A morning routine is personal but working these six elements in will give you great structure.These are musts:<ul><li>Get up by 7am at the latest. </li><li>Be healthy. Be hydrated and eat a healthy breakfast. </li><li>Set your goals. You must set your goals to know what you will achieve that day.</li></ul>These can flex:<ul><li>The exercise you do, but do some.</li><li>Mix up your motivation and self care.</li><li>Use audio books instead of reading. </li></ul>

Build Your Morning Routine

<img width="1024" height="1024" alt="morning routine" src="https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i2.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clock-1.png?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w">Being productive. Achieving your goals. Building the life you want. All of these things begin by having solid routines that enable you to be at your peak more often. The first one of these routines is the morning routine. Even if you are not a ‘morning person’ (that is a real thing by the way), you should still have a routine you follow to optimise the start of the new day.We know there are many many articles about morning routines. Each one is slightly different but really the same, and each one promises to supercharge your day. Why is ours different? It’s different because we aren’t going to tell you what to do every minute of the morning. Only you can decide that.Instead, we will share with you the tools we used to build our morning routine so you can build one that works for you!<div>"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine."</div><div>Mike Murdoch</div><h2>The Tools</h2>There are a potentially large number of actions you can build into a successful morning routine. Remember though, the goal is to have you ready and motivated to start your day, not to have you ready to crawl back into bed. Aim for refreshed and motivated over tired and jaded.<h3>Wake Up. </h3>Set your alarm as early as you dare but for most people looking to achieve above average productivity this should be between 6am and 7am. It is important you have had 8 hours sleep so factor that in. Don’t procrastinate, jump straight out of bed and leave the bedroom immediately when the alarm goes off. This will stop you getting back into bed.<h3>Re-hydrate. </h3>You have just gone 8 hours without any fluid. It is so important to hydrate yourself after being asleep. This should be one of the first things you do. A pint of cold water will get the body working again.<h3>Exercise. </h3>Anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour is great depending on the type. You are looking to work your body and wake it up. Get the blood pumping and shake off the cobwebs. Resist the urge to dive into a marathon gym session or similar. This is about preparing you for the day, not sculpting your body. Outside exercise is even better with all that fresh air and hopefully sun.<h3>Start healthy. </h3>What you eat at the start of the day is important for setting the tone. Start with a sausage sandwich and you will be tempted to eat unhealthy all day. So start as you mean to go on. To help, make sure you have healthy foods in the house such as fruit and yogurts. Also, drink more water rather than starting in on the coffee. Drinking coffee too soon after you have woken up negates it’s impact. That coffee you think wakes you up first thing actually has little impact compared to later in the day so save it.<h3>Self care. </h3>I’m sure it goes without saying but personal hygiene needs to be part of your morning routine. Don’t go wild though. 2 hours spent in the bathroom is a lot of time to give up each day. Keep it under 30 minutes.<h3>Set goals. </h3>We don’t advocate planning your whole day as life rarely runs 100% to plan. Instead, plan your top 3 tasks, starting with the most difficult. This way, even if part of your day gets hijacked you will still have time to focus on the most important things. It’s crucial you know what you must achieve each day otherwise how can you measure if it’s been productive?<h3>Motivational learning. </h3>Before you settle into the working day spend a short time&nbsp; listening to or reading something that motivates you. This might be a book, song, a podcast or a motivational speech. It’s purpose is to leave you motivated and ready to take on the day.<h3>Reflection/gratitude. </h3>Take a few moments to reflect. Reflect on what has been going well, what you are doing to fix issues and how you want today to go. Also take the time to be thankful for all the things you already have. Wealth is not just about your bank balance. You can take this one step further into meditation.A healthy morning routine not only gets you into the day in better shape, it can have longer term benefits.Getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthy all have long term health benefits.Set yourself up to be fighting fit for today and all your tomorrow’s.<h2>How Do I Put It Together?</h2>This is the great bit, it is up to you. You need to find a routine that works for you and no article will ever be able to do that 100%. Experiment with different routines. Some activities will work better than others for you. You may also do different activities on different days.Be careful though. Don’t let the time you have available be the sole dominating feature. If you would normally only have 20 minutes spare on a morning you will need to make changes to build in more of the above. Equally, you don’t want to be getting up at 4am to fit in a three hour morning regime before starting work. It’s about balance and common sense.If you are looking for some guidance to get you started we would recommend having some core items as must have’s followed by some more flexible elements. Your must have’s could be;<UL><LI>Get up by 7am at the latest. If you normally get up earlier then please do start earlier but if you are normally a late riser aim for 7am. You may need to work up this by getting up 20 minutes earlier each day until you are getting up at 7am.</LI><LI>Be healthy. By that we mean make sure you are hydrated and eat a healthy breakfast. This may depend on your dietary requirements but a bacon sandwich is on nobody’s healthy list.</LI><LI>Set your goals. You must set your goals to know what you will achieve that day</LI></UL>Things that can be flexible are;<UL><LI>The exercise you do. We prefer to be outside so a run is perfect. If you prefer a swim, a gym session or a cycle that’s fine. Just make it at least 20 minutes of something that leaves you out of breath.</LI><LI>You can mix up your motivation and self care by listening as you get ready. Singing in the shower is really good for you!</LI><LI>You may not want to go from a busy exercise session into a soft, slow meditation so separate them out or do them on different days.</LI><LI>Reading isn’t for everyone so use audio books or videos to build your knowledge and motivate yourself.</LI></UL><h2>How Often Should I Do It?</h2>This again is very personal. Aim for at least 4 times a week so you are doing it more often than not. The key to building a beneficial routine is to make it a habit. If you only do it sporadically you won’t get all the benefits. You will find that the more you do it the easier it gets. Getting up by 7am will feel like a normal time. Reaching for that sleepy-eyed cup of coffee will be long forgotten. Like anything else, it takes practice.Weekdays can be easier than weekends as most people need to be up earlier on weekdays for work. If you have a family then the weekend is more family orientated.<h2>How Do I Get Started?</h2>If you are not sure how to start and want a more detailed guide to get you going then follow these simple steps for day 1;<UL><LI>Go and buy healthy breakfast foods if you don’t have any. If you aren’t sure what to buy then who better to take advice from than the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/healthy-breakfasts-recipes/" dir="ltr">National Health Service</a>.</LI><LI>Set your alarm for 1 hour earlier than normal. This might feel a lot but let’s start off bold. Get straight out of bed when it goes off.</LI><LI>Drink a glass of cold water when you get up.</LI><LI>Get ready and go for a 2km walk or jog depending on your level of fitness.</LI><LI>Get showered while listening to some uplifting music.</LI><LI>Eat your healthy breakfast while listening to a motivational podcast.</LI><LI>Write down 1 goal you will complete today that is challenging and will progress you forward. Try 3 if you are feeling bold.</LI></UL>That’s it. You have all the basics to create an awesome morning routine that works for you!. Go smash it.At <a href="https://spurplanners.com/" dir="ltr">spurplanners.com</a> we challenge you to use your routine for 2 weeks and then tell us how it has gone.<h3>Share this:</h3>

Stuck for winning morning routine ideas? Here is our morning checklist that you build into your own morning routine template.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

Being productive. Achieving your goals. Building the life you want. All of these things begin by having solid routines that enable you to be at your peak more often. The first one of these routines is the morning routine. Even if you are not a ‘morning person’ (that is a real thing by the way), you should still have a routine you follow to optimise the start of the new day.

We know there are many many articles about morning routines. Each one is slightly different but really the same, and each one promises to supercharge your day. Why is ours different? It’s different because we aren’t going to tell you what to do every minute of the morning. Only you can decide that.

Instead, we will share with you the tools we used to build our morning routine so you can build one that works for you!

There are a potentially large number of actions you can build into a successful morning routine. Remember though, the goal is to have you ready and motivated to start your day, not to have you ready to crawl back into bed. Aim for refreshed and motivated over tired and jaded.

Set your alarm as early as you dare but for most people looking to achieve above average productivity this should be between 6am and 7am. It is important you have had 8 hours sleep so factor that in. Don’t procrastinate, jump straight out of bed and leave the bedroom immediately when the alarm goes off. This will stop you getting back into bed.

You have just gone 8 hours without any fluid. It is so important to hydrate yourself after being asleep. This should be one of the first things you do. A pint of cold water will get the body working again.

Anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour is great depending on the type. You are looking to work your body and wake it up. Get the blood pumping and shake off the cobwebs. Resist the urge to dive into a marathon gym session or similar. This is about preparing you for the day, not sculpting your body. Outside exercise is even better with all that fresh air and hopefully sun.

What you eat at the start of the day is important for setting the tone. Start with a sausage sandwich and you will be tempted to eat unhealthy all day. So start as you mean to go on. To help, make sure you have healthy foods in the house such as fruit and yogurts. Also, drink more water rather than starting in on the coffee. Drinking coffee too soon after you have woken up negates it’s impact. That coffee you think wakes you up first thing actually has little impact compared to later in the day so save it.

I’m sure it goes without saying but personal hygiene needs to be part of your morning routine. Don’t go wild though. 2 hours spent in the bathroom is a lot of time to give up each day. Keep it under 30 minutes.

We don’t advocate planning your whole day as life rarely runs 100% to plan. Instead, plan your top 3 tasks, starting with the most difficult. This way, even if part of your day gets hijacked you will still have time to focus on the most important things. It’s crucial you know what you must achieve each day otherwise how can you measure if it’s been productive?

Before you settle into the working day spend a short time  listening to or reading something that motivates you. This might be a book, song, a podcast or a motivational speech. It’s purpose is to leave you motivated and ready to take on the day.

Take a few moments to reflect. Reflect on what has been going well, what you are doing to fix issues and how you want today to go. Also take the time to be thankful for all the things you already have. Wealth is not just about your bank balance. You can take this one step further into meditation.

A healthy morning routine not only gets you into the day in better shape, it can have longer term benefits.

Getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthy all have long term health benefits.

Set yourself up to be fighting fit for today and all your tomorrow’s.

This is the great bit, it is up to you. You need to find a routine that works for you and no article will ever be able to do that 100%. Experiment with different routines. Some activities will work better than others for you. You may also do different activities on different days.

Be careful though. Don’t let the time you have available be the sole dominating feature. If you would normally only have 20 minutes spare on a morning you will need to make changes to build in more of the above. Equally, you don’t want to be getting up at 4am to fit in a three hour morning regime before starting work. It’s about balance and common sense.

If you are looking for some guidance to get you started we would recommend having some core items as must have’s followed by some more flexible elements. Your must have’s could be;

<ul><li>Get up by 7am at the latest. If you normally get up earlier then please do start earlier but if you are normally a late riser aim for 7am. You may need to work up this by getting up 20 minutes earlier each day until you are getting up at 7am. </li><li>Be healthy. By that we mean make sure you are hydrated and eat a healthy breakfast. This may depend on your dietary requirements but a bacon sandwich is on nobody’s healthy list. </li><li>Set your goals. You must set your goals to know what you will achieve that day </li> </ul>

Things that can be flexible are;

<ul><li>The exercise you do. We prefer to be outside so a run is perfect. If you prefer a swim, a gym session or a cycle that’s fine. Just make it at least 20 minutes of something that leaves you out of breath. </li><li>You can mix up your motivation and self care by listening as you get ready. Singing in the shower is really good for you! </li><li>You may not want to go from a busy exercise session into a soft, slow meditation so separate them out or do them on different days. </li><li>Reading isn’t for everyone so use audio books or videos to build your knowledge and motivate yourself. </li> </ul>

This again is very personal. Aim for at least 4 times a week so you are doing it more often than not. The key to building a beneficial routine is to make it a habit. If you only do it sporadically you won’t get all the benefits. You will find that the more you do it the easier it gets. Getting up by 7am will feel like a normal time. Reaching for that sleepy-eyed cup of coffee will be long forgotten. Like anything else, it takes practice.

Weekdays can be easier than weekends as most people need to be up earlier on weekdays for work. If you have a family then the weekend is more family orientated.

If you are not sure how to start and want a more detailed guide to get you going then follow these simple steps for day 1;

<ul><li>Go and buy healthy breakfast foods if you don’t have any. If you aren’t sure what to buy then who better to take advice from than the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/healthy-breakfasts-recipes/">National Health Service </a>. </li><li>Set your alarm for 1 hour earlier than normal. This might feel a lot but let’s start off bold. Get straight out of bed when it goes off. </li><li>Drink a glass of cold water when you get up. </li><li>Get ready and go for a 2km walk or jog depending on your level of fitness. </li><li>Get showered while listening to some uplifting music. </li><li>Eat your healthy breakfast while listening to a motivational podcast. </li><li>Write down 1 goal you will complete today that is challenging and will progress you forward. Try 3 if you are feeling bold. </li> </ul>

That’s it. You have all the basics to create an awesome morning routine that works for you!. Go smash it.

At <a href="https://spurplanners.com/">spurplanners.com </a>we challenge you to use your routine for 2 weeks and then tell us how it has gone.

How To Build A Morning Routine - Spur Planners

Build Your Morning Routine

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