For years I dreamt about having a morning routine. Some of the most successful people in the world have championed their morning routine as the secret to their success. In recent years the rekindling of ancient practices have seen people from all walks of life begin their morning with meditation or an act of mindfulness such as yoga or deep breathing.

There can be no doubt in the power of a morning routine. It’s become the new antidote to creating your best life. Start with the intention of rising earlier than most and you set yourself up for the best possible day ahead.

[clickToTweet tweet=”There can be no doubt in the power of a morning routine. Wake early & create the best possible day ahead.” quote=”There can be no doubt in the power of a morning routine. Wake early and create the best possible day ahead.”]

We’ve all had those mornings where we roll over and hit snooze. The days when we wake feeling less than great. I know those days when I sleep in I feel like I’m chasing my tail all day! And then I end up getting flustered and angry and stop and remind myself to take a breath.

But the older I get the calmer and clearer I am when I wake at 6am. One of my best friends has started waking at 5am and she swears it’s transformed her life. She spends the first couple of hours of her day writing and she knows she’s tapped into a higher part of herself. Her writing is better, she’s more focussed and even though as every entrepreneur will attest she has her own set of barriers to breakthrough (we all do), her powerful morning routine is giving her the start to the day she needs – a win before the day even starts.

And that’s really what a powerful morning routine or powerful morning should look like shouldn’t it? Give you a win before the work day begins while simultaneously making you feel good. When you achieve something before you step out the door – that gives you an extra edge. 

[clickToTweet tweet=”When you achieve something before you step out the door in the morning that gives you an extra edge. ” quote=”When you achieve something before you step out the door in the morning that gives you an extra edge. “]

To my mind a powerful morning routine is made up of a series of steps that inspire you, allow your thoughts to flow freely, your to feel connected and your body to feel strong and ready.

I like to think of myself as a free spirit – so for years the thought of a morning routine didn’t inspire me. I honestly thought that my desire for freedom meant that I had to be free in my actions each day – ha! How wrong could I have been. A morning routine has completely revolutionised my life and it can transform yours if you allow it.

Over the past 2 years I’ve experimented with 20 minutes of oil pulling each morning. I originally started as a means to combat my auto-immune diagnosis of scleroderma, but I soon discovered how much I LOVED starting my day in silence. The usual things followed, sometimes some journalling or a morning walk. Someday’s these things flowed in succession and I discovered how much HAPPIER I was when I had started with a strong routine.

I decided to start looking into the power of a morning routine.

Author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins advocates an hour of power every morning and Steve Jobs used to look in the mirror each morning and ask himself if he would be happy with his planned day if it was his last day in life. If his answer was ‘no’ too many days in a row he made sure to make some changes.

Successful people have one thing in common, they cherish their mornings.  When you start each day with healthy habits and focus on what’s important in your life you consciously (and subconsciously) start bringing that life to reality. You control the day rather than the day controlling you. 

[clickToTweet tweet=”Successful people have one thing in common, they cherish their mornings.” quote=”Successful people have one thing in common, they cherish their mornings.”]
When you perform a morning routine that’s centred around your highest values and goals in life, not a day will go by without you thinking about them (your goals) and what you want to achieve which in turn helps you achieve them.

As you know I am a huge fan of meditation, being in flow, staying present, and living in the moment. But I also know that my inner Virgo needs structure and my routine gives me that.

I think one of the main reasons I get so much done in my life and am able to be a step mum, wife, entrepreneur and friend (amongst other things!) is because of my morning routine. It helps me stay focused, clear, and on my path. Of course there are day’s that don’t go to plan (I am human after all!) and that’s ok. For me it’s about being aware and noticing when and why I might be showing up in a certain way or why something might feel like it’s pushing me a certain way. It’s about being able to flick a switch and pivot, and pivot quickly.

Never had a morning routine? Or does your morning routine need a makeover to set you up for the best possible year ahead? Follow this process to master your morning once and for all.

1. For 5 minutes brainstorm all the things you would ideally love to do in your morning routine.

For example…

+  Wake Early

+  Work with the ambrosial hours

+  Meditate

+  Watch the sunrise

+  Do some form of movement such as yoga, pilates or strength training

+  Walk in nature on the beach or in the park with your partner (or furry friend!)

+  Read something inspiring

+  Scrape your tongue

+  Ayurvedic oil pulling (my favourite)

+  Repeat affirmations whilst you’re in the shower

+  Sing along to your favourite song

+  Write down, say out loud, or simply *feel* everything you are grateful for

+  Journal or write some morning pages

+  Read an inspiring book

+  Listen to a Podcast

The truth is there a many different elements to a powerful morning routine. Anna Wintour plays tennis for a hour before she starts her day. The secret is to to do the things that make you feel great. 

[clickToTweet tweet=”The truth is there a many different elements to a powerful morning routine. ” quote=”The truth is there a many different elements to a powerful morning routine. “]

As Sarah Wilson says, “the best kind of morning routine is one that’s a fiesta of stuff that gets you grounded, that nurtures your “inside people”, that brings you home to you. You tick off these things and then you can get on with serving the world. And all the rest.”

2. Circle the top 5 things that empower and inspire you!

These are the things that you would most love to do in your morning routine.

3. Now pick the top 3 things that inspire you the most.

Your top 3 are your non-negotiables for your morning routine. The other 2, are bonuses, meaning if you have time and you get them done that’s great, if not don’t let it worry you. Schedule it into another day in your week or weekend.

4. Pick a time you would ideally like to rise every morning.

Important note: It’s best to go to bed and rise at the same time each day. What time is best for you? Is it 5:30am or are you more likely to rise at 7am? Over the years I have been able to wake up at many different hours, but I have always felt the best from a regular routine. My friend Dr Adam Fraser told me to keep regular hours years ago… so be truthful with yourself but also don’t be afraid to push yourself a little here – remember nothing comes from nothing.  Me? I’m a 6am girl.

5. Now, work out how long you would like your routine to be.

Is it an hour? Two hours? Or 30 minutes? It doesn’t matter how long it is, just write it down. And be realistic. We want to set yourself up for success not failure! 

6. Now outline your routine. 

Leo from Zen Habits once outlined his routine as:

1. Sit. I wake up and start the coffeemaker, drink a glass of water, then sit on a small pillow. I just sit, and focus on my breathing. You don’t have to meditate — sitting still, contemplating, taking in the world, is a beautiful thing.
2. Read. I read a book. The paper kind, that doesn’t require electricity. I like reading with no distractions. I’ll read for about half an hour to an hour.
3. Write. Before I check email or Twitter or read my feeds, I sit down and write. It doesn’t matter what — a chapter for my new book, a blog post, answers to an interview someone emailed me, anything. I just write, without distractions.

Sarah Wilson does this:

1. Drench. I drink two litres or so of hot water with a hunk of lemon squeezed in. I potter while I drink. Tidy a little…and, let’s be frank, hang about until nature calls.
2. Exercise. I leave the house and get outside to jog, walk, do yoga at the beach. I don’t think about it too much. I just slide into my green running shorts and grey singlet and… move. I try to go with what my body needs…often a 20 minute walk or stretch in my lounge is enough. But the deal is, I move every day. No deliberation. I just do it. It’s my routine.
3. Meditate. I always meditate for 20 minutes, often down at the beach after exercise. After exercise is best – my body is open.
4. Feel. After meditation, I sit for two minutes and feel for a bit. I try to access the tone of the day that I’d like to lead. It’s just a faint feeling and then I try to hold it for as long as I can, as I have a shower and get out of the house…the longer I hold it, the more grace I carry.

My routine looks something like this:

1. Wake 6am. Oil Pulling or Tongue Scraping. I either oil pull for twenty minutes or if I don’t have time or the inclination (a lot depends on what I’ve eaten the night before) I scrape my tongue.
2. Exercise. I leave the house and get outside to walk, when I move to the beach (one day I will live near a beach) I will do yoga and walk on the beach.  I don’t think about it too much. I need to walk daily to clear my head. Sometimes I listen to a podcast, other times I will walk and talk with my husband. Other days silence is what I need to hear.
3. Write. If I have a lot on my mind I might actually sit down and journal for 20 minutes before I walk out the door. Otherwise I spend the first 15 minutes of my walk ruminating rather than enjoying being outside in mother nature. I then come back and capture any thoughts or ideas generated by the podcast I’ve just listened to.
4. Meditate. I always meditate for 20 minutes, to be honest 30 minutes would be better. But I’m like Sarah I am better at meditating after I’ve been for a walk.

The truth is it doesn’t matter how much time you have, as long as you are prioritising yourself and taking some time for you every single day.

When you stop and make time for yourself you are practising self-care and sending a very clear message to your subconsciousness that you trust yourself. Trust and self care is a powerful combination that can completely revolutionise your life especially if you suffer from anxiety or any form of stress or dis-ease.

After suffering from an auto-immune disease for the past 5 years I have learnt first hand the power of a morning routine and it’s ability to give a sense of control and flow in what can often be a very turbulent life

So whether you have 15 minutes or 2 hours, what matters most is that you have taken some time out of your day to fill yourself up. This sets you up for a successful day and sends you springing into the morning with an abundant, conscious and loving mindset. Ready to take on the world and bring your highest purpose to life!

Thank you so much for being here. I am thrilled that we are on this journey together. So what does your morning routine look like? I’d love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Hundreds of people visit these posts each week and you never know when your wisdom could be exactly what another person needs to hear!

And remember, Live With Purpose!

Brooke