Recently, I posted an article called Morning Routines Of Successful People | 5 Things You Should Try. In that post, I mentioned that a lot of the suggestions were for myself as well, as I was one to just hop out of bed without any game plan whatsoever. My “ritual,” if you could call it that, was to basically roll out of bed, eat a healthy breakfast, shower and get dressed, then take on the day and address whatever tasks were on my mind. I’ve since adjusted my routine after reading a few articles and watching some videos about recommended morning routines. I’ve been at my new one for about a month. I have done a great job of sticking to this routine on weekdays, but will admit that I tend to slack on the meditation on the weekend. Hey, baby steps, right?
In any case, here is my new morning routine, and I love it so far. Side note, if you’re looking for an awesome to-do list app like the one in my screenshot, check out Wunderlist. Shout out to my friend Matt Miranda for introducing me to it. I’ve used it ever since and prefer it to my iPhone notes or even the reminder app.
1. Meditate
I’ve begun to start my day off thinking positively and spending some time meditating. I tried the app Headspace and enjoyed the daily reminders along with the humorous little animated videos they have every few days to explain certain things about meditation. Go give it a try and see what you think. I’m not sure if you can adjust the voice of the person guiding the meditation, but I think that would be a nice option as the guy’s voice just didn’t seem to make me relax for whatever reason.
Suggested App to Consider: Headspace
I’ve also tried doing a few short YouTube meditation videos.
Here’s the YouTube meditation videos I’ve come across that I like the most so far:
I sometimes follow up meditation with some entrepreneur motivation to pump me up… this video does an amazing job:
2. Write down daily and weekly goals
Get your daily and weekly goals down. I’ve sometimes done this on my Wunderlist app, but sometimes it’s nice to physically write them down and cross them off the list as they get completed. I find that a Post-It note works well as it can stick to the inside of a wallet or phone case, or even on your computer monitor for constant reminders.
Here’s my Post-It note for the day:
3. Do 50 push-ups
Get some push-ups in to get the blood flowing and kick start your energy levels for the day. Don’t just get a venti coffee at Starbucks and ingest a deadly amount of caffeine. It doesn’t have to be 50 push-ups, just enough to get going.
4. Take a hot shower with 30 seconds of cold water at the end
A hot shower is a good way to transition from the push-ups for me. I added 30 seconds of cold water at the end as it apparently helps you get more alert. I saw a video that talked about Tony Robbins’ morning routine. He apparently submerges himself in a cold water bath at the end of his morning shower. I just turn the water on cold and stand there shivering like a wet dog then dry off quickly… I guess the cold water part does help you speed up in the morning as it’s so uncomfortable for most people.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast
You may have heard this one over and over again. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your first meal is important to fuel your body and “break the fast” from hours of no food or water while you sleep. I recommend meal prepping on Sundays just to have your meals ready to go in general. This will ensure you don’t grab donuts or a cholesterol– I mean breakfast– sandwich on the way in.
My morning breakfast typically looks like this:
- Plain oatmeal with Stevia to sweeten it up if necessary
- Egg whites with low-fat shredded cheese and vegetables
What does your morning routine look like? Have you tried anything new to see if it improves the start to your day? Leave a comment below!
Stay Connected
Chris Bello
Entrepreneur Motivation Podcast on Facebook
