The Timeless Benefits of Morning Routines (and How To Build One)

You are reading an excerpt from The Challenge, a newsletter where I discuss self-improvement, goal-setting, habits, time management, and health tips and tricks.

Every week you will get:

• a challenge to pursue to improve your life
• an infographic to track it.

Subscribe now to help me continue publishing this type of content.

Miracle mornings don’t exist. And if somebody ever tried to sell you the exact steps you need to take to be more productive in the morning, they only want your money.

(Me included. So, subscribe to support!)

So, why does this concept even exist?

Well, first of all, people love to believe in miracles. Avoiding hard work and getting things for free will always be a strong catch. So, there’s a lot of marketing around having a hyper-productive day.

But that’s everything.

Miracle mornings are so famous because they are a way you can improve your productivity throughout the day if you start with the right step. But there’s nothing miraculous about it. And it takes a lot of hard work until you find that sweet spot where everything falls in the right place.

I bet nobody tried to sell you this crap, right?

We all want fast results. But, unfortunately, they don’t exist. So, suck it up and get to work.

As I said, the error anyone makes when they build a morning routine is to fill it up with everything. But that rarely works (or never) because it exhausts your mind and body. And it makes you quit.

So, if I have to suggest one way you could avoid that, I would split my morning routine into four sessions.

Doing exercise is always the best way to start the day. At least, it is in my experience. And there are many reasons why you should exercise first thing in the morning:

• It wakes up your body and raises your alert systems.
• It keeps you fit and helps you regulate your body weight.
• And it makes your body release dopamine afterward. So you will feel happier and more energized to start the day.

So, find an activity that could make you experience all those things. For example, I go to the gym three times a week and do a light workout at home on the remaining days.

When analyzing my mornings, I noticed I was always in a hurry. I woke up thinking about everything I had to do throughout the day. And all those thoughts made me nervous and anxious. So, I ended up procrastinating as a defensive mechanism.

But everything improved since I learned to clear my mind. And I usually do it after the workout because, otherwise, I would fall asleep.

You could clear your mind in many ways. For example, you could:

• practice mindfulness or yoga
• write a journal
• or even read a book.

Morning is the only moment we can give our 100% and do what matters most.

So, if you have something you care about, a passion, a side hustle, or anything else, this is the moment you should use to work on it.

Many people stop making their dreams because they don’t have time. But if something matters to you, wake up earlier every day and do it.

You don’t need many hours. You only need one every day. And you will have more time than you usually use.

And then, keep 10 minutes to manage your day. Think about any meeting, activity, or task you must complete. And recollect everything you need to prepare for what is coming.

You will improve your performance if you think about your tasks in advance. Your mind will try to solve them in the background. And you will be more prepared.

It only takes 10 minutes, but it can bring you many advantages. And you can even do it while having breakfast, for example.

Setting up a morning routine is challenging. It takes a lot of willpower to wake up earlier in the morning. Repeating it every day could be demanding.

Therefore, here are a few suggestions that helped me build my miracle morning.

• Go to sleep earlier. You won’t wake up early if you don’t.
• Define strict timing for each routine. Decide when to work on your body, mind, and future.
• Keep track of streaks. Using a visual tracking system like a calendar (or an infographic) could help you immensely.
• Write your intentions. What is the reason you are doing it? Why do you wake up early in the morning?

If you loved the newsletter and want to support my work, subscribe and share The Challenge with your friends and families!

Or, if you want to read more of my content, visit the Cosmopolitan Mindset.

Subscribe now to help me continue publishing this type of content.