Create Your Perfect Morning Routine: A Step-By-Step Guide
Mornings aren’t just about how you spend the first few hours of your day - they set the tone for everything that follows. From boosting mood, energy, and productivity, to helping you carve out more time to do the things you love, evidence consistently shows the positive impact a morning routine can have on our lives.
If, like me, you’re a chronic alarm snoozer, a ‘night owl’, someone who’s been known to say things like ‘I can’t function before noon’...this elusive morning routine might feel like nothing more than a distant dream.
But please, suspend your disbelief for a second, and just imagine what it would be like to wake up and feel refreshed, energised and even excited to tackle the day.
Sounds crazy, I know. But, from a fellow ‘not-a-morning-person’ club member to another, it IS possible, with the right strategy.
Maybe you’ve tried ‘eating the frog’ - getting the biggest, hardest task done first - or 6am gym sessions, meditation and cold showers…there’s SO many ‘hacks’ out there promising to transform your mornings, but if you’re here, I’m willing to bet these strategies haven’t worked out for you…yet.
What if I told you that it’s less about the ‘what’ and more about the ‘who’ and the ‘why’?
In this post I’m giving you the roadmap to crafting YOUR perfect morning routine that sets you up for the life YOU want to live.
PLUS, as a bonus, I’ve created a completely FREE Workbook to take you through the steps and track your progress as you put your new routine into practice!
What is the perfect morning routine for promoting energy, productivity and wellness?
Let’s start with what your perfect morning routine is NOT:
Getting up as early as humanly possible
Missing out on sleep to be more productive
Doing things you hate in the name of ‘wellness’
Aesthetically pleasing for the sake of it
In other words:
Your perfect morning routine probably isn’t going to look like that influencer’s that you follow. This guide isn’t about making your morning routine look good for the ‘gram, it’s about helping you find what FEELS good for you.
Whether your routine is short and sweet, or long and relaxing, you’ll end up with more time and mental clarity to carry into the rest of your day.
Step 1: Visualise
What do you want to get out of your morning routine? Be specific.
How do you want to feel? How will your life change as a result?
This is a crucial step because
Visualisation cultivates excitement, motivation and forward momentum that spurs you into action
You need to be clear on YOUR goals so that your routine is individual to you, and designed to help you achieve these outcomes
This is a crucial component because without a clear, strong sense of purpose to motivate us, we naturally fall back to default habits.
Many people who are trying to implement a morning routine start out with the best intentions but get stuck because they don’t have a clear reason WHY they want to change, so quickly give up on the random habits they’ve picked that feel meaningless and unnecessarily difficult.
Your first action step then, is to close your eyes, and take just a few minutes to imagine what a perfect morning would look like for you. Make a note of these things in the Create Your Perfect Morning Workbook - where you’ll find prompts to guide your visualisation.
Step 2: One Small Thing
You’ve got your ‘why’ - now, what’s the one most simple action you can take that will take you closer to your ideal morning?
Contrary to ‘eating the frog’ - which suggests getting the hardest, most daunting task out the way first - I advise you to pick something absolutely UNDERwhelming.
Something you could do with absolute confidence tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that.
This becomes your first non-negotiable and it should be something that lays a solid foundation for what you want to follow.
For example, you might choose to get up 15 minutes earlier because it allows you to feel less rushed in the morning. You might set an alarm to remind you to take your medication. You might start filling up a bottle of water before bed which you drink on waking.
These are just a few ideas - you’ll find more in the workbook, plus space to brainstorm your own!
Step 3: Prioritise
Now we’re getting into the fun bit! It’s time to let loose and think about all the habits you may, or may not, want to include in your morning.
Use the workbook, a notebook, or your phone notes to dump all your ideas onto.
Return to your visualisation from Step 1 - which ideas support that vision? Which ones get in the way? For example - if your vision involves a relaxed, calming morning, setting an alarm that gives you 10 minutes to rush around and leave the house probably doesn’t align with that!
Which ones feel daunting, or like a chore? Which ones do you absolutely HAVE to do - like getting dressed, feeding yourself, kids and/or pets?
Once you’ve got all your ideas out:
Highlight the ones you MUST do
Highlight the ones you WANT to do
Cross out the ones you DON’T want to do
At this stage, you’ll have whittled it down to a handful of habits. Finally you’re going to pick just 2-4 to implement. Less is more - I recommend opting for ones that will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of time and effort. You can always come back and add more once you’re on a roll with your routine!
Step 4: Plan
You’ve got a list of what you want to include - now it’s time to really turn that routine into reality!
Take those habits from Step 3 and determine how long each will take. Are there any actions that can be performed simultaneously to be more efficient? For example, you might get dressed whilst you wait for the kettle to boil.
Of course, this may require some guesswork at first, as well as some experimentation. You can always create a plan A, plan B, and so on - I’ve even included extra pages in the workbook for you to do this!
Use the workbook to put your habits into an order that you think will work best for you, and approximate how long this will take. Add an extra 5 minutes to be on the safe side!
The final planning stage is considering other logistics: what time do you need to wake up to complete your routine? Is there anything you need to prepare the night before? Are there any things, people, or pets that might disrupt your plan, and how might you adapt to this?
Once you’re done with your planning, you’re well on your way to transforming your morning, as well as your entire day!
Step 5: Practice
You’ve got a plan - not just a random one, but one that’s perfectly suited to your goals, lifestyle and preferences. The final step is committing to DOING it.
Decide on a timeframe - I recommend 30 days: short enough to feel do-able, but long enough to notice the transformation that your morning routine is kickstarting!
Putting it into practice can be the hardest step - which is why I’ve included a 30-day habit tracker in the workbook for you to track your consistency with.
Tracking habits works: a habit tracker acts as a reminder to act, and as you tick off the days and habits, provides motivation as you get a visual representation of how you’re moving forwards. Plus, no-one wants to break their streak!
BONUS: let me be your cheerleader! Tag me on Instagram @georgiaradleynutrition and use the hashtag #perfectmorningin30 to add some accountability and share your journey!
Putting it All Together for Your Perfect Morning
There you have it! The step-by-step guide to creating your perfect morning, which leads into your perfect day…and even life!
It may sound extreme, but the tone you set for your day seeps into every area of your life - so why not make it the best it can be?
Whether you have goals in your personal and professional life, or you’re working on your physical health through fitness and nutrition, a morning routine lays the foundation for other transformations to happen.
I’ve used this exact strategy to streamline my mornings, approach my daily tasks with energy and intention, and - most importantly - create time for myself elsewhere.
What transformation could be just around the corner for you?
Luckily, I’ve made it easy for you to find out…
Make it even easier - download the workbook!
If you need help getting started, my Create Your Perfect Morning Workbook will help you visualise, create and implement your perfect morning routine, so you can start your days feeling excited, refreshed, and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
Do you still have questions? No shame in that! You can contact me here or find me on social media - linked below - where I'm always happy to answer any questions.
Looking for a programme to follow?
Don’t have a workout plan right now? You’re in luck! I have a handful of spaces available for 1:1 online programming which you can apply for right now - just click here!
Plus, if you’ve downloaded the PDF above, you’ll be the first to hear about my upcoming fixed-length programmes, covering a range of goals and abilities.
