Jump-Start Each Day with a Powerful Morning Routine

How you start each day dictates how you'll live it. If you begin with a sluggish approach, it's likely you'll never be able to accomplish all you'd like; on the other hand, starting strategically lays the foundation for greater productivity and enhanced success. Set a morning routine that builds up your energy, keeps you happy and smooths your way out the door with time to spare, assembling enough positive vibes to fuel the results you desire all throughout the day.

Incorporate these steps within your morning routine so you can jump-start each day for the best possible output:

• Remove unnecessary actions from your morning routine. Do you really need to empty the dishwasher or pick-up your children's toys? If the task is not getting you closer to walking out the door, at what time can it be scheduled for doing later?

• Streamline your processes for getting ready. Is there a breakfast option which is easier to prepare that you can have daily without thinking about it? Might you be able to simplify styling your hair or how you apply make-up? Are there toiletry products you can use to accomplish multiple functions?

• Use hacks to boost your energy from the start. What can you do to get up and get moving immediately upon waking up? Would there be any early workout you could start, should you try the 7 Minute Workout app or do you have a friend to meet for Zumba first-thing? Do you have an upbeat playlist in your music that you could incorporate in your morning routine? Beyond that, drinking a tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice will certainly improve your morning energy level.

• Choose which task management approach works better for you. As an elephant is eaten one bite at a time, it's imperative to break projects into smaller, more manageable action items, starting each of these on your to-do list with a specific verb. Then, you can choose to "swallow the frog", where you start with the most difficult task first, or you can adopt the philosophy that "activity breeds activity", where you start with a simpler task to get moving on getting things done.

• Know from the get-go which are today's must-do tasks. It is more realistic to start each day with a to-do list of 3 - 5 items that must get done that day, whether those are appointments or tasks. If that list is not readily available, you'll waste time determining what to do when; therefore, make sure that list is front and center upon entering your workspace.

How do you regularly start your day? Which of the aforementioned best practices can you incorporate within your morning routine to promote greater success?

End Each Day with the Next in Mind

With each morning laying the foundation for how things will go throughout that day, the importance cannot be overstated for anything you can do the night before to help remove unnecessary actions from your morning routine and streamline processes for getting ready. Be proactive and better make every minute matter.

Boost productivity by ending each day with the next in mind. Here are some ideas to help:

- Plan what you'll need for the next day's schedule. If you are headed directly to a meeting from your home first-thing in the morning, do you have any files or notes you'll need ready to take with you as you walk out the door? Where are your wallet and keys?

- Verify the weather forecast and prepare your next day's outfit. Make sure you have all the appropriate undergarments and accessories that you will need. Are your clothes ironed? Do you need to shine your shoes? Pay attention to all applicable details.

- Think through the details of what you'll eat for breakfast. If you eat cereal each morning, maybe you set your bowl and spoon beside the cereal box on your countertop. If your coffeemaker allows for programming a start time, have you filled it with coffee and programmed in when it is to start?

- Prepare your lunch plans. If you take your lunch, go ahead and make it, but leave a note beside your car keys to remember to retrieve it from the kitchen. If you go out for lunch each day, think through a location of preference and check its online menu.

- Make sure your vehicle has gas. How often are we racing out the door, running a few minutes late, and realize our low fuel light is on immediately upon turning on the ignition, when we definitely don't have time to stop by the gas station?!? If you take care of that the evening before, it is one less issue to potentially create morning madness.

- Finish with a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter. This will maintain anyone's blood sugar overnight so you wake up more refreshed. I've also heard that melatonin can help, and MidNite is a quality option for a drug-free sleep aid.

What actions do you take at the end of each day to ensure the next day starts the way you want? Are there any items listed here you'll incorporate into your daily habits?

Jump-Start Your Morning

How you start each day can lay the foundation for how things will go all day long. When you oversleep and race frantically out the door, it can make you stressed and frazzled throughout your entire day. Alternatively, if you have a set morning routine that builds up your energy, keeps you happy and smooths your way out the door with time to spare, that positive energy can fuel your day.

Jump-start each morning with these 3 simple steps:

- Remove unnecessary actions from your morning routine. Do you really need to empty the dishwasher or pick-up your child's toys? If the task is not getting you closer to walking out the door, at what time can it be scheduled for doing later?

- Streamline your processes for getting ready each day. Is there a breakfast option which is easier to prepare that you can have daily? Might you be able to simplify styling your hair or how you apply make-up?

- Use hacks to boost your energy from the start of each morning. What can you do to get up and moving immediately? Would there be any early workout you could start or should you try the 7 Minute Workout app? Do you have an upbeat playlist in your music that you could incorporate in your morning routine? Plus, drinking a tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice will certainly improve your morning energy level.

How do you regularly start your day? Have you found success with anything I've shared? Which of these will you be incorporating in your upcoming mornings' routine?

Utilize Daily Rituals to Fuel Your Success

Making the most of each day's limited time relies heavily on having the right rituals built into each day. Beginning with a morning jump-start and ending with evening preparations for the next day can really fuel your success.

When the goal is getting out the door, it is important to stay focused, but it's easy to get distracted. First, eliminate any unnecessary actions from your mornings. Can you declutter the night before so there are fewer distractions? Can unloading the dishwasher wait until after work? Can you absorb the morning's news on your commute to the office instead of on TV? For some, these actions are necessary to properly start the day and can put those individuals in the right mindset; however, for most others, they are simply distractions that lead to tardiness in getting out the door. Determine in which of those groups you fall and respond appropriately.

Second, streamline your processes for getting ready each day. Choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain. Choose a breakfast that is easy to prepare and can be replicated each morning. Choose wrinkle-free clothing. Look at each element of your morning routine, and determine what can be simplified. Doing more without thinking makes the whole process better. Doing more without thinking makes the whole process better. Proceed through a routine each morning so you take out the thinking, go into autopilot and ensure what's important gets completed each day. Plus, if you live with others, knowing beforehand who gets in the shower first can be hugely helpful. While streamlining, break each element of your morning routine into a “zone” so supplies for each action are grouped together and located in the area where they will be needed, like tools for getting dressed, tools for shaving or applying make-up, tools for preparing coffee or tools for making breakfast. 

Third, use hacks to boost your energy at the beginning of each day. Get up and moving soon after you awake to open your lungs for more oxygen, which helps our brains and bodies function properly; I use the 7 Minute Workout app, but use what works for you. Start your day by drinking a tall glass of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which boosts energy, promotes good digestion, encourages immune system functioning, detoxifies the liver and kicks off each day hydrated. Then, use music to motivate your desired behaviors.

To get a solid jump-start, enter each day with only 3-5 “must do” items for that day. Then, use your personality style to get all of them accomplished. If you are a morning person and at your peak energy first-thing, follow the philosophy of “swallow the frog” and do the most difficult and vital task first. Still, if you build momentum as the day rolls along, kickstart your productivity with a simple task first, following the philosophy that “activity breeds activity”.

Finally, end each day with the next in mind. Check the next day’s schedule to plan what you’ll need for all activities. Verify the weather forecast and lay out your clothes as well as any accessories you’ll be wearing. Think through what you will do for breakfast so you aren’t scrambling for something to eat. Go ahead and prepare the next day’s lunch; likewise, if you often forget to grab your pre-made lunch from the fridge, leave yourself a “remember lunch” note on the door or by your keys. Have a set place near that for any items you’ll need to grab as you’re headed out the door, like your keys, work files and purse / wallet / backpack. Make sure you have gas in your vehicle. Finally, finish your evening with a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter, which will ensure you don’t awake groggy from low blood sugar.

Do you have habits that keep you organized for success? How do you create a morning foundation on which your daily results can be built? What works best for your specific needs?