A system to create an incredible morning routine
With morning routines, most people fall into one of two camps:
1. Those that habitually execute actions, good or bad, that formed without planning over time.
2. Those who design or adopt a morning routine to move them toward their goals.
The start of your day can either turn you into a productivity powerhouse or leave you in a state of endless reactivity, but you have the power to decide which one. Below you will find a highly effective system that you can use to get in alignment with your goals and craft a morning that will allow you to win each day. If you are coming to this article from the first camp above, I hope you will find this information actionable and are able to move yourself to the second camp. If you are already in the second camp, I hope you use this as an opportunity to reevaluate your morning routine and make it even more effective.
Preparation
Grab your favorite notebook, piece of paper, or digital document. I personally use a tool called Obsidian to manage much of my life, including my morning routine.
System Steps
1. Self-assessment
What is your sleep chronotype? (I’m a lion) You can look this up here. This will come into play in the next step when determining the goals for your morning routine so that you can be in alignment with your natural rhythms.
Identify the most common challenges you face in the morning. Is it hitting the snooze button or reaching for your phone and scrolling email or social media? Are you in a rush trying to frantically get your kids off to school? List them all here. You'll work around these challenges later when structuring your routine.
2. Goal setting
Goals are highly personal and the primary reason it is important to craft your own morning routine rather than adopt someone else's. In this step, at a very high level, define what you aspire to achieve with your morning routine (e.g., better mental health, productivity, physical health, creativity, etc.). Leave plenty of space for each one so that you can create goals to move toward each aspiration.
Think about how your morning routine can facilitate your long-term goals. For instance, if you aim to write a book, dedicating time to write each morning will be beneficial. Similarly, if your objective is to get fit, it probably makes sense to reserve time for exercise in your routine.
Create a goal for each of the aspirations you previously listed.
When writing down your goals, use the SMART goal framework — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This will help in creating a routine that is both realistic and aligned with your aspirations.
Example:
I will publish 1 article every Tuesday for System-level Thinking for the next 6 months.
After you have finished creating your SMART goals, rewrite them in priority order so that your most important goals come first.
Finally, break each goal down into daily actionable tasks.
Example:
Write for 30 minutes on a System-level Thinking article.
3. Routine building
1. Bring a notepad and go lie down in your bed (seriously!) and pretend it's your 100th morning executing your new, beautifully crafted, morning routine. Pretend it's time to wake up. How do you wake up? This might be anywhere from 5 a.m. by a vibrating wrist alarm clock (exactly how I wake up) to just waking up naturally. This is entirely up to you but I suggest using your goals as a guide. Do you struggle with hitting the snooze button? Consider moving your alarm to a place in the room where you have to physically get out of bed to turn it off.
2. Now that we have your wake-up time and method figured out, move on to your ideal next action. Do you put on your workout clothes (as I do)? Do you take a hot or cold shower? Perhaps you enjoy tea or coffee in the morning to help you wake up and you go get that first? Again, entirely up to you. Take another look at your goals then choose the next action.
3. Repeat step 2 until your morning routine is finished. Continuously reference your goals and add your goal-related actionable tasks to your routine. Don't worry about fitting everything in. You can apply this same process to create a work routine, after-work routine, and evening routine so that you get all of your actionable tasks in throughout the day.
4. Refine
You probably won't get your morning routine exactly how you want it in your first pass. Each week, take some time to evaluate how it's going. Then, using your own feedback, keep refining your routine. This process is never-ending because as you start consistently executing every day, in alignment with your goals, your life will completely change.
While refining, It’s important to keep in mind that a great morning routine starts the night before. For example, think about doing things like laying out your workout clothes, preparing the coffee machine, preparing your breakfast, prioritizing your to-do list, and ensuring you get adequate sleep the night before so that, in the morning, you are ready to hit the ground running.
Case Study
I first designed my daily routines over 10 years ago and credit them entirely for moving me toward my highest priority goals. They have enabled me to run marathons, compete successfully in exclusive fitness events, build a 7-figure business, and create wonderful relationships with my wife and children.
My morning routine:
5:00 ➟ Wake up
I use the Amazfit Band 5 as a vibrating alarm clock so that I don’t wake up my wife getting out of bed. I set out my workout clothes the night before and set the coffee maker so that it is ready to go. I grab my clothes, phone, and glasses then head downstairs to use the bathroom and get dressed.
5:05 ➟ Hydrate/Supplements/Coffee
I have a few 20oz Contigo water bottles that I carry with me all the time. I drink an entire 20oz bottle while I take my supplements and pour a cup of coffee.
5:10 ➟ Review values, identity, and operating system
In 2018 I decided there were quite a few things that I didn’t like about myself and I wanted to work to change them. I created this document to start doing that and I review it every day. I have found the effect of this practice to be extraordinary because it’s a constant reminder of how I want to live and who I want to be.
5:12 ➟ Review goals
My life is centered around accomplishing my goals. I spend a few minutes each morning reviewing my goals so that they are always top of mind.
5:15 ➟ Gratitude journaling (3 things)
No one in this world is self-made and we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I take a few minutes each morning to remind myself of things I am grateful for. I just write down whatever immediately comes to mind. I really enjoy spending some time going through my old entries and seeing all of the things I have to be grateful for.
5:20 ➟ Stream of consciousness journaling
I set a five-minute timer and just write whatever comes to mind. Today’s concerns, yesterday’s triumphs, anything goes!
5:25 ➟ Read nonfiction (currently $100M Leads by Alex Hormozi)
I listen to a lot of audiobooks when I’m driving, running or working out but, for books I really want to absorb the content, I’ll spend 30 minutes each morning reading and taking notes.
5:55 ➟ Unguided meditation (5-minute timer)
After reading for 30 minutes, my mind can start to wander all over the place. This quick meditation helps me regain focus so that I am ready to write.
6:00 ➟ Writing
For an hour I’ll spend time either writing for System-level Thinking or posts for social media depending on the day of the week.
7:00 ➟ Break for getting my youngest off to school
On the weekdays, I am responsible for getting our youngest up, fed, and off to school.
7:45 ➟ Lift in my garage
In the last year, I have built up a home gym in one of my garage bays with a squat rack, bench, dumbbells, barbell, plyo box, and mats. I’m still building it out for variety but it has all of the essentials.
8:30 ➟ Deep work (2 hours)
For two hours, I work on whatever my highest priority task is. Since I run a business and advise other people, this block is vital to ensure I don’t spend all day reacting to the demands of other people.
Final Thoughts
“Most unproductive or unhealthy behaviors are the result of slow, gradual choices that add up to bad habits. A wasted morning here. An unproductive morning there. The good news is that exceptional results are also the result of consistent daily choices.” – James Clear
The “perfect morning routine” is entirely individual. It’s up to you to figure out what works best for you. I like diving straight into writing but you may prefer to start with a yoga session. The important thing is to be intentional about how we spend our time. There are amazing people in the world who are able to do this without routines. For the rest of us, this is a great place to start.
P.S. I’m currently looking for 5 businesses to participate in our Slipstream beta program this October. We will help you identify, document, and systemize your core processes in Slipstream and give you an extended free trial (6 months!). Drop me a message on LinkedIn if you are interested!