The Morning Routine That Helped Me Find My Purpose

Morning routines are everywhere. There are whole books dedicated to them, and numerous articles outlining the morning routines to make you productive, happy, and successful.

I love learning about morning routines. I love reading about the mornings of the most successful people on Earth. What is it that got them to where they are? How do they set themselves up for a productive and successful day, and thus a productive and successful life?

I dove deep into the morning routine literature, and was able to curate my own.

1. Take a minute for purposeful silence.

As soon as you wake up, whether that be by alarm or your own rhythm, before you do anything else (except turn off your alarm of course), just lie there in silence for one minute.

So often we wake up and our hearts are already pounding from the noise of the alarm, and we jump up and are straight into the day.

Lying still for one minute allows you to check in with your body. How is your body feeling? Is it sore, tired? Is it holding tension? Then you can check in with your thoughts. Am I thinking about something, stressed about something? Am I sad, happy, anxious?

And finally, set a quick intention for the day. Maybe you want to be more mindful in your daily activities, or maybe you want to be kind to every person you encounter. Set this intention before you rise out of bed.

2. Drink at least 500mL of water.

Your body will be dehydrated when you wake up. During the night you sweat and breathe, and lose a surprisingly large amount of fluid.

You can add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt and a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice to replete the precious minerals we have lost overnight.

Drinking water as soon as you wake up will rehydrate the body and start to flush toxins out.

3. Do a walking meditation.

The fresh air is a great way to wake you up; it’s hard to feel sleepy when you’re outside.

You can use a guided walking meditation (I recommend the ones by Thich Nhat Hanh on the Plum Village app) or you can do a silent one. I usually use both, starting with a guided one to help get me in the right mindset and then I do my own.

I find that the mindfulness and self awareness that results from this practice allows me to think more deeply than at any other time. I have had some of my greatest and most profound thoughts during walking meditations. As the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said,

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”

4. Brew a cup of coffee or tea.

This practice is even more beneficial if you maintain your state of mindfulness from your walking meditation.

Focus on the process of making the tea or coffee. Think about the steps you are completing. Enjoy the aroma as it brews. Before you take your first sip, feel the warmth of the cup in your hand, and think of all that has come together to make this drink possible: the water from the clouds which then flowed through the river and to a reservoir, the beans or leaves that farmers grew and then cultivated, the transference of energy to heat the water. Recognise the miracle of this cup of coffee or tea.

Numerous great thinkers have highlighted their love for coffee, and one famous quote is by the poet and writer, T.S. Eliot:

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.”

5. Journal.

Sit down with your tea or coffee and a journal, and write whatever comes to mind.

You can write about what thoughts you had during your walk or through the process of making your tea or coffee, any thoughts you woke up with, or even something as simple as what you are looking forward to today. It can be anything. Just write.

Eventually some hidden thoughts will come to the surface and you will start to understand yourself better.

To quote the most famous journal writer there is,

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” — Anne Frank

6. Listen to a podcast.

Sometimes it’s at this point that I need to go to work, which is a perfect time to listen to a podcast. Or you can listen while you finish your drink, as you make your breakfast, or just while just sitting and listening.

I have found that while listening to a podcast, a lot of thoughts come to me about what I want to do with my life and what I value most. Maybe it’s because my mind is focused on one thing, and I have just cultivated a mindset of mindfulness and clarity with my morning routine. Maybe it’s because the podcasts are inspiring. Whatever it is, I have figured out a lot about where I want my life to go and what is most important to me while listening to podcasts.

Filling your mind with educational and uplifting information is so important in the morning, before it gets filled with the tasks of the day and all the tragic news that has come in from around the world overnight. You’ll quickly notice a change in how the rest of your day goes if your first inputs are positive and uplifting.

There are millions of different morning routines out there. There are also daytime and evening routines as well. Different routines will work for different people, and it’s helpful to pick and choose the parts that work for you. If you try something and it doesn’t speak to you, don’t keep doing it. Only continue with the aspects of a routine that make you feel something.

This routine has helped me to very quickly figure out what I want to do with my life, what my values are, and what is important to me. It allows me to create space everyday to evaluate where I am and where I want to go. Keep experimenting, and soon you’ll find the one that works best for you.