There are many benefits to having a morning routine! If you don’t consider yourself a morning person that’s ok! A morning routine can still work for you. Simply commit to a few things you want to accomplish each morning that align with your lifestyle and complete those things before you officially start your day. It’s that simple!
Ok! Now, let’s chat about the 10 Benefits Of Having a Morning Routine and the Four Part Formula I use for creating, sticking to, and tweaking my morning routine as needed. And, as a fun bonus I created a morning routine planner and morning routine checklist! These two printouts will ensure morning routine success!
10 BENEFITS OF A HAVING A MORNING ROUTINE
1. Morning routines can help with time management. Do you ever look back at your day and say to yourself where did the time go? I did not do all the things I had hoped. You will find that a morning routine leads to higher productivity during the day. Over time you will also find you have a higher success rate for whatever it is you are working to achieve.
2. Morning routines can lead to overall better health and wellness. A morning routine will help to reduce daily stress, anxiety, overthinking, and worry.
3. A morning routine can help take away the immediate decision-making that occurs the minute your alarm goes off. It keeps you from having that immediate response of “what do I need to accomplish right this second” that floods your head before you even get out of bed. It allows you to flow through your morning with ease because you know exactly what you need to do.
4. A morning routine can improve focus and drive. By completing the things included in your morning routine you will feel accomplished before the official start of your day.
5. A morning routine can increase your confidence and motivation as you move throughout your day. A morning routine will help to create momentum.
6. A morning routine helps to create the structure for the remainder of the day which in turn will allow you to accomplish and focus on the things that matter to you most.
7. A morning routine will help you to form healthy habits and let go of things that no longer serve you.
8. A morning routine can give you a sense of control in a world that is chaotic and moving fast. Starting the day on our terms gives us full control until we walk out the door and officially start our day.
9. A morning routine can allow us to work on creating new healthy habits and letting go of habits that do not serve us or our goals.
10. Morning routines allow us to practice daily, which over time will make what we practice permanent.
DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE IT
A morning routine does not need to be complicated. It is easier than you may think. Creating the routine is not the hard part but sticking to it is. I have a formula that I follow for creating and sticking to my morning routine. It is made up of 4 simple parts. Hopefully, these four parts will help to make the creation of your own morning routine easy.
Before we get into my four part formula there is one rule you must follow! This rule is critical to the success of your morning routine. This rule is having a nighttime routine.
BUT FIRST
Your nighttime routine can look like anything you want but the most important part is working towards a bedtime you can stick to 90% of the time. You also want to ensure you schedule 7-9 hours (the average recommended amount) of sleep. We are all different so feel free to adjust accordingly.
It can be easy to overlook the importance of sleep but it is critical! Not only for overall health and wellness but for the success of a morning routine.
THE FOUR PART FORMULA
Now, let’s chat The Four Part Formula to creating and maintaining a morning routine! If you have struggled with creating a routine in the past or have never given it a try I hope this formula is helpful!
Use these FREE PRINTOUTS (Morning Routine Planner + Morning Routine Checklist)
How To: You will identify up to 3 things you want to include in your morning routine that fall into each of the four parts. You will write these down on the Morning Routine Planner. Once you decide which are most important (could be all) you will add up to three of them under the corresponding part on the Morning Routine Checklist.
Each day use the check list to ensure you are completing each of the things you committed to. There is no need to print a new sheet for each day. Print just one and use it for the entire week. You will find seven check mark boxes. Check one box off for each day of the week.
PART 1: Non-Negotiables
What are your non-negotiables? What are the things that you feel are most critical to your health, well-being, and goals that you want to ensure happen in your day? These are the things that are most important to you. The things that will move the needle and help you to accomplish the things you are working towards.
Examples of non-negotiables could be things like exercise, eating a healthy balanced breakfast, practicing gratitude, prayer, etc.
PART 2: Things I Don’t Want To Do
What are the things that would make your day run smoother if you just did them and got them out of the way? Think of these as things you dislike doing and once complete you feel relieved you did them and got them out of the way. And, even though you don’t like them it feels good to check them off your to-do list.
Examples of things I don’t want to do could be unloading the dishwasher, doing laundry, tidying up a messy space, vacuuming, etc.
PART 3: Delight
What are the things that bring you delight? What are the things you look forward to most at the start of a new day? What do you love doing and feel you just could not live without?
Examples of delight could be things like coffee, reading, taking your dog for a walk, etc.
PART 4: Habits
This part is optional but if you currently have habits you wish you did not this is a great one to add. Ask yourself what morning habits you have that are not serving you or the overall vision of your life. What habits can you let go of and replace either with a healthier habit or get rid of entirely?
Examples of habits could be looking at your phone or email first thing in the morning, reaching for an easy but unhealthy breakfast, watching the morning news, etc.
SCHEDULED CHECK-INS
Just like anything in life checking in with yourself from time to time to see how it is going is a good thing. Get real with yourself in regards to what is and what is not working. Make adjustments as needed and consider a new morning routine from time to time that will align with any goals you are trying to achieve. For example. Did you decide you want to run a marathon, write a book, or take a class? When we are working on specific goals aligning our morning routine to help us accomplish those goals will help us reach them faster and in a more meaningful way.
If you did not print the worksheets above. Now is the time! Once you print them take some time and create your very own morning routine. Here is the How To one more time.
How To: You will identify up to 3 things you want to include in your morning routine that fall into each of the four parts. You will write these down on the Morning Routine Planner. Once you decide which are most important (could be all) you will add up to three of them under the corresponding part on the Morning Routine Checklist. Each day use the check list to ensure you are completing each of the things you committed to. There is no need to print a new sheet for each day. Print just one and use it for the entire week. You will find seven check mark boxes. Check one box off for each day of the week.
PRINTOUTS (Morning Routine Planner + Morning Routine Checklist)
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed creating it for you!
In Love, Health + Gratitude,
Katie