Having a consistent morning routine is one of my best known secrets to success. 

When you start the day right, it builds confidence and momentum that flows into the workday. 

And puts you in a good mood, which improves how you work and engage with others.  

The problem is that most morning routines fail. 

Here’s why…

People try to do too much in their morning routines. 

For example, their morning routines may consist of waking up early, exercise, meditation, sunlight, journaling, a cold shower, gratitude journaling, and affirmations. 

All before starting working at 8am. 

Sound familiar? 

Yeah, me too. 

For a while, I tried to have a “perfect” morning routine. 

The problem was, I almost never completed everything that I wanted to. 

And because of that, I felt guilty or unsettled going into the workday, which defeated the whole purpose of a morning routine. 

What I’ve learned is that there’s no such thing as a “perfect” morning routine. 

When it comes to morning routines, the missing ingredient most people need is grace. 

Instead of trying to cram everything in, I now focus on a a few critical things. 

1. Sleep – if I go to bed late for any reason, I will wake up later and forgo some parts of my morning routine, as opposed to waking up early and feeling tired all day. I try to get 7-8 hours sleep per night. 

2. Exercise – this one is non-negotiable. I typically exercise 5 days/week before starting work. The key is that some days I exercise longer than others. I would much rather get a 20 minute run in than do nothing at all. 

3. Energy – I have a coffee and a morning energy shake filled with vitamins, protein, and greens to start off each day. 

4. Faith – Another non-negotiable for me. Each morning I pray and give thanks to God and read scripture for a few minutes using an app called “Today in the Word.” I hardly ever miss my prayer because I pray while I’m in the shower (and I shower every morning). This is something referred to as “habit stacking,” where you pair a positive habit with something you already do anyways. Such as taking your vitamins when you brush your teeth. Or listening to an audiobook while exercising. 

Sleep. Exercise. Energy. Faith. 

Those are four non-negotiables for me, which power the rest of my day.

If I have more time, I will do an affirmation, journal, and meditate. But these things may get missed because of time constraints. And I’m okay with that. 

That’s why I call it my imperfect morning routine. 

In today’s training video, I walk through how to create and stay consistent with your own imperfect morning routine, and discuss why it’s such a key component to winning the day. 

You can find the full training video here: https://youtu.be/UrpIHE7kYMc