How to build a morning routine

Why it usually falls apart

Morning routines from the internet run to ten steps and ninety minutes: journaling, cold showers, workouts, reading. They collapse on the first rushed morning. A routine sticks when it is short enough to do on your worst day and the steps follow each other automatically. Once the order is fixed, each step becomes the cue for the next.

How to build a morning routine

1. Start with three steps

   Pick three things you want every morning, like water, a stretch and five minutes of planning. Do only those for two weeks. Add more once they run on their own.

2. Fix the order

   Always in the same sequence. Water, then stretch, then plan. The end of each step becomes the cue for the next, and you stop needing to think.

3. Anchor it to something you already do

   Start the routine straight after an existing habit, like turning off the alarm or putting the kettle on. 'After I put the kettle on, I drink a glass of water.'

4. Set it up the night before

   Glass by the sink, mat on the floor, notebook on the table. Removing setup removes the excuses.

5. Keep the phone out of it

   Checking the phone first pulls you into other people's priorities. Leave it until the routine is done.

6. Have a short version

   On rushed mornings do a two-minute version: a glass of water and one stretch. Keeping the chain matters more than the full routine.

What to track

Track the smallest version you would still count on your worst day. A row you can clear when tired is a row you keep:

• Glass of water
• Five-minute stretch
• Day planned in five minutes
• No phone until routine is done

Print a tracker with these 4 habits or open them in a spreadsheet.

Your first week

1. Day 1. Choose three steps and the order they go in.
2. Day 2. Pick the existing habit that starts the routine.
3. Day 3. Set everything up tonight.
4. Day 4. Do the three steps before checking your phone.
5. Day 5. Write down your two-minute version for rushed days.
6. Day 6. Use the short version on the busiest morning.
7. Day 7. Count how many mornings you did at least the short version.