Morning routines have a major way to set you up for success.

It has been said that the most successful people in the world have very specific morning routines. I got really into learning about morning routines when I started listening to podcasts for some reason. It’s just so interesting to know what the day starts out like for high performance individuals.

I’d like to share with you 10 tips that are a great way to start your day from studying what others do that work for them.

1. The night before, do the Ivy Lee Method- I did a blog post on this recently. Basically, it’s a method where you write down 6 things that MUST get done the night before. The idea behind this is to do whatever is at the top of your list FIRST and to not move on to the second task until the first one is complete, and so on. You do everything, or mostly everything on this list, and whatever you don’t finish turns into number 1 the next day.

2. Put your phone in another room- I learned this tip from Mel Robbins when she talks about it in her book, The 5 Second Rule, which I highly recommend. It’s super inspiring and talks about how to make your life more productive in just 5 seconds. Check it out! So, for this method, she says to she puts her phone in her bathroom. The point of this is to set it aside when it’s time to go to bed and to have to get up and turn the alarm off by walking into another room, which makes you wake up right away.

3. Wake up at the same time most days- I say most days because if I say every day, I feel like it’s just not realistic, at least for me. Maybe that works for you and if so, then great! You do you, here. It’s a good idea, though, to wake up around the same time everyday because then it gets your body on a set schedule, which helps with productivity. When you wake up around the same time, your body adjusts and is able to perform at a higher level rather than waking up at random hours everyday. For this, I recommend setting an alarm and holding yourself accountable to wake up at that SET time. Be realistic with yourself here, too. I know, for me, I would love to wake up at 6 a.m. everyday but it’s just not realistic for me. I tend to be a night owl sometimes, and I am a firm believer in getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep a night, so, again, do what works for you.

4. Make your bed- The second you get out of bed in the morning, I recommend making your bed. It just sets the tone for your day because it keeps you organized and sets you up for success. When things around you are organized, it makes you more organized inside, as well. Charles Duhigg, the writer of a book titled “The Power of Habits” explained, “Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget. It’s not that a family meal or a tidy bed causes better grades or less frivolous spending. But somehow those initial shifts start chain reactions that help other good habits take hold.” { via }

5. Hydrate- Cameron Diaz has said, and I agree with this statement, that we are like plants in a sense that we need water to function. It makes sense, considering our body’s are about 60% water. So, once you get up, make you bed, and brush your teeth, have a tall glass of water. I like to put lemon in mine. Do what works for you.

6. Make yourself a cup of coffee/ tea or don’t- For me, I just LOVE the smell of fresh coffee in the morning. It just makes me excited for mornings. The smell, the process of making it, it just makes me feel relaxed and ready to conquer the day. Maybe for you it’s a cup of tea, or maybe it’s just water! Again, you do you here.

7. Plan out your day- OK, so you’ve hydrated, you’ve had your cup of Joe, or didn’t, now it’s time to get to work. For about 30 minutes, I want you to sit down and plan your day. Mel Robbins talks about this, too, in her book. Basically, the mornings are powerful and it’s a great time to get the most productive stuff done. During this planning session, think about what really matters to you. Get deep here. What is something that you need to get done that will keep you moving forward in your business, your life, your goals? I’m a firm believer in baby steps and taking little actions everyday for bigger results. Get real with yourself, and this will also create a sense of confidence in you. You are the one that knows yourself the best, so ask yourself these questions, and write them down. Go back to the Ivy Method list here, too.

8. Meditate or read- Meditating is so therapeutic for a number of reasons. I talk about meditating a lot, and in this post. Some of the most successful people in the world swear by the power of meditation. Some of the greatest ideas can come from just this practice in itself. If you’ve never tried it before and you don’t know where to start, start here. All of those meditations are about 10 minutes long, and they’re really soothing. Even if you sit and just close eyes sitting up or laying down for 1 minutes, that’s GREAT! Everyone’s practice is different. Find what suits you and your needs. If you don’t feel that meditating is for you, I suggest just reading a book for about 10 minutes or so. I suggest a physical copy, but do what works for you. The idea is to quiet your mind and get our of your head to gain perspective and to bring out the best version of yourself.

9. Set your intentions- So, you’ve meditated, you’ve planned out your day for your goals, now let’s get into what your intentions are for the day. I love doing what’s called “The Morning Pages”. It’s super therapeutic. You write out 3 pages of what’s called “brain dump”. Even if you just write, “I don’t know what to say” for 3 pages, that’s fine. You don’t have to do the whole 3 pages, either. Maybe just write down a few words. Journaling is so great in a sense that you get your thoughts on paper and you can rationalize what’s going on in your head. I recommend writing with an old school pen and paper. It’s a different energy than typing and you can use those motor skills.

10. Move your body- For many people, finding movement first thing in the morning really gets them going. I know, for me, sometimes I like to work out in the morning or at night. I have read that many successful people do swear by working out first thing in the morning. It’s a great way to start your day and it creates a positive imprint. You feel confident, you look good because you have that post-workout glow, and you are able to spread that good energy to those around you.

I hope these tips help you! Do you have a morning routine? What does yours look like?

Let me know in the comments! :)

Love you all,

Ash