How to Start a Morning Routine You Can be Proud of

Tell me if this sounds familiar: every day you end up rushing out the door for work at a different time and you have no idea why you’re running late.

sunrise

A morning routine sounds more like a wishlist than a reality. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a morning routine you were proud of?

The good news is, you can. And you can start it tomorrow.

How to become a morning person

There was one thing I was certain I would never be—a morning person. I naturally like to stay up later and sleep later. If you ask me, the world shouldn’t get cranked up until 10am. But of course, no one asked me and the world does start before 10am.

Michael Hyatt put together a great list of 9 things you can do to become a morning person here. I would read his post in its entirety along with this one. But I want to highlight his compelling reasons for becoming a morning person:

“Morning people” tend to:

I would add that morning people tend to be more spiritually sound and feel less stressed. Also, having children is a very compelling reason to start a morning routine, since the morning may be the only quiet time you can find.

But just because you’re a morning person doesn’t mean you have a routine you’re proud of.

How to start a morning routine

I started building my current routine of waking up at 5:00am Monday—Friday almost a year ago now. It comes much more easily than I ever thought. And believe me, I went into it kicking and screaming.

Here’s how I did it:

  • I decided what was important to me: For me, this list included a devotional and prayer time, time to read, time to write, exercise and time to make breakfast for my family.
  • I prioritized around those things: I took a realistic look at my morning, starting with what time I left for work and then worked backwards to set time frames for each priority.
  • I set my alarm: Once I had a realistic schedule for my morning, I knew I had to wake up earlier than I was. I decided if I woke up at 5:00am I could accomplish everything on my list without rushing (which is important to me). I set my alarm on my phone accordingly.
  • I started doing it: The most important part of starting your new routine is just that—starting it. Once you decide on a routine, start doing it. Tomorrow. It’s the only way to start building a better morning.

You don’t have to wish you had a morning routine. You can start one you’re proud of tomorrow. Take time to plan it out and just start doing it. You can always tweak it as you go.

What other suggestions do you have for starting a morning routine? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Photo courtesy: MarilynJane (Creative Commons)

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  • http://www.lifeofasteward.com Loren Pinilis

    I’ve found making the most of my mornings (say that ten times fast) has been so helpful and important in my life. For me, the struggle is getting up. I think that’s where most people battle.
    If you don’t mind the self-promotion, I wrote a guest post about this on Jeff Goins’s blog. Check it out: http://goinswriter.com/wake-up-early/

    • http://aparchedsoul.com/ Grayson Pope (A Parched Soul)

      Not at all, I’ll go check it out. I think that’s how I found you originally. But yes, getting up is the hardest for me too.

  • http://danblackonleadership.com/ Dan Black

    I have a morning routine however I’m not a morning person. I have more productivity during the night time and not the morning. However, no matter what time I get up or how busy I make it a point to connect with God first.

    Do you know where Michael Hyatt got the statements below “Morning people tend to”?

  • http://elephanza.blogspot.co.nz/ Duncan Brown

    I’ve been a night-owl all my life, and have really struggled with the instruction that I SHOULD get up early and spend time with God. More recently it’s less of a struggle since I experienced Him for myself. No amount of religious persuasion can compete with the personal revelation that God likes spending time with me and wants to show me his Kingdom. Absolutely nothing to do with self-improvement, though if that works for you, go for it. So, I’m still a night-owl, AND I love getting up in the mornings. Best of both worlds :-) Practically, I find mornings are best cos the house is quiet and I’m not still carrying the burdens of the day. My prayer is that your readers might also know Him.