I TRIED 5 MORNING ROUTINES OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

Hey guys! Quarantine has made life drastically different for me. At first, I had a hard time adjusting to the new normal and couldn’t help but let fear take over. And while there seemed to be so many things that have been out of my control, I realized that the way we respond to this global pandemic is completely in our control. So instead of panicking, I decided to do my best to use this time as an opportunity to engage in self discovery, practice self care, and learn new ways of being. It’s so important to remember that the world is shaped by your own perception.

It is your choice whether or not you see the silver lining throughout quarantine and social distancing. I discovered the silver lining by using my extra free time to try something new, so I recently tried 5 morning routines of successful people.

I’ve had the same morning routine for about three years now and given that we’re all in quarantine and don’t have anywhere to be, I figured now would be the perfect time to experiment with morning habits from extremely successful people. I’ve read so many articles about the power of a solid morning routine. It’s so intriguing to me that each person’s morning routine can be so unique, yet the end goal is the same, which is to set yourself up for a great day. Great days compile and turn into a great week, a great month, a great year, and a great life! If you’d like, you can watch the video linked or read below to follow along with the morning routines.

I began the challenge with Warren Buffet, then Oprah Winfrey, next was Dwayne the Rock Johnson, after that was Ellen Degenerous, and last was Tony Robbins.

We kicked things off with Warren Buffet. His morning routine was pretty simple but I had so much fun doing it. First things first, he wakes up at 6:45am every morning. He then makes a cup of coffee and reads the news. He reads Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Business Insider. I read through several articles and as I’m sure you can guess, every article I read was about Coronavirus. I think it's great to be informed about everything, however- I wasn’t a big fan of jumping into the news first thing in the morning.

In my opinion, the best and most unexpected part of Warren’s morning routine is breakfast. His idea of the perfect breakfast is McDonalds. Given that he could afford any gourmet breakfast but still choses Mcdonalds just goes to show that the value of his morning routine is rooted in authenticity. This simple morning routine is what sets him up for a successful day at work.

Next we had Oprah’s morning routine which I really enjoyed. I felt peaceful and really relaxed throughout the entire day. Typically, I can’t shut off my mind in the mornings because as soon as I wake up, I start thinking about everything I have to get done in the day. Oprah has such a busy schedule on a daily basis, so she likes to take things slow in the morning. She wakes up around 6:20.. But she says “I don’t believe in alarms… they’re alarming!” So basically, she’s trained her body to wake up early without relying on alarm.

She then goes for a walk outside and tries to focus on a point of nature. I got a glimpse of the sun before it started to rain so I just sat on a bench and watched the sunrise before heading back inside. Next, she heads inside and reads 365 Guarded Truths while she waits for her coffee to brew. I don’t have this card set, so I read the “prayers” from These Four Agreements. After finishing her coffee & reading, she meditates every single morning. She lights a few candles and “meditates for as little at 10 seconds to 10 minutes” depending on how she’s feeling. I haven't fully committed to meditating yet, but when I’ve tried it in the past, the Headspace app has made it so much more enjoyable than trying to do it on my own. It was really nice lighting candles as well. You can almost see the flicker of the light through your eyelids. It was a really calming experience. After meditation Oprah gets a workout in. Since my complex gym is closed, I’ve been working out in the hallway. Her workout was pretty cardio based. She does cardio for 30 minutes, walks for 30 minutes, and then does 3 sets of sit ups. I prefer more of a dynamic workout, but she’s 66 years old and looks amazing, so it’s proof that it works! Anyways, that was the end of Oprah’s routine. Let’s head into the Rock’s morning routine.

The Rock’s morning routine is intense. My intent in adding his routine was to really get outside of my comfort zone and experience what it takes to maintain his drive and athleticism. Given that he was a professional wrestler and is well known for his insane amount of muscle. I knew I was going to be in for a treat. The rock wakes up every morning at 4am… 4am!!!! He then has pre- workout or a protein shake before working out. I prefer coffee- especially if I’m waking up at the crack of dawn. At 4:20, he does some type of cardio, so I headed out around 4:20 to start running. My body definitely was not ready to be up and moving that early.

After his first workout, he has a hefty breakfast: 10 ounces of grilled sirloin, 8-10 ounces of potatoes, and 10 egg whites. I typically don’t have my first meal until after 11:00 am, and eating red meat for breakfast just wasn't my jam at all. I know that the protein is used for fuel to build muscle during workouts so I see how that helps him bulk up. After his breakfast, the last part of his morning routine is an hour of weight training. Working out on a full stomach made me feel sluggish, but I powered through it!

All in all, I will say that it was easier to focus on my workout because there are less distractions at 4am. Everyone else is sleeping, no one is going to be texting you at that time, no one is on social media.. It’s just you and your workout which actually made the workout more enjoyable. And it was a great feeling to get the hardest part of the day out of the way first. After weights, the rock is off to film by 7am to be ready, on set by 8am. So lets head into our last routine, which is Ellen Degeneres!

Ellen’s routine was one of my favorites. I think it’s so important to listen to your body and give it what it needs and I really think Ellen strikes a perfect balance between unwinding and practicing self care. She wakes up every morning at 6:45am. She then brews a cup of coffee and watches TV for an hour. I typically don’t watch TV until the end of the day because it’s so easy to get sucked into whatever you’re watching and let your morning slip away. So although it was nice to just cuddle up and watch TV, it did make me feel a bit lazy. I just like waking up and feeling like I’m accomplishing something instead of crawling back into bed. I think if you have a hard stop like Ellen though.. It’s definitely a nice way to just relax and not think too much about your to do’s for the day. Next, she goes for a walk on the beach.. I just went for a walk outside & it was extremely windy but it was nice to get fresh air early in the day. Next, Ellen practices Hatha yoga. I LOVE that this is a part of her morning routine. Hatha is one of my favorite practices.. It focuses more on stretching than strength and just makes your body feel loose & relaxed. I normally practice at the end of the day but I enjoyed taking the time to show my body some love earlier in the day.

Next, Ellen makes oatmeal banana pancakes for breakfast! You only need 3 ingredients for the pancakes: oats, one banana, and your choice of milk. I have a sweet tooth all hours of the day, so this was the perfect breakfast for me. I’ve actually used this recipe multiple times since doing the morning routine challenge! Last but not least, we have Tony Robbins morning routine.

Tony begins every morning by waking up anytime between 7am - 9am depending on his schedule for the day. He then drinks his greens supplement and takes his vitamins. It was nice to start the day with a healthy drink as opposed to my typical two cups of coffee. He then begins his priming process. This was my favorite part of his routine and it is another option to consider if you aren’t a fan of meditation.

Tony describes priming yourself as “putting yourself in a state where your mind and body respond accordingly.” There are three steps to the process and it only takes 10 minutes. The first step is to breath for three minutes, the Second step is to express gratitude for three minutes, and the last step is to “visualize success.” Focus on three things, one at a time, that you want to accomplish, then “live it, feel it, and experience it.”

This process was much more effective for me than meditation. Aligning myself with my goals really helped me move forward with purpose. I have implemented this into my morning routine and have already noticed a difference in my productivity.

After priming, he does a HIIT workout. HIIT workouts are my favorite style of workouts - they’re effective, get your heartrate up, and allow your body to continue burning calories throughout the day. After working out, he does hot and cold therapy. The recovery room I usually go to is closed right now, so I just did the cold therapy by setting a 3 min timer and hoping in an ice cold shower (not going to film or take my camera into the shower lol) but it was BRUTAL. And the final step of Tony’s morning routine is a two minute inversion to maximize blood flow and increase energy. There is equipment you can use to hoist your entire body upside down, but I just did a wall inversion! This is so beneficial for your body, especially if you spend a majority of your day sitting at your desk.

There were certain aspects I enjoyed about each person’s morning routine but Tony’s was my absolute favorite. My mind and body felt sharp and alert the entire day. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong approach to morning routines.. The end goal is all the same- which is to compile habits that best suit you to move forward with your day. Maybe it’s TV & banana pancakes, maybe it’s a 4am workout, or maybe it’s meditation that sets you up for a successful day.. I encourage you guys to experiment with the steps in the morning routines to see what feels best for you! I had so much fun filming this and can’t wait to continue trying things that push me outside my comfort zone. So please subscribe to my channel if you enjoyed trying something new with me and comment below what you think I should try next week. See you guys soon!