Having a morning routine can be a great way to start your day off on the right foot and set yourself up for success. By establishing a regular routine, you can help improve your productivity, reduce stress, and create a sense of order and control in your life.
Benefits of intentionally designing a morning routine
Everyone has a morning routine whether they wanted or not, but the question is: is it productive? Intentionally designing a morning routine can help you achieve more of what you want to get done, and reduce the stress at the end of the day. One of the benefits of having a morning routine is that it can help you get your day off to a productive start. By waking up at the same time each day and following a set schedule, you can ensure that you have enough time to tackle your most important tasks before the day ends. It can help you be more focused and efficient, leading to better results and greater success.
Another benefit of having a morning routine is that it can help to reduce stress. When you have a set routine, you know what to expect each day and can plan accordingly. This can help to alleviate some of the anxiety and uncertainty that can come with not knowing what the day will bring. By establishing a routine, you can also ensure that you have enough time to relax and unwind before starting your day, which can help reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
In addition to these benefits, having a morning routine can create a sense of order and control in your life. By establishing a regular schedule, you can ensure that you can prioritize your most important tasks and that you can get them done before other distractions and obligations get in the way. This can help you feel more in control of your life and ultimately lead to greater satisfaction and happiness.
How does an ideal morning routine look like
Set aside your first 15 minutes of your working schedule to plan the rest of your day following these tactics:
Double-check your availability
We usually have a long list of things we want to accomplish, and we start the day with that list on hand, trying to squeeze it into our schedule. Wrong, this might be your main stressor! Instead, first, o all, be realistic about how much time you really have on hand. Identify any meetings and time required for breaks, lunch or workouts. Is any time needed for preparation for meetings? Also, the morning is the perfect time to define your end-of-day time. No, you know how much time you have left. You may have only 4 hours in your day to work. Does it make sense? Now you really have a clean baseline to start planning.
Identify tasks that you can accomplish within the time you have
Having no more than 3 to 5 activities to complete helps you focus. Then prioritize the tasks you want to achieve. Make sure you put first what requires more attention, takes longer or is more urgent.
Timebox the activities into your calendar
Estimate how much time you will spend on each activity, and timebox or allocate a fixed period to each planned activity directly on your calendar, just like if it was a meeting. Some apps help you do this automatically from your to-do list. Doing this helps you commit and work on the activity for that fixed time, stick to your schedule, and avoid becoming a perfectionist about each task.
Challenge your planning
Can you eliminate or delegate any of these tasks or meetings? Can you reduce the time spent on any of them? Can you bump any of these to the following day? Make sure you feel comfortable with your planning, having all the tasks and commitments you want to get done but no more. Expecting more than possible only frustrates you at the end of the day. We normally accomplish less than expected. So just keep it realistic and simple.
This activity should not take more than 15 minutes. Having a separate backlog where you have other tasks you want to get done that are not a priority today can help you keep up to date with what needs to get done without messing up your daily sprint. Remember, keep it separate. For instance, you can use Google tasks and “star” the activities for the day.
Overall, having a morning routine can be a great way to start your day off on the right foot and set yourself up for success. By establishing a regular routine, you can help improve your productivity, reduce stress, and create a sense of order and control in your life. So why not try it out and see how it can benefit you?
I am Luciana Paulise, coach and author of the book We Culture, 12 skills for growing teams in the future of work. Through coaching, I help employees identify barriers to performing at their best and enjoying their work-life balance. I regularly contribute to Forbes as well as other multiple international media outlets. I live in Texas, and I am bilingual English-Spanish. Contact me to learn more! https://theweculture.com/wp/en/luciana-paulise/
