How to Set Your Day Up with a Morning Routine

The morning can be a challenging time of day for many people. With so much to do and so little time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tasks that need attention before you even get started on your list of things to accomplish during the day. But there are some simple steps you can take to make the most out of your mornings and ensure that they’re productive and fulfilling. 

The way we start our days has a significant impact on how we feel and what we accomplish throughout the day. According to the book of Hal Elrod, “The Miracle Morning,” there are six steps to do for a more fulfilling morning, which he referred to as S-A-V-E-R-S, which stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing. 

• Silence can be meditation, prayer, breathing, or simply you’re trying just to block out the chatter and stay calm in that time. You can start for a short time if you need to because it’s way more challenging than you think.

• Affirmations are encouraging words to yourself to achieve your goals and overcome fears. You can try doing it in the mirror, or you can also watch videos of positive sayings, statements or quotes, or even music that will help you get pumped up. Try it however you want, and what works best for you.

• Visualization is imagining yourself achieving your goals step by step. Visualization allows us to see things more clearly by clarifying how we want to achieve our goals. Doing this gives us peace of mind from having an actual plan in place or seeing if the purpose aligns with our core beliefs or values.

• Exercise. It doesn’t have to be a crazy intense workout, like powerlifting. Have at least five minutes of you getting your body moving and blood flowing. When you start your day with exercise, it will give you more energy and help you feel better throughout the rest of the day.

• Reading– read every day, to fill yourself with positive thoughts, and learn about what you want to accomplish. Read some books that help educate you on things you want to do in the future. If reading isn’t something that sounds interesting to you, then consider listening to an audiobook or podcast while getting ready for work or making breakfast. It is a great way to start your morning because it enables you to relax, get inspired, and make you feel productive.

• Scribing is writing or journaling, so it’s a way to get your thoughts out on paper of all the things that were running inside your head. It helps you reflect on life, how you’re doing, either good or bad. Try to write for at least 15 to 20 minutes and just keep working on it. Using a journal as part of your morning routine can help you stay on track throughout the day by providing structure for your thoughts and feelings, so they don’t have time to spin out of control.

You have to make the best of your time. Get up early, get something done before your regular day starts. It might be hard at first but stop hitting snooze because that’s the biggest time sucker (you save yourself half-hour every morning by doing this). Once you get up and get moving, have your coffee, you’ll wake up, and you’ll be okay. However, to do this, you need to start the night before to set up your morning routine; your nighttime routine sets you up for your morning success.

Start with simple things planned for the following day. You can write out what you’re going to do for the next day. Get your clothes ready, or prep your lunch. Simple action items to help set you up for the following day. 

It takes time to build a morning routine. You will fail this sometimes, and remember that it’s okay; it is part of the process, so be kind to yourself and just keep working on it. 

Choose what routine you want to do and stick with it by starting small and adding one new habit at a time. And always keep in mind to focus on what works best for you as an individual.