I’ve tried all of the morning routines.
I’ve taken them slow, meditated, read for 30 minutes, and everything else like that.
I always felt like I was behind.
Stressed and worried about the tasks waiting for me.
That energy would carry into the rest of my day — they always felt off.
Over the years of experimentation, I’ve found 3 simple habits was all I needed.
Having 3 things at the top of mind reduced the friction of getting out of bed.
Once I had intention and purpose behind my mornings — it made a world of difference.
The 3 Habit Morning Routine
Mornings are sacred. They set the tone for the rest of the day. Your morning routine should have the purpose of generating energy.
We want to carry and maintain that energy throughout the day.
Go On A Walk
We all know that the body follows the mind, but the mind can also follow the body.
They play into each other.
If you want to generate unstoppable momentum into the rest of your day, start by moving your body.
Better yet, do it outside.
“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” — Henry David Thoreau.
Henry was onto something.
Not only are you getting some of your daily steps in, but you are also exposing your skin to direct sunlight.
This is critical for healthy circadian biology when you do it on a consistent basis.
(It will even help you get on a more consistent sleep schedule — maybe you aren’t a night owl after all!)
You can walk to a coffee shop, around your apartment complex, or wherever else you please.
Write this down in your planner the night before so it is top of mind in the morning.
The 10 Minute Creative
Let’s make the snowball of momentum even bigger. Let’s make it impossible for the day to be considered a loss.
My favorite morning habit is one that I’ve been developing over the years.
It is a combination of journaling, note-taking, and writing.
It helps you learn faster, train your creative muscle, and have immense mental clarity.
(And if you are a creator, it helps you have unlimited ideas for your work.)
Here’s what you do.
Step 1) Get Inspired
Read an article, blink, favorite quote, or page from a book.
You can also listen to an audiobook during your morning walk!
Note: these should align with your interests.
This will give you inspiration for the rest of your day.
Step 2) Take Note Of Your Excitement
Dopamine separates signal from noise.
As you are reading or listening, write down what catches your attention and makes you a bit excited.
I have a running notes app in my phone that I write all of these down in.
Step 3) Write A 3–5 Bullet Summary
What should you include in this summary?
- A description of how YOU understand the topic.
- Personal experiences and stories
- Other ideas that come to mind
Bonus Step For Creators
- Write out a common problem related to the topic
- Write out the benefits of solving that problem
- Write out steps to overcoming it
Now you have an outline for a blog, thread, newsletter, or multiple tweets.
(That’s how I wrote this article.)
Step 4) One-Sentence Big Idea
This is where the creativity comes into play.
From everything you’ve written before, write a one-sentence summary.
Get creative. Try to write it with the quality of your favorite quote.
Why are we doing this?
- It gets the creative juices flowing
- It primes your brain for pattern recognition
- It shows you that you CAN be original & profound
This will only compound as you write more big ideas.
If you want a guided 7-day challenge for the 10-Minute Creative habit, here it is.
The Power Hour
So far we’ve spent about 20 productive minutes of our morning.
Our body and mind are ready to keep going. To take on a challenge. To get into flow.
Next up is what I like to call the Power Hour (no, not the drinking game).
“Happiness is the feeling that power increases — that resistance is being overcome.” — Nietzsche
The Power Hour is a 1-hour time block that is dedicated to building.
No distractions. One priority. Laser-focused.
Think of it as an automated 1% better every day.
What are you building?
Personal freedom.
- Work on your side business
- Write an article, thread, or book
- Create social media posts
- Learn a marketable skill
- Reach out to potential clients
You know, the things you said you would start doing but haven’t…
How do I know what to work on?
- Write out your vision for the future
- Reverse engineer it into a 10-year goal
- Then a 1-year goal
- Then monthly goals
Now align your Power Hour tasks with that monthly goal.
Lever-moving fundamental-focused action that results in an automated 1% better every day. This is why I created The Power Planner.
You will end your Power Hour feeling positive about the future.
Within 1 hour you have won the day before most people have woken up.
That feeling is unbeatable.
To recap:
- Go on a walk for movement and direct sunlight.
- Spend 10-minutes training your creativity muscle.
- Spend 1-hour building a better future for yourself.
When done consistently, you will look back after 6 months and bask in the progress you made.
