Creating the best morning routine has the power to drastically change how you spend your days. From providing more energy to increasing focus, many successful individuals claim that creating a morning routine has improved the quality of their work and their relationships. However, there are a lot of unrealistic and confusing recommendations for creating a morning routine. Is your current morning routine setting yourself up for success or is it procrastination?

For a while, I fell into the trap that so many self-help gurus recommend for morning routines. You know the crazy ones I am talking about like: 

Wake up at 3:30AM. No snoozing or you are weak. 

Meditate for 1 hour then immediately submerge yourself into 42-degree water for 23 minutes.

Then go and jump on your mini trampoline and do 30 backward flips, while chanting your favorite mantra. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anyone who has the time in their day to do this!

Besides, who owns a mini-trampoline?!

I love personal development, and I still find value in reading self-help books occasionally. However, my main beef with the typical morning routine is that it’s causing you to procrastinate your day by thinking you need to do some elusive activity to reach success. 

As a personal trainer in Lincoln Park, Chicago, I am often asked how clients can maximize their morning routines. My clients already have enough on their plate and my job is to figure out what they actually need. What will help you reach success with your morning routine?

The key to creating the best morning routine is to keep it simple by zeroing in on the habits that will help you reach your goals. 

If your goal is to feel well rested in the morning, begin your night-time routine earlier. If you usually spend 11pm to 6am in bed, try to get in bed earlier by 15-minutes. 10:45pm won’t feel much different, and then you can try another 15 minutes and start getting used to 10:30pm. These small changes will start helping to build the habit of getting to bed earlier, which will increase your time spent in bed as well as sleep.

If your goal is to work out first thing in the morning, set your clothes near your bed the night before. Have a glass on the counter waiting for you in the morning to remind yourself to hydrate before your workout. Next to the water include a banana to remind yourself to eat following your workout. 

The most successful individuals will tell you it’s the basics done consistently well for the best morning routine. 

Complex is sexy, but simple works. 

Begin your day by building simple habits that will help you reach your goals. These simple things, like drinking a glass of water or having clothes laid out, are making the most of your time and will lead to the greatest success!