The Power of a Morning Routine

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Do you reach for your phone? Check your emails? Scroll through social media? Or immediately begin thinking about your endless to-do list?

For many of us, the day begins before we've even had a chance to decide how we want to live it. We wake up and immediately react to the world around us. But what if we could begin our days differently? What if, instead of allowing the world to dictate our first thoughts and actions, we intentionally chose how to begin each morning?

The Power of a Morning Routine

In his bestselling book The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod introduces six practices through the acronym SAVERS:

• Silence: Meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection.
• Affirmations: Reminding ourselves of our values, intentions, and capabilities.
• Visualization: Imagining the person we want to become and the actions necessary to get there.
• Exercise: Moving our bodies to build energy and improve our well-being.
• Reading: Feeding our minds with knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration.
• Scribing: Journaling to reflect, express gratitude, and gain clarity.

Similarly, in The 5 AM Club, Robin Sharma emphasizes the importance of protecting the early morning hours for personal growth. He introduces the 20/20/20 Formula: 20 minutes of movement, 20 minutes of reflection, and 20 minutes of learning.

Although these books offer different approaches, they share a powerful message:

Before you give your time and energy to the world, invest some of it in yourself.

The Best Thing We Do in the Morning

Recently, my cofounder at Leading with Hearts Leadership Institute, Mark Hemingway, shared a beautiful reflection titled "The Best Thing."

While traveling from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, a friend asked him about his morning routine. Mark described his usual activities: coffee, reading, reaching out to people, and preparing for the day. But then he shared what he considered the best part of his morning.

Before getting out of bed, he prays.

He thanks God for another day and the opportunities it brings. He expresses gratitude for the people he will meet, asks for guidance in his interactions, and prays for the relationships he has and those he has yet to build.

What struck me about Mark's reflection was its simplicity. His most meaningful morning practice doesn't require special equipment, an expensive membership, or even getting out of bed. It begins with gratitude, intention, and love for others. And perhaps that's one of the most important lessons about morning routines.

It's not just about what we do in the morning. It's about who we choose to be throughout the day.

Begin With Yourself Before You Lead Others

As someone who has practiced mindfulness for more than two decades, I've come to appreciate the importance of beginning the day with awareness and intention. A few quiet moments of breathing, meditation, or gratitude can help us become more aware of our thoughts and emotions before we encounter the inevitable demands and challenges of the day.

In leadership, this matters tremendously.

When we begin our mornings feeling rushed, distracted, or overwhelmed, we may carry that state of mind into our interactions with others. But when we create space for reflection, we give ourselves an opportunity to respond with greater patience, clarity, and compassion. We cannot always control what happens during the day. There will be unexpected problems, difficult conversations, disappointments, and competing demands. But we can be intentional about how we prepare ourselves to meet them.

You Don't Have to Wake Up at 5 AM

Despite the title of The 5 AM Club, I don't believe everyone needs to wake up at 5 a.m. to be successful.

We have different responsibilities, schedules, sleep needs, and seasons of life. For some, a meaningful morning routine might last an hour. For others, it might be ten minutes. And for someone caring for a newborn, working a night shift, or managing an especially demanding season of life, it might simply be three deep breaths and a moment of gratitude before beginning the day. 

The point isn't to create another obligation or another standard by which to judge ourselves. The point is to create a little space to care for ourselves. Because a morning routine should nourish us, not become another source of stress. 

Small Beginnings, Meaningful Changes

If you don't currently have a morning routine, start small. 

Before reaching for your phone, pause. 

• Take a few slow breaths.
• Think of three things you're grateful for.
• Ask yourself: What kind of person do I want to be today? How do I want the people I interact with to feel? What is one meaningful thing I can do today?

You don't need a perfect morning to have a meaningful day. And you don't need to accomplish a dozen things before breakfast to consider your morning successful. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is simply begin the day with a grateful heart, a calm mind, and a clear intention.

How we begin our day may not determine everything that happens to us. But it can influence how we respond to what happens.

What about you? What's the best thing you do in your morning routine?

With loving heart,

Thanh Nguyen, M.Eng., MBA

Bestselling Author | Speaker | Leadership & Personal Growth Coach

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