
Here’s how to get started in establishing your morning routine:
1. Have a think about what your “ideal” working day would be like. How would you start the day? List any activities/rituals/habits that you would ideally like to start your day with. Eg. this might include exercise, yoga/meditation, listening to music, eating certain foods, getting up at a certain time, writing in a journal, preparing your work in a certain way etc.
2. Now look at your list and choose your absolute top 3 ideas- the ones that you’d totally love to do to start your day.
3. Make a plan to incorporate the 3 morning rituals into your morning. Starting with just a few days a week, complete the 3 morning rituals.
4. Review the outcomes: At the end of each day for just 1 week, take 5 minutes to reflect on how your day went. Consider your level of productivity and how you felt on the days when you did the morning routine compared to those when you did not. Was the routine easy to incorporate or do you need to simplify it? Ultimately the question is: Did the morning routine improve your focus, energy and productivity?
5. Refine and repeat. Make small changes to improve the effectiveness of your morning routine. Don’t be afraid to change it completely to see what might work better for you. Once you are seeing and feeling the results, keep it going. The key to repeating it is to track it. So draw up a checklist and each day you complete your morning routine, check it off.
A good morning routine can really change your life and work productivity. You’re essentially tailoring an approach that optimizes your enjoyment and productivity of your work. You’ll no doubt find, like I did, that a morning routine, however small or simple, will also truly enrich your whole day. Before you know it, you’ll be convincing everyone to create one!