My morning routine is so good, it doesn’t even have to be in the morning

Kata Pal
Kata Pal
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read

I bet you couldn’t avoid hearing the news either that getting up early and following a fine-tuned morning ritual is good for you. We have been bombarded with this information in the last few years from books, blog posts, podcasts, Ted talks.. name it! And it’s one of those things, even Mark Manson’s Disappointment Panda would tell you because it’s so true; still, you’d rather not hear it.

It’s a tough journey for me too. However, in theory, I managed to create the perfect, personalized morning routine for myself, I was on and off being the desired morning person for years (typically more off than on). Then came up with a couple of hacks that made it possible for me to stick with this beautiful habit.

Don’t let maximalism kill your morning vibe!

My perfect morning ritual goes like this:

  • Does yoga — 30–45 Mins
  • Meditates — 15 Mins
  • Writes gratefulness journal — 5 Mins
  • Sets intentions for the day — 5–10 Mins
  • Reads — 15–30 Mins

If I count the in-betweens, the whole routine easily takes up around 90–110 minutes. Which means if I don’t manage to get up at least 1,5 hours earlier, I messed up. And a lot of the times I don’t manage to get up 1,5 earlier.

In the past when I got up late and realized that I don’t have the time to do my routine, I would just be like: screw it! And I would only do bits and pieces, mostly only yoga or reading.

The problem with this is that a habit needs to be repeated consistently to stick. If you cannot make a long enough streak, it will never become a habit.

I was looking for a way to eliminate all the risks of not being able to stick to my routine consistently, so I came up with a few modifications:

First I created a minimal version of my ritual

When I don’t have the adequate time to do my full-length routine, instead of just doing bits and pieces, I now do a compact one:

  • Does yoga — 5 mins (doesn’t even change from sleeping outfit)
  • Meditates — 3–5 mins (right on top of the yoga mat)
  • Jots down a couple of things to be grateful for + sets 1 intention (still on yoga mat) — 3–5 mins
  • Listens to audio book while getting ready — no extra time needed

This takes under 15 minutes, and I still have the sense of accomplishment, plus I’m one step closer to cement my morning habits by not breaking the chain.

It’s like washing your hair with 2in1 shampoo&conditioner. You will not get the exact same result as if you used separate shampoo and conditioner, but still much better than not washing your hair at all (sorry no poo fans).

Then I made timing flexible as well

But life happens, and there are days when I am incapable of doing even my minimalist version of my morning routine. At least in the morning!

I know it sounds weird, but on these rare days, I still do it after work (at work even, because I’m lucky enough to have a cool workplace) or latest I will do it before bed.

When I complete my “morning” routine later in the day, obviously have to come up with a different type of intention setting, but all the other tasks are doable, and still give value to my life. Not to mention that my chain stays intact, and my habit continues to build.

Yes, it’s not even a 2in1 shampoo&conditioner, maybe just a regular shampoo. But still so much better than dirty hair.

Interestingly since I started to be more flexible with my morning routine, I find myself getting up on time and doing my full-length ritual more and more often. Habitually I guess ;)


I would like to know, what is your perfect morning ritual and what hacks are you using when you are lack of time. Please share!

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