Six hacks for a great morning routine
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you”
It's no coincidence that many of the most successful people give their morning routines a lot of credit. Starting your day on purpose (rather than waking up because you have to be somewhere) maximises your energy, creativity and productivity, and sets the tone for the rest of your day. Once you have a great routine, you'll understand the power of them.
Our founder, Laura Fullerton, is the queen of morning rituals, and we asked her to share her top six tips...
1: Set three goals the night before
Each day I have three key things I need to achieve. Setting them the night before only takes 10 minutes, and means I wake up with a purpose. I try to avoid any unnecessary decisions – likewise if I'm going to the gym or have a meeting, I'll plan my outfits so I don't waste time, and it makes me feel super organised and like I've got my sh*t together.
2: Wake up at the same time
Our bodies anticipate that we're going to wake up and eat at the same time each day, and so I like to consistently get up at 6:30am. Because of this, even on weekends I'm one of those morning people. I also have a happy, peaceful alarm song, rather than one of those brutal egg timers (I'd be a horrible person if I had that).
Side note: your 'chronotype' determines whether you're a night owl or a morning person, and the good news is you can change it in about two weeks.
3: Think happy thoughts
As soon as I turn my alarm off, I put my phone straight down and think about the three things I'm really excited for that day (and physically smile while I'm doing it!). It could be anything from a cool meeting, seeing a friend, or even a nice dinner I'm going to cook. It instantly puts me in a positive mindset, and I really rate doing this, rather than scrolling through your phone.
4: Reset the room
Then I drink a big glass of water to rehydrate, get up, and make my bed straight away – a friend told me it's psychological trick that makes you feel like you've already achieved something, and it works for me.
5: Enjoy the process
Every morning I have a bulletproof coffee (and depending on whether/what time I'm training, I'll have breakfast too). I've made a conscious effort to enjoy this process, rather than thinking "urgh this is so long". So now, brewing the coffee in a French press, then blending in the MCT oil, butter and collagen powder in my Vitamix, has come a nice little ritual that's slightly meditative.
6: Work smarter, not longer
Having a plan forces me to work smarter and more efficiently. Without one, I'll find myself looking at Airbnb's in countries I'm not visiting, or taking a quiz to find out which kitchen appliance I am.
I usually take the biggest of my three tasks (or the one I'm dreading the most) and do that first. There's nothing more empowering than getting shit done, and it motivates me for the rest of the day. I'll also schedule chunks of time to each job, and sometimes set alarms if I need to be super militant.
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
Steve Jobs
