The Power of the Morning Routine

During the first 30 minutes of our day, we make the decision to either move our day forward or ​let our day pass us by. When we get up and MOVE, we immediately create momentum and literally propel our energy forward. When we continue to lay down, snooze the alarm clock, and procrastinate until we are borderline late for work, the day has already chalked up a win over our mind and body. The morning routine takes extreme discipline, but its rewards are extraordinary. Don't believe me? Try this plan for just one week and compare your results!

How do we win the day within the first hour? Through the power of the MORNING ROUTINE. This powerful tool allows our body to think and act before the mind even has a chance to wake up and comprehend what is going on. There needs to be a system set in place to ensure that we get out of bed and to automatically win over our human tendency to procrastinate. If these systems are not in place, it will be nearly impossible to have the discipline to stay committed to the routine.

Several Systems for Success:

1. Find an app that prevents you from browsing social media first thing in the morning. I found an app called "OFFTIME" that locks off my apps when I wake up; I do keep several apps open, such as Spotify for music, Headspace for meditation, and YouTube for motivational videos. There is a suggested donation for the PRO version, but it is totally worth the money to ensure your commitment to the routine.

2. Fall asleep with your phone at least 10 feet away from your bed. This will ensure that you HAVE to get out of bed to turn off your alarm in the morning, and that you are not staring at your screen before you fall asleep (which decreases sleep quality drastically).

3. Lay out your morning WORKOUT clothes before bed. This will ensure that you are ready to get your morning routine started immediately, as opposed to having to make decisions when you are tired and unmotivated.

4. Pre-cook your breakfast the night before. This will save you time in the morning to get everything else done!

5. Find an accountability partner to ask how your routine is going. If you send me your morning routine plan via email at [email protected], I will follow up in ONE week to ask about your results.

Now that you have an accountability system set in place, you have NO excuse to skip your morning routine. What does the morning routine look like?

The Morning Routine:

1. MOVE, immediately. In order for you to propel your day forward mentally, you need to convert momentum from physical energy to mental energy (can you tell that I went to school for engineering?). The best way to do this is through a workout routine that gets your blood flowing. It does not need to be an exhausting commitment by any means. Activities like stretching, several push-ups, or just a few jumping jacks will get the job done.

2. Morning meditation will save your mental health in ways you would never imagine. I consider myself a highly active individual, and there is no way that I could focus on all of the activities that I do without focusing on my mental state through meditation. Do you find yourself stressed, anxious, depressed, or weighted down? I know the feeling, and I can promise you that connecting through any form of meditation will cure this. I use an app called Headspace if you're in the market for a good resource!

3. The most important meal of the day is breakfast. The food you put into your body is your source of energy, and it is especially important to fuel yourself with clean energy in the morning when your body is needing nutrients. Would you ever fill your car with half-gas and half-water? Your body won't operate at full operation with half-junk-food and half-nutrients.

Pro-tip: chugging a glass of before your morning workout will immediately get rid of the morning grogginess.

4. Find morning motivation, every day. You would be surprised at how much you will refer back to the motivational words that you hear first thing in the morning. Your brain begins firing at astronomical rates in the morning, and if you fill your mind with negativity, it will stick like glue for the rest of the day.

If you have read to this point, I am impressed! I would love to see what your morning routine looks like. Shoot me a quick email at [email protected] after you plan out your personal routine and I will follow up with you personally in ONE WEEK to ask about your results.

Cheers!

​Renner

"The Chicagoan" is the perfect long sleeve for training in the Windy City during the spring and winter months! It is a 100% polyester quarter-zip shirt, which makes it the ideal article of clothing for runners. Not only is it perfect for running, but its sleek black design stands in any urban area to match most of your daily clothes. 10% of the profits are donated to my partner charity, Natural High.