Productivity in My Morning Routine

I recently finished reading What the Most Successful People do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam, and I feel as though my whole mindset towards time, priorities, and schedules has changed. It has helped me re-shape my morning routine and re-wire my thinking about my time and schedule.

I used to be a night owl. I would stay up late into the evening doing anything and everything. Even if I had nothing to do, my body just wasn’t ready to go to sleep until at least midnight. That caused me to sleep in until I had just the right amount of time to get ready and get out the door. This created a chain reaction of me being stressed in the morning, not getting to eat breakfast, and often rushing to avoid being late to work or other obligations.

After reading this book, I have chosen to use those early hours as an opportunity to be strategic with my time in a way that I wasn’t able to before. My attitude towards the morning hours has shifted completely. I look at those early mornings (between 6 and 9) as my jumpstart on the rest of the world. I love the idea that I can get up at 6:00 before most others are out of bed, have a chance to get things done that would normally get pushed to the back burner, and still have plenty of time to get ready and get to work on time. I wake up by 6:00 every morning, make sure to spend some time working out, drinking coffee (of course), and reading- all before getting ready and getting to work at 9:30.

Nancy Ray Photography

While my morning routine is anything but perfect, it works for me, and that is what matters. If you are thinking about a morning makeover in your own life, I encourage you to first think about what is most important to you. What works for me may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for the next person. Find a system that works for you and go with it. You’ll be happy you did.

Kristin