Building a Morning Routine
Building a Morning Routine
Our morning routine should energize and focus us on what’s important now. Although the habits may look a little different from one person to the next, I believe there are three steps to creating a good morning routine.
Start with a template.
Personalize it.
Create consistency.
Start with a template
I love a good roadmap. If we want to do something new, we need to find someone who’s done it successfully and use them as a guide. We can make revisions to fit our unique styles, but a template will provide a great starting point. I am fascinated by the morning routines of successful, happy people. As we explore their routines, we’ll notice patterns. They tend to be protective of the first few hours of the day, carefully selecting what gets their attention, and often investing it exclusively in themselves until midmorning. Research some different morning routines. Commit to one that appeals to you for twenty-one days. S.A.V.E.R.S from the Miracle Morning is a great, easy template. Use a habit tracking app or print a calendar and put a check or smiley face when you complete your new morning routine.
Personalize it
I’m an early bird who values an intentional, quiet, unrushed morning. As a writer, business owner, and investor, my morning flow allows me to match my best energy with my most important creative work while saving the important but dull administrative tasks for the afternoon. After trial running a standard routine for a few weeks, we’ll probably discover some small changes we’d like to make to the flow. Capture the updates and be willing to scrap the practices that don’t add value to your mornings. We’ll probably notice that our morning routines will shift with life and seasonal changes. Being aware of these shifts will allow us to quickly adapt our flows to prevent us from going completely off the rails. When the days become longer in the spring, I’m drawn to spending more time outside to enjoy the sunrise. As the cold returns in early winter, I spend my quiet time in a cozy nook in my office.
Create consistency
I highly recommend a consistent wake-up and bedtime if your schedule allows. My morning routine looks exactly the same every day, and that consistency supercharges my circadian and ultradian cycles. Predictable rhythms help me know when it’s time for important creative work and when it’s time to enjoy some guilt-free brain bubblegum while folding laundry. I find that 100% is usually easier than 95%, so I use placeholders to ensure consistency. My gym rest days on Wednesdays and Sundays would create gaps in my morning routine, which I filled with unnecessary tasks that delayed my first deep work block. I added a 20-minute yoga practice on the days I don’t lift weights to keep me on schedule and away from random housekeeping tasks. If we struggle with consistency in our morning routine, it could be a motivation problem, but it may be that our routine isn’t working for this season of life. If so, return to step two and personalize it to work well during this season.
My Creator’s Spring 2025 Routine
Here’s my current routine, in case you’re curious.
I immediately pop out of the bed like a piece of toast as soon as I wake up and thank God for another great day. My alarm is set for 5 AM, but I typically wake up naturally at 4:48 to skip my alarm before it sounds. I head straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth, sync my Oura, weigh in, start a load of laundry, and put on my preselected gym clothes. I’ll grab my phone off its digital dock in the bathroom, lace up my sneakers, and jump on the treadmill for thirty minutes of zone 2 cardio. I typically enjoy the first 10-15 minutes in silence for thoughts or prayer before listening to the day’s chronological Bible, Bible Recap summary, and Heroic daily wisdom, and recommitting to my life vision. Next up is a daily rotation of 10-15 minutes of strength training (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri), HIIT (Sat), or yoga (Wed, Sun), and 5 minutes of stretching. I finish my gym routine with a 10-minute meditation before getting ready for the day.
When I’m done in the gym, I’ll move the laundry over, shower, and dress in my preselected outfit. I’ll head downstairs to feed the pups, water the plants, and make the coffee. Then the pups and I head outside to enjoy some early morning light. I’ll bring my Bible and planner to reread any passages that caught my attention during my walk. I’ll review and recommit to the daily plan I created during yesterday’s work wind down.
By 7:30, I’m at my standing desk ready to write. I’ll set a 90-minute timer, turn on my creative flow playlist, and start with yesterday’s breadcrumbs as I work on my most important creative priority for the day. My old dog, Heidi, is usually committed to the early shift with me, but Rupert doesn’t show up until closer to lunchtime. I keep my planner nearby to jot down any reminders or miscellaneous tasks that try to distract me from my work. When the timer sounds, I stop for my first break, whether I’m ready or not, because I’ve learned rest breaks are essential for me have the best creative production returns on my time.
Optimal mornings lead to great days
Building an optimal morning routine will take time and patience as we discover our ideal flow. We can’t pour from an empty cup, so prioritizing time for ourselves each morning sets us up to deepen our connections and make meaningful contributions. Does your morning routine springboard you into consistently great days?
Faith Encouragement:
Ephesians 5:15-16 – Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Luke 5:16 – But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
John Wooden – Make each day your masterpiece.
Marcus Aurelius – When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.