I Followed a Morning Routine for 30 Days—Did It Change Anything?

For this new year, I challenged myself to undertake a 30-day challenge for the entire year. Each month, I commit to adopting a new habit or breaking free from something. In January, I dedicated myself to a morning routine coupled with intermittent fasting for 30 days. Details about intermittent fasting will be explored in a separate article; for now, let’s delve into my experience with the morning routine.

The Morning Routine:

Here’s a breakdown of the routine I adhered to for the past 30 days:

• 6:30 am: Wake up
• 6:45 am—7:45 am: Workout
• 7:45 am—8:15 am: Bath and Meditate
• 8:20 am—9:20 am: Deep work

To be honest, I didn’t wake up at the same time every day. Since I travel every weekend from Bangalore to Chennai, I was forced to sleep after 6:30 am because I couldn’t sleep properly on the train during weekends. However, on weekdays, I woke up at the same time and followed my routine diligently. I can say that I followed the routine about 80% of the time.

Days 1–7: The Excitement of New Beginnings

Since it was the new year, I was super excited to adopt this routine. For the first 10 days, I didn’t encounter any problems; I followed everything perfectly.

Day 8 and Beyond: Overcoming Challenges

After day 8, I thought, “Why wake up at the same time? We can wake up whenever we want and still follow the routine; it doesn’t really matter, right?” I entertained this notion. However, something inside me told me that it wouldn’t be beneficial and would likely lead to me quitting the challenge altogether. So, I didn’t give myself the chance to modify this challenge.

Day 18: Realizing the Impact

I don’t exactly remember, but after around 16–18 days, I began to notice changes in myself. No matter how poorly I slept, I consistently woke up at 6:30 a.m. You might assume that everything went fine and that my productivity multiplied tenfold. However, that’s not the case here.

The Reality

I woke up at 6:30, followed the routine, went to the gym, and meditated, but nothing seemed to improve. I was just accustomed to waking up early, and apart from that, nothing changed. Feeling concerned, I reached for my mobile directly, went to Google, and searched, “Do morning routines really work?” I suffered for nearly 10 minutes; I didn’t fully read any articles or watch any videos; I was just scrolling endlessly. From my morning routine, I transitioned to watching YouTube shorts. It was then that I realized that throughout the time from waking up to the end of the morning routine, I was consistently on my phone. While I didn’t use it the entire time, I understood that it was hindering my improvement.

This realization occurred around day 22 or 23, I believe. So, I made a decision not to touch my phone until 9:30 a.m. and followed this for two days. Soon, I started seeing results; I was more focused and calm.

My screen time drastically reduced after uninstalling YouTube (I don’t use Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat since 2019).

Subsequently, I uninstalled YouTube from my phone and decided not to use it for the next 100 days. I will share the experience once I complete 100 days.

Takeaways from the 30-day challenge:

Our phone is a wonderful thing; it can either make or take our time easily. If you use it for reading, journaling, or activities like this, it can truly enhance your productivity. On the contrary, scrolling through social media can mean wasting precious time. Consequently, I learned not to use or keep my phone near me when I’m trying to focus on one thing.

If you’re wondering whether I’ll adhere to this morning routine for the rest of my life, the answer is a definite yes! I accomplish more than I did before, I meditate daily, and I appreciate how calm I’ve become. Additionally, daily workouts have led to a significant weight loss of 4 kilograms. Therefore, I am committed to following this routine for the rest of my life.

If you have any suggestions for my routine, please feel free to comment below. I encourage you to give a morning routine a try and share your experiences. Thanks for reading!