The Life-Changing Effects of a Killer Morning Routine
The Life-Changing Effects of a Killer Morning Routine
You already have a morning routine. The question to ask yourself is whether it is moving you closer to your goals and dreams or further away. The purpose of a morning routine that moves you closer to your goals and dreams is to allow you uninterrupted time to accomplish one to three personal development activities that will add value to your life. The time allotted and the types of activities are as wide-ranging as there are people. The magic is not in what you do; the magic in that you do it.
Having a morning routine is a life-changing investment in your future. With a morning routine, you will read more, write more, and be more. A few minutes a day reading on your area of expertise will place you in the top 1% of people in your field. It’s an investment that has an enormous return.
When?
The most valuable time is the time when you can be free of distraction and interruption. For many, this time is found in the hours before the people they live with or the people they work with begin their day. When I first started this important discipline I chose to get up 30 minutes before my household would start stirring to begin their day. If they started getting up to get ready for school at 6:30 am, I would get up at 6 am to have my morning routine.
How Long?
How long you spend in your morning routine really depends on what you are hoping to accomplish. If you are hoping for a quiet, focused beginning to your day, then maybe 30-45 minutes will be the place to start. If you hope to learn a new skill or produce some sort of output like that book you have been meaning to write, maybe 45-90 minutes would be more appropriate. The amount of time is not as important as the commitment to take the time to do it.
What?
Determining how to invest your precious minutes in a morning routine is completely dependent on the outcome you are looking to produce. If you want to increase your ability to lead, then maybe it’s reading or listening to a podcast that might be useful. If you want to write that book, then obviously writing and research would be a good use of time. Here are some of the things I have done over the years that have added a lot of value to my life:
- Reading (inspirational)
- Reading (educational)
- Writing (my blog, my book, etc.)
- Writing (my journal)
- Meditation
- Thinking
- Exercise
How Many Days a Week?
One of the secrets I learned when I began to expand on my morning routine was that the more I could actually make it a “routine,” the more valuable it becomes. To do it five days a week and then take two days off was almost defeating the purpose. My recommendation is to establish your routine as 7-days-per-week (7x365). If you need to start it later on non-work days, I guess that is okay, but I have found that having my morning routine occur at the same time every day is also very beneficial.
Components of a Killer Morning Routine
1. It happens at the same time every day
2. It happens every day
3. It consists of the same 3-4 things every day
4. It consists of things that grow you mentally, physically and spiritually
As I said previously, you already have a morning routine. The question to ask is what is the return on investment of that routine and how can I increase the ROI?
What are your morning routine best practices?
Most likely, these unusual times have revealed your true habits. You may be very pleased with what you have learned about yourself, or you may be looking back at the last eight weeks and have very little to show for it.