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The number one indicator of a student’s success in school and in life after it is not their level of intelligence. It is their work ethic and willpower. Work ethic and willpower will carry you through most anything difficult. Studies now show that you can build and strengthen these two vital parts of yourself. You can start by creating a morning routine that will set you up for success throughout your day. 

1. Same Wake-Up Time

Rising at the same time every morning helps to train your body and mind to make waking up easier. Doing this may not sound like fun in the beginning, but once you try it, you’ll never go back. Why? Because your body becomes regulated when you get up at the same time every day so that your sleep/wake cycles are on track. You’ll feel less fatigued and sleepy throughout your day.

2. Meditation

Starting your day with meditation has two benefits. First, it is an easy and slow way to start your day (you don’t even have to get out of bed). Second, it will allow you to reflect on your thoughts. Bonus, if those are positive thoughts about your day. If they are not positive thoughts with meditation, they will become positive.

3. Workout

Morning workouts are a great way to get your blood pumping and your mind clear for the day ahead. Working out will most definitely test your willpower, as well. 

4. Breakfast with Others

Be it friends, family, or even a coworker, eating breakfast with others prioritizes the relationships in your life and will help to put your day into perspective. 

5. Make a To-Do List

Writing a to-do list of your day’s tasks and then prioritizing the list will set your intentions for the day and give you a plan of action. Remember, your to-do list can be for work and personal. 

6. Say Good Morning

Saying good morning to those you pass in the morning has a direct benefit to you and the people you meet. It may be the lift both of you need at the moment. When you say “Good Morning” to someone, they will feel an obligation to say “Good Morning” to someone else. 

7. Keep Learning

You may not have time to add learning into your morning routine, but at least throw a book in your work bag. Continued learning, be it for any area of your life, is a process that takes time and commitment. You only benefit from it. 

You may not have enough time in your morning to incorporate all seven of these routines to start. Heck, you may only have time for one or two. The point of this article is to give you a proven morning routine that will set you up for success. You probably do a couple of these already. Make a decision to add at least one more to your morning routine tomorrow.

Are you tired of everyone and their brother on the internet telling you that you need a morning routine? Well, That won’t stop anytime soon. They do have a valid point in the importance of starting and maintaining a morning routine. A set of processes that you can rely on and complete every morning do have many benefits. All those benefits can be summed up into three categories.

1. The Power of Starting Your Day

Charles Spurgeon is quoted in saying, “Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began. . .” The start to your day, your “begin,” sets the tone for your entire day. Having a process to follow that sets you up to feel your best throughout the day will aid you in the “go on” portion of your day. A morning routine that is comprised of healthy habits will help.

2. Your Willpower’s Last Straw

Science shows that much like your ability to keep your eyes open, your willpower also has a circadian rhythm. Your ability to make positive choices is most reliable in the morning when you first wake up and naturally decreases throughout the day. Making positive choices, therefore, is easier in the morning, so you are more likely to create a healthy morning routine as opposed to an evening routine. 

3. The Nature of Ritualization

Have you ever noticed that certain things cause you to do other certain things? Getting out of bed triggers your desire to drink coffee, smelling the coffee makes you want to do your morning readings. The warmth of the coffee your drinking makes you think about yesterday’s things you can add to your gratitude list. Humans, much like Pavlov’s dog, are natural at ritualization. You may not drool when you hear the doorbell, but the sound of your coffee maker probably prompts you to do something. Mornings are full of these “bells” that will trigger you to do another step. A healthy morning routine is nothing more than a series of small rituals that you perform, and these will carry into your day. 

If there was any doubt before as to whether it was in your best interest to start compiling and performing a morning routine, you shouldn’t be now. Morning routines are fairly natural processes that humans go through; you need to make the conscientious decision to create one that is best for you.