Want to Become a Morning Person in 2016?

Here are some practical steps for a productive morning routine geared towards non-morning people (like me).

If you’re looking for reasons WHY you should become a morning person, this article is not for you. Rather, stop and read this popular post by Andrew Merle:

Instead, the following article will show you HOW to become a morning person, especially if you’re not one. I love my sleep, and I hate waking up early. But this past year, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that the morning provides uninterrupted time to accomplish some of life’s most important tasks.

As a result, I tested numerous morning routines to find one that sticks. Below you’ll find a series of steps (with timing) that I believe will help any non-morning person have a productive morning.

1. Prepare appropriately

Your productive morning starts the night before. Having a plan greatly increases your chances of executing on your morning routine. I recommend the following steps:

• Set coffee to auto-brew
• Pack your lunch the night before
• Lay out your workout clothes as well as your outfit for the day
• Get 7+ hours of sleep

If you value sleep, you need to do everything in your power to not waste the time you could have spent sleeping. I prepare as much as I can the night before so that I don’t have to do it in the morning.

2. Get out of bed (5:45 am)

Initially, this will be the hardest part of your day. Ignore your temptation to go back to sleep and never allow yourself to snooze the alarm. Just get out of bed. Remind yourself of your goals and why you’re choosing to wake up early. Take off the covers, swing your legs over the side of the bed and stand up. This will get easier once you’ve personally experienced the value of starting your day early.

Over time, I’ve had somewhat of a paradigm shift, where not waking up and completing my routine actually makes me feel worse throughout the day, which provides extra motivation for getting out of bed.

3. Drink coffee, read something and create your to-do list (5:45 am — 6:30 am)

Drink coffee immediately. If you’re not a morning person, you will need the jolt of caffeine. Next, you can fill this time with whatever you find intellectually stimulating. Waking up with a cup of coffee and spending time reading will become one of your favorite parts of the day (or, at least, it has for me).

I’m a Christian, so I use this time to read my Bible and pray. I also subscribe to the New York Times Morning Briefing, which I find particularly helpful for catching up on daily news and events. Lastly, I use Trello to create my to-do list for the day.

4. Workout (6:30 am — 7:15 am)

Originally, I was working out right after I woke up. Over time, I found it incredibly hard to get out of bed, knowing that in 10 minutes I would be outside running or in the gym trying to lift weights. If you’ve had some coffee and been awake for 45 minutes, you’re much more likely to exercise.

I focus on high-intensity, 30-minute workouts. Generally, I will go to the gym three times a week and run two times a week, or vice versa. This provides a nice balance of cardio and strength training. It also contributes to feeling energized throughout the day.

5. Cool down and eat breakfast (7:15 am — 7:30 am)

Try to cool down from your workout while eating something healthy. Breakfast will help you maintain a healthy body weight and give you energy and concentration during the day. I eat non-fat Greek yogurt with granola and a banana. It’s easy to make and contains some protein for post-workout muscle recovery.

6. Shower, get dressed and head to work (7:30 am — 8:00 am)

If you’ve completed steps one through five, step six will feel amazing. It’s 7:30 am and you’re awake, you’ve exercised, eaten a healthy breakfast and made a list of everything you want to accomplish for the day. Now, shower and get dressed, and you’ll drive to work energized and ready to dominate the day.

*A few qualifications

You may need to adjust the timing of this schedule based on the location of your workout, your commute to work, etc. but this framework addresses the key activities that will contribute to a productive morning.

Additionally, this routine exists in somewhat of a vacuum. You may face extraneous circumstances that force you to adjust your schedule: kids, weather, work hours, etc. Regardless of these factors, I believe following these steps in sequential order will contribute to a productive day, no matter the timing.