Create a Morning Routine | 7 Game-Changing Ideas That Will Improve Your Entire Day

Why You Need a Morning Routine

How would you describe your workday mornings in one word?

Hectic? Rushed? Stressful?

Would you like to be able to describe your mornings with words like peaceful and organized? Then you, my friend, need a morning routine!

How you start your day will usually set the tone for the entire day. Have you ever accidentally overslept and then enjoyed a relaxing day? No!

On the days I sleep through my alarm, I usually hit the worst traffic of my life, totally space on an important appointment, and struggle to accomplish anything with the remainder of my day.

Adjust Your Evening Routine For a Simpler Morning Routine

The good news is that you can incorporate constructive tasks into your morning routine that set you up for success for the entire day. Before we dive into those morning tasks, let’s talk about a few steps we can shift into our evening routine, to help simplify our mornings.

Knock out any of the next morning’s decision-making before you go to bed.

Set out your outfit for the following day. Set out your kids’ outfits.

Plan what you’re going to eat for breakfast and have it ready in the fridge if possible. Pack your lunch and snacks.

I know that at the end of a long day, all you want to do is collapse on the couch. But by checking it off your list before you collapse, you’ll be able to gift yourself back that time the next morning, when you’re feeling tired and stressed.

Knock out easy tasks that could add stress to the next morning.

Does waking up to dishes in the sink or clutter on the coffee table start your day off all wrong? Knock those tasks out the night before.

They usually only take a few minutes of your time, but can help to create a more relaxing and organized atmosphere the next morning.

Create A Morning Routine For a Better Day

Okay, so now you’ve taken a few moments the night before to ensure your morning has a fighting chance. So what can we do in the mornings to continue this momentum?

First, wake up before your family.

I know that this can be reeeeeally challenging if you’re not a morning person.

But as soon as my family wakes up, I’m on duty. My husband is telling me what to add to the grocery list and my daughter is requesting my presence at the table because she’s not capable of eating a waffle alone.

The calm before that storm is so peaceful. I can get a lot done with just an extra 15-30 minutes because no one is awake to interrupt me.

Second, pray about or reflect on what you’re most thankful for.

This subject is so important that it deserves its own post (and got one – How to Become an Optimist).

But the gist of the idea is that when you start your day thinking positively, you tend to view whatever follows through the lens of gratitude and optimism. And who couldn’t use a little more optimism?

Third, review your priorities and goals.

The busyness of day-to-day tasks can cause us to quickly lose sight of what’s most important to us.

What goals are you working toward? Spending more time with your family? Reading your Bible more often? Launching a new business?

Write your goals down somewhere that you can see and read them every morning. It will remind you of what’s most important to you, and help you to avoid getting caught up in unnecessary busyness or drama.

Fourth, jot down what you have to, and would like to, accomplish that day.

Order your list from what has to be accomplished to what would just be a nice bonus. Making a quick written plan for the day will help to ensure that nothing is overlooked, and that you’re focusing your time and effort on what needs it most.

Finally, eat a frog.

Mark Twain once said, “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.”

Author Brian Tracy expanded on that idea in his book, Eat the Frog. He suggests knocking out your most important task of the day first, especially if it’s a task that you’re dreading.

If you’re so productive so early in the day, you’ll set the tone for the rest of the day. Then even if, worst case scenario, you accomplish nothing else with the rest of your time, you’ll likely still feel okay about the day.

Your mornings don’t have to feel so stressful, and won’t with the implementation of a constructive morning routine. Set yourself up for success by knocking out any decision-making and potentially stress-inducing tasks before you go to bed.

Then wake up before your family and start your day with thankfulness. Review your priorities, jot down a plan for the day, and eat that frog.

By structuring your mornings to your advantage, you can vastly improve your entire day. What’s your morning routine look like? Join the conversation in the comments below!

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