Implementing a Morning Routine
First off - before I come off as holier than thou, I’d like to mention that I lived a very unhealthy lifestyle for a very long time. Being absolutely obsessed with partying and excessive socialization left me with no routine at all. Mornings were a rush, and I would rarely have enough time to even make myself a proper breakfast before heading off to work - late. I regularly balanced weight lifting and running with staying up late and hanging out in bars (or worse) until the wee hours of the morning.
Eventually, I hit a breaking point where I decided that I wanted to drastically change my lifestyle and improve my character. This process involved cutting out alcohol and focusing on developing a healthy ritual to get my day started. I’ve been practicing a non-negotiable morning routine for approximately 8 months now and it has been truly life changing.
All that to say - If you know me, and you’re thinking: “Hey, I’ve seen Zac hangout all night at the bar - What’s he on about?” You are correct. This is new for me.
Without further ado, here are my best practices for setting a solid morning routine that will provide you with life changing clarity, focus, and energy to conquer your days.
In order to own the morning, you must own your night:
Get that damn phone charging in another room. It does not belong by your bedside table. It is overwhelmingly obvious that your phone has a negative effect on your sleep. The dopamine hits, the blue light, and keeping up with your friends when you should be resting is no good. It may seem like the hardest thing in the world, but the first thing you gotta do is get that thing out of your way and leave it charging elsewhere overnight - out of sight and out of mind. It isn’t easy, but it is simple.
You should go to bed with a general idea of what the next day holds in store for you. If this requires that you sit down and make a list a couple hours before bedtime, do that. Having your day mapped out in advance will allow your mind to be at ease. When things are already figured out - all that’s left to do is rest.
Seduce yourself with a reason to wake up in the morning. If you’re a coffee lover, get yourself a machine that has an auto brew feature and time it to begin brewing at the same time everyday. Of course, this requires that you load it up and set it to run the night before. Personally, the beep on my coffee machine early in the morning fills me with joy and makes me feel like the day will be a success before it's even started.
Go to bed at the same time every night. This will become easier for you as you develop your morning routine. Eventually, you’ll be super excited to wake up at the same time everyday, ensuring that you feel tired at the same time everyday as well.
Practice good sleep hygiene. You should be actively looking for solutions to anything that is interfering with your sleep. If neighbourhood noise wakes you up at night, consider getting a loud fan to mask the sound. Make sure your sheets are clean, light, and breathable for maximum comfort. Every night of optimal sleep is an investment in your daily performance.
Wake up early:
Your wakeup time is non-negotiable. Whatever time that is for you, set it in stone. This may be extraordinarily difficult at the start, but after a week or so, the discomfort will fade and you will be excited to wake up everyday. This is the most crucial part of your morning routine: depending on yourself to start the day the same way at the same time every morning. No snoozes.
Keeping promises to yourself is crucial for your growth journey. Getting up every day no matter what will assure you that you are exactly who you say you are.
You may find that you want to get up earlier and earlier as you refine your routine. Personally, I started my morning at 7:00am to begin with and eventually got down to 6:00am. Being someone who previously woke up for my 9:00am meetings at 8:55am, I was in disbelief when this new routine worked for me. Trust the process.
Waking up at 6:00am allows me to get my morning routine in while also allowing me to go to sleep for 11:00pm - so I can still socialize and be a normal human. I encourage you to experiment to find the perfect wakeup time for your own routine.
Note: I personally use a sunrise alarm clock and absolutely love it. Given that you will not have your phone on your nightstand anymore, you will need an alarm clock. I recommend this one.
Gift yourself time to reflect:
Do it first thing. Before you look at your phone and expose yourself to all of the unimportant news and information that will inevitably be thrust upon you, check in on yourself by journaling.
Words cannot express the mental clarity that daily journaling can provide you. When something happens in your life, you will be so connected to your inner-self that you immediately understand and process your emotions and can make a clear decision with the information at hand.
If this feels like a chore to you, you’re not alone. To those of us who have never taken the time to invest in daily self-reflection, it can feel like a drag. This is only because they haven’t experienced the positives that come from the practice.
So just start. Write anything. What did you get up to last night? What’s been troubling you? What are you grateful for? What’s coming up in your life? Are you experiencing cyclical thoughts? It is important that you set a specific amount of time for yourself to do it. Take more than you think you need.
Go analog. There are many devices at your disposal and apps that can be used to journal and catalog your thoughts. I recommend going old-school and ordering physical journals. There is something simply magical about pen to paper.
Read:
Getting a couple pages in first thing in the morning will prime your mind for the day. I personally like to begin the day with a book themed around daily reflections. For example, the daily stoic will provide you with over a year of daily guidance. There are many similar books out there - find one that fits your vibe.
Reading can be used in tandem with your journalling to help flesh out your reflective thoughts. If the words aren't coming to you, try reading for 5 minutes and coming back to it - works wonders.
Make a to-do list:
List out all of the things that need to get done. You may find that your journaling and your itemization of to-do’s blend into each other. You may list out things that don’t end up getting done too. That is all okay.
What you’re looking for is something tangible that exists outside of your head that represents your daily purpose. This will make your daily objectives real and will help keep you accountable to them.
Get some exercise and connect with nature:
Whether you go for a run, head to the gym, or walk around the block - getting some movement first thing in the morning will dramatically improve your mental health. It works best if you get outside and soak in some morning light as well.
I like to spend a portion of my morning routine in the green space in my neighbourhood - weather permitting. Hanging out barefoot in a park first thing in the morning reminds me of the simple pleasures of life and how our daily problems are insignificant to the bigger picture.
Eat a good breakfast:
Eat real food first thing in the morning. We’re talking eggs, oats, fruit, yogurt, bagels.
If it didn’t exist three hundred years ago, you probably want to stay away from it.
Hydrate:
Get some water in. You should have about a litre in the morning before you get started.
Supplement:
Ensure that you have the vitamins, minerals, and supplementation required to meet your goals. If you don’t currently take a multi-vitamin everyday, that is a great place to start!
And that’s it. Simple.
Implementing these steps every morning before you get your day started will provide you with immense mental clarity and leave you feeling accomplished before anything else comes up.
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I found this routine by experimenting on my own. However, I later came across Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning and found it strikingly similar to what I was already doing. The book is an easy read and is somewhat inspiring, albeit overly enthusiastic at times. Give it a read!
