How to Create a Morning Routine (That Works)

The way I start the morning can either make or break my day!

I’ve been fascinated with creating a morning routine ever since I discovered the The Miracle Morning books. Over the years, I’ve tried so many different combinations, but most would last just a few days or possibly weeks, then I’d stop. Trying to create a morning routine seemed like more work than it was worth. Perhaps you can relate if you’ve ever tried to create a morning routine for yourself.

I was determined to create a morning routine that worked for me! I’m a coach, so I’m often creating little coaching exercises with power questions to help me assess a situation and create a solution. So, I did just that to create a morning routine.

Coaching Questions to Help You Create a Morning Routine:

• What stresses you out about the morning?
• For each of those stressors, identify possible solutions. What could make it less stressful?
• How do you want to feel in the morning? (Yes, your feelings are important!)
• If you had unlimited time, what would you LOVE to do in the morning?

These 4 simple questions became the catalyst to create a morning routine that finally worked for me! Grab a journal (or a piece of paper) write down each of these questions and start brainstorming with God. You’ll  be amazed at how He’ll help you create a morning routine that will work for you and your family.

You might not be able to do all of these things immediately, but it will help you see what is important to you!

Here’s the morning routine that I created from those questions.

My Morning Routine:

• It actually starts the night before with taking a shower, laying out my workout clothes, removing email and social media apps from my phone, and making sure that I’m in bed no later than 9:30pm.
• 5:55am – Alarm #1 goes off. This is my snuggle alarm. I get up, walk to the bathroom, and turn off the alarm. Then, hop back in bed for 5 minutes of snuggle time with my hubby!
• 6am – Alarm #2 goes off. This is when I officially get up and immediately put on my workout clothes.
• 6-6:45am – Drink a large glass of water and go to my office.
• 6:45-7:40am – Family Time – the kid’s alarm goes off and they get ready, we do breakfast, pack lunches, drink Plexus Slim, and get them ready for their school day.
• 7:40-8am – I drop my daughter off at school, turn on my recorded affirmations, and drive to the mall.
• 8-9am – Walk at mall while listening to a book on audible.
• 9-9:15am – Drive home from the mall and listen to my recorded affirmations again.
• 9:30-10:30am – Business Meeting with God – I listen to worship music, read scripture, pray for my team, and then I brainstorm with God about whatever project I’m working on at the moment. Each morning, in my goal journal, I write out my goals for the year. I’ll then spend a few minutes envisioning what life will be like when each of these goals have been accomplished. How will I feel? What will I be able to do? Once I’ve envisioned success, I write the question, “What do I need to do TODAY to move me closer to accomplishing these goals?” This is a question, but it’s also a prayer. It’s me asking God how to best use my time today.

Behind the Scenes – Why this Morning Routine Works for Me:

I always like to know the WHY behind someone’s schedule, so here’s your glimpse into why this morning routine works for me!

• I’m getting 8ish hours of sleep a night and not waking up at some crazy early hour!
• I’m awake before the kids! This eliminated sooo many stressors! I need to start my day before the kids otherwise I’m grouchy and feeling behind.
• For the first time since we’ve been married, Jon and I now wake up at the same time. We get a little time to chat and snuggle, but we eliminated the temptation of falling back asleep.
• I’m not distracted by email or social media. In fact, I don’t add the apps back to my phone until 11am.
• One of my goals for the year is to workout daily. I’m setting myself up for success by 1) laying out my workout clothes the night before 2) immediately putting on my workout clothes 3) going straight to the gym after I drop off Sophie.
• I have dedicated time to write my goals, envision success, and create an action plan for the day.
• We get to enjoy family time in the morning.
• Making time for personal growth is a priority for me. On Sunday evenings, I plan out what I’ll do for personal growth the upcoming week. I download the audible or the podcasts, so I’m ready to go. I’m now getting 60-90 minutes of personal growth a day which adds up to lots of awesome podcasts and books in a month.
• I now have extended quality time with God for worship, prayer, brainstorming, and planning.
• I try not to schedule any appointments before 10:30am ET. And, if I do have an early morning appointment, then I adjust the schedule accordingly.

I understand the frustration of trying to create a morning routine. But, I’m so grateful that I kept tweaking it until I found a morning routine that works for me. It’s worth the work- I promise! Use the 4 simple questions to create a morning routine that works for you!

Do you have something in your morning routine that is working great? If so, we’d love to learn from you!