Morning Routine Ideas

"Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." - Gautama Buddha

Morning routine refers to what we do the first or two hours after waking up. Morning means these are the first things we do in the morning. Routine means we take these actions every day so that they can have an impact on our life. A routinized morning is more productive when we are more focused. 

Many people have advised this topic, from Benjamin Franklin's famous morning routine to the 20/20/20 formula introduced in the 5 AM Club. I like to share my understanding of the morning routine and how I apply the principles to create my own.​

How to Setup an Effective Morning Routine 
Overall, an effective morning routine has to take care of health, get ready for the day, and involve something important to our life.

• ​Taking care of our health requires us to bring positive energy. That can be a sweating exercise for fitness, a healthy drink to stay hydrated, or a savory breakfast that satisfies our indulgence in taste. 
• Getting ready for the day means mentally clearing our minds knowing what's important, what to do, why we do them, and how to stay focused to achieve our goals in the coming day. 
• Working on something that matters to us suggests we use the morning time on something important. It requires an extended commitment to getting it done, such as creating a new blog, writing a book, or developing a skill requiring years of perseverance. Because we have the most control and minimum disruptions in the morning, we are more likely to get these things done when they are part of our morning routine.  

We need to start the work night before. Going to bed early so that we get up early. Waking up barely to make it to the office won't have time to do anything. We would also write down a list of to-dos before going to bed. This is because decision-making is energy-draining; we have to save energy to take action in the morning. 

My Morning Routine 
The Morning Routine that Works for me tkes quite some time to establish. The following is what I do right now. 

• Before going to sleep around 11:00 PM, I will populate the to-do list with everything I need to do the next day, highlighting what I plan to do in the morning. 
• Wake up at the most comfortable time when we can have almost 2 hours of free time. Me, I start at 5:50 AM. 
• Spend 20min on health. I go through the hygiene routine and perform exercises, such as walking, running, or jumping rope, that can make me sweat. 
• Take 20min for self-reflection when enjoying a cup of tea. 
• From 6:30 AM -8:00 AM, I will spend 1.5 hours on the morning task. Right now, I'd like to learn something new and share it within my blog. 
• From 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM, I will connect with the family at the breakfast table.

What do you like to do in the morning? We can do anything we want. It's our freedom to choose. We can start with something simple. Remember, "Perfectionism is a disease." We have 30K mornings to spend in our life. No matter how many have left, I hope you will enjoy all of them, starting with the next one after you read this blog. 

Reference 

1. Britt Joiner, The 5 best morning routine ideas of highly-productive people, May 26, 2022
2. The Simplicity of Benjamin Franklin's Daily ScheduleBenjamin asks, "What shall I  do this day?" every morning. The question helps me decide the most important things to pick and the time to spend on them in the morning or stay focused during the day. 
3. Sukee Parker, The 5 AM Club 2-minute summary, 2022
4. Sukee Parker,  Each the Frog, 2-min summary, 2022
5. Mike Vardy, Productivityist.com
6. Erik Fisher, Beyond the to-Do List 
7. Kevin Kruse, kevinkruse.com
   Talking about the 5 minutes mental recitation of personal mission statement, practicing gratitude with three things to feel grateful for, and reminding our goals of health, wealth, and love.