Starting your day off on the right note is extremely important if you want to have a productive and positive day. And one way to set yourself up for success is to develop and implement a morning routine. By following a simple routine every single day, you create a habit that will program your mind to get ready to tackle the day with focus and intensity.
Why a Morning Routine?
Have you ever found yourself halfway through the day thinking you are being productive but really just spinning your wheels? Maybe it’s because you didn’t start your day off right and get your mind focused on success. 
Whenever you wake up, use that time to stop and focus on your goals in general and your goals for that day. Give yourself a head start by narrowing down your tasks list into those things that will bring you success and not just be busy work.
If you have a clear goal in mind when you start your day off, you will most likely find yourself working towards that goal and often accomplishing it. If on the other hand, you just go about things willy-nilly, you might discover that you’ve wasted time doing things that aren’t necessarily getting you closer to your goal.
Let’s say you want to be a successful blogger. Starting your morning off focusing on those things that will be productive puts you in the right mindset to achieve success.
Write down those tasks that you want to accomplish and then get to work doing them.
- Research 5 keywords for upcoming blog posts
- Structure 5 blog posts for the week
- Write 1 blog post (at least 1000 words)
- Respond to 3 highly important emails
You will find that if you decide what your day will look like before you even start, you will actually get these things done.
Try to also create a routine around motivation and inspiration. This may mean incorporating meditation or praying or reading. I spend about 10 minutes every morning reading books by highly successful entrepreneurs to get my mindset ready for the day. You would be amazed how much it sets a fire under you.
Creating a Habit
A habit takes time to develop and being consistent is key to any habitual behavior. Therefore, sticking to a morning routine for more than just a week is really the only way to create a habit that you can rely on for the long term.
Personally, I like 30 day challenges because they force you to do something (whether it’s a diet or an exercise program or a daily routine) for a full month. If you stick with it for the full 30 days, chances are you have a new habit that is easy to continue.
Yes, it will be a struggle in the beginning and fighting to stay consistent for the first 7 days will be difficult. But the longer you stick with it, the easier it will become.
What I love about a morning routine, is that there is always a “morning” to your day. No it might not be at 5 am, but there is always a start to your day and creating a habit/routine right at the beginning of your day will set you up for success.
Setting Goals and Task Lists
No matter what your morning routine looks like, you should always set goals for yourself to accomplish that day. It is just a wise thing to do and something that successful people do everyday.
Creating a task list lets you prioritize what needs to be done and gets you motivated to accomplish those tasks. Without a list, you might as well just throw all your tasks up in the air and see what lands in your lap. The problem with that, is then the most important tasks seldom get done. This is often referred to as procrastinating.
There is a best-selling book that addresses strategies to stop procrastinating called “Eat That Frog” by Brian Tracy. The title refers to a Mark Twain quote and basically means that you should get your hardest task of the day done first thing. So in other words, go ahead and eat the frog, because everything else after that will be easy.
I’ve implemented this strategy recently and it’s been a life-changer. I used to procrastinate the big projects and think I was getting stuff done by doing a whole bunch of tiny tasks, but the reality was that the big project was still there waiting to be tackled.
It wasn’t going away by itself. So I started determining which task was going to be the hardest each day, and then I would put it at the top of my list. I tackle that task first and then the rest of my day is relatively easy.
End Your Day Preparing for Tomorrow
Not only should you develop a morning routine, but you should also set aside time each night to reflect on your day and prepare for the next day. This ensures that when you wake up the next morning, you already know what tasks need to be handled first and what goals you have for the day.
This eliminates wasted time in the morning and also allows you to figure out what will be the most important tasks for the following day.
I like to do this before even getting ready for bed. I have a couch in my bedroom and I will sit there reflecting on the accomplishments of the day as well as what I could have done better. I like to make a list and then check off those tasks that were completed and create a new list for the next day.
Doing this the night before also lets me sleep better because I’ve already thought about it and I have a plan of action for the next day. Before I used to do this, I would find myself having a hard time falling asleep because I was constantly thinking about what I needed to do the next day.
Once you sit down and create a plan, you can shut your brain down for the night, realizing that you are prepared for the next day and this allows you to fall asleep much faster.
Try It for 30 Days
Success comes from action and what better way to implement action than with a morning routine. Take a moment to focus on your goals for the day, meditate or read, take a walk around the block, and then tackle the day with clarity and a drive to succeed.
I’m challenging myself to 30 days of success driven morning routines and I invite you to join me. Whatever you are trying to accomplish, whether it be a successful online business or a summer physique, you can definitely benefit from starting your day off right and keeping your eye on the prize.
Give yourself 30 days to develop a morning habit and I promise you that you will see the benefits.
