1/10/1000 (Part 1)
• Morning Rituals- Mind Games (Part 2)
• Morning Rituals- The 3 Ts of Success (Part 3)

Crafting a morning routine is a personal thing. First of all, you can’t do everything. Morning routine implies morning— what I mean is, it shouldn’t consume your entire day. One hour is perfect, two is the maximum.

My (current) morning routine in a nutshell—

• Wake up between 5-6AM
• Drink a glass of water, first thing
• Write 1 Journal Entry, 10 Ideas, and 250-1000 Words
• Blue Light Therapy
• Say my Daily Affirmations
• Visualize my day
• Run one mile
• Take a cold shower
• Plan my day ahead

Your morning routine should evolve and change. If something isn’t working, change it. Don’t latch on just because someone else is doing it.

The psychology of a morning routine

The morning routine sets the tone of your day. No matter how shitty yesterday was or how much you have to do today, the morning routine is your daily constant— your totally 100% selfish ritual. It’s the time that you allocate towards yourself, everyday, no matter what. It keeps you sane.

If you study successful people, one thing that you’ll notice really quickly is that they share a bunch of similar habits— and the daily ritual is one of them. This is why. And being busy isn’t an excuse. In fact, the busier that you get, the MORE you need it.

Build your own morning ritual

So, here’s how you get started— pick 4 habits and start them tomorrow. Yes, just 4. You can add more in later, but it’s best to start small. Pick the ones that resonate with you the most. Do them every morning immediately after you wake up for the next 30 days.

Pick 4 Morning Habits from the List

• Wake up at 5AM
• Drink a tall glass of water as soon as you get out of bed
• Make your bed immediately
• Do 20 pushups as soon as you get out of bed
• Eat a protein and fat rich breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up
• Run a mile every single morning
• Take your multivitamins everyday
• Floss after breakfast
• Do Blue Light Therapy to wake yourself up
• Take a bath in the morning
• Take a cold shower in the morning (it sucks but you feel AWESOME after)
• Write a blog post every single morning
• Write down 10 ideas
• Write a journal entry
• Write 250-1000 words on any topic
• Keep a daily gratitude journal
• Plan your entire day in 15-60 minute increments
• Lay out your clothes for the day
• Dress your absolute best for the day (EVEN if you work from home)

Now, do them for the next 30 days

Every morning, when you wake up, your morning ritual should be the first thing you do. I used to have a big piece of paper taped to the wall that was the first thing I saw every morning. It said “Do your fucking ritual”. Let me know if you do this too because I think it’s awesome.

What if I forget to do it?

As soon as you remember, drop what you’re doing and start your ritual. You probably need something to remind you. Setting a second “morning ritual” alarm clock can help. If you remember when it’s too late (i.e, you’re in the car), do them when you get home.

What if I skip a day?

Add an extra day to the 30. For example, if you skip day 4, you have to keep up your ritual for 31 days instead of 30.

What if I want to do more than 4?

I recommend starting small for a couple of reasons— it’s easier to stick with AND you don’t want your time commitment to get huge. Remember, 1 to 2 hours MAX per day. This is especially important if you’re not used to waking up early.