5 Habits To Include In Your Morning Routine For A Productive Day

Here we are in another new year and many of us have set goals which we are working towards. Some of the goals may include being more effective in the way you use your time so you are productive. Did you know that your morning routine can contribute to you being more productive? I think it was John C. Maxwell who correctly observed that ” you will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine”. 

Most successful people will tell you that what contributes to their results is what is in their morning routine. Determine this year, to include some and if possible all of the habits below in your morning routine. This will greatly boost your productivity.

#1. Begin the Day with Silence

Whether it is with prayer or meditation or any other practice that allows you to be still and focus; I recommend you take it up. I find that when I begin the day with gratitude and surrender my plans to God, it helps me remain calm throughout the day. Prayer also helps me to be positive and visualize success in what I want to do for the day. Similarly, when I have taken time to invite God into what I want to do it gives me confidence. I know that regardless of what happens, everything will somehow work out.

#2. Make Use of Affirmations

Affirmations have been defined as “positive declarations of what we believe to be true”. I like to define them as statements we use to call those things that be not as though they are. You can use affirmations to call out what you would like your day to be like.

An affirmation you can use in the morning is ” I am grateful for this day which the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it”. You can also come up with an affirmation to help boost your mood or confidence. For example, if you have a huge task ahead of you that is causing anxiety, you can use the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

Affirmations provide the encouragement we need for the day. When used effectively they help us to manifest what we are believing for. The key with affirmations is for them to work, you must believe in what it is you are affirming. It follows therefore that before you take up an affirmation you need to work on getting to a point where you are sure what you are affirming will come to pass.

I have shared reasons why affirmations are good for you plus a printable with 31 affirmations one for each day of the month which you can use to manifest what you would like in your life.

#3. Make time for Exercise

The benefits of exercise are enormous. Not only is it good for your physical health, but it also helps increase your energy levels. The problem most of us often face is when to get the time to fit it into our busy schedules. Experts advise that we do our exercise in the morning and get it out of the way. In fact, Tony Robbins says he reserves 20 minutes for exercise in his first hour of waking up.  He calls this hour his power hour.

I used to leave my exercising till the end of the day. You can guess what would happen some days. Today, I have moved my exercise to the morning. So whether it is a workout in the gym or a long walk as I either pray or listen to a podcast, I make time for exercise each day.

Experts like Robin Sharma in his book The 5 AM Club recommends that 20 minutes of intense exercise when you get up are enough to set you up to win during the day.

#4. Set Aside Time to Read

It is easy to reason that one never has enough time to read. However, research shows that if you read for 20 – 30 minutes a day you will read at least one book per month? Please check on these tips on how to develop a reading habit.

To ensure that I do this I keep either my kindle or a book am reading next to my bible. After I am done with my morning devotion, I squeeze in 15 – 20 minutes of reading. This habit enables me to read 2 – 3 books a month depending on the size and content of the book.

I challenge you to give this habit a try as you will feel productive given the fact that reading increases your knowledge.

#5. Make time to Eat Breakfast

Unless you are a person who is doing intermittent fasting, which I am learning is very beneficial especially as we grow older, you need to have breakfast.

Very often than not breakfast is a meal that people skip because of lack of time. However, if you want to have fuel for your day then you need to make time for this important meal.

Start by preparing something the night before or over the weekend. This ensures that you have a muffin to accompany your coffee or a smoothie or bowl of oats that you can throw in the microwave while you jump in the shower. Whatever you do ensure that you have breakfast unless you are on a planned fast.

Finally,

Remember that none of us is born with the knowledge of how things are done. Instead, we learn by doing. This requires that you try out things and see what is working and giving you the results you want. I have shared a three-step process that you can use to create good sustainable habits. Remember it is only after you make time for what is important that you will get the results you desire. In addition, once you develop a routine it helps you to stay disciplined to do what needs to be done whether you feel like it or not. I love this quote by John C. Maxwell “successful people do what is right no matter how they feel and by doing the right thing they feel good”. So go ahead put in place a routine that is right for you then ensure that you stick to it. I guarantee you are bound to feel good everyday.

I am curious to know what are some of the habits that you do which help you have a productive day? please share in the comments section.