The Morning Routines of Highly Successful People

I totally agree, but I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Everybody’s needs are different. Just because waking at 5am works for one entrepreneur, doesn’t mean you should feel guilty about sleeping in.

The most important thing is to find a morning routine that fits your individual lifestyle and benefits your own wellbeing.

My Morning Routine

Personally, my morning routine changes depending on the time of year and what I have going on in my diary. On workdays, I try to start each morning with some yoga and meditation followed by a short, invigorating walk, usually with my headphones in my ears.

I’ll either listen to my latest audiobook on Audible or, if I need to blow away some cobwebs, I’ll stick on some energising tunes and turn the volume up loud! It really sets me up for the day, especially if I have hours in the office ahead of me.

I asked four successful entrepreneurs to share their morning routines. Each one is different to the next. Here’s what they had to say…  

James White

Award-Winning Hairstylist

‘My morning routine starts by making sure everything is ready and prepared the night before. I wake about 5.45am and consume a large glass of water. I’ll be totally honest with you; I have to talk the chimp in my head down all the time in the morning. If I didn't, I’d wait till the very last second to get out of bed!

I swiftly get out the house and head to the gym. I always make sure my gym bag is at the door ready. If I didn't do this, I would stay lying in bed! During my workout, I focus on gratitude and visualising what I’d like to manifest. This is something I’m passionate about. I truly believe what we think about, we bring about.

After the gym I grab a coffee followed by breakfast. Then, I check in with my family. Workwise I have a quick check on all areas. I own a few different businesses, so I check they’re all heading in the right direction. I try and ‘theme’ each morning. For example, Wednesdays are focused on finances, so I’ll check all incomings, outgoings and balances. Sundays are focused on evaluating the past seven days and planning the week ahead. I like operating this way as I feel better batching similar activities together.

I also like to have an audio book on the go while commuting to work. I feel this is a good use of time, and as I’m dyslexic, it’s a damn sight easier then reading the same page five times!

I’m still working on my morning routine as I’d like to be around more for the children. Sometimes I get the opportunity to do the school run, but often the diary doesn’t allow me to.’

Kelly Chandler

Founder at Kelly Chandler Consulting

‘Since reading Hal Elrod’s ‘Miracle Morning’, I’ve become the kind of person who looks forward to some ‘me time’ early morning, so I deliberately carve out that time before the family get going. It’s rather sacred to me now and I miss it massively when I don’t get it. I set the alarm for 6.15 to give me 45 minutes before the rest of the family are up. I’m still working on mastering how to get into bed early enough at the other end of the day!

Meditation and journaling are key ingredients to my morning. I pick from a range of guided success meditations, listening along as I sip my precious morning cup of lemon and ginger tea. I then journal for a few minutes. Sometimes I answer specific questions and at other times I free journal, usually about what’s bothering me or worrying me at that moment. Whatever it is, once it's down on paper, it feels a whole lot more manageable.

I need to get my body moving and my blood pumping first thing. I’m never happier than when outdoors, so before my desk-day gets going, I head out for a short power walk. This gives me additional quiet thinking time and valuable exercise. I feel so much more productive, positive and pumped up after even just a brisk 15-minute walk.’

Emma Hla

Founder and Curator of Coco Wedding Venues, Co-Founder of Coco and Kat

‘For me, my morning starts around 6.30am when I wake up and immediately make a cup of coffee. My mornings are quite PJ-centric, so I have a Nespresso machine in the bedroom, allowing me to relax with a cup of coffee and cuddle the pup whilst taking in some early morning inspiration. This might be reading my favourite fashion blogs, listening to a podcast or absorbing a chapter on the kindle.

After my coffee, I’ll dip into emails and create a to-do list for the day ahead. I usually do any admin such as invoicing/banking at this time too, just to make sure I'm on top of everything. And yes, I'm still in bed at this point!

At around 8.30am, I get ready! About two years ago, I discovered the joys of getting my hair professionally blow-dried once a week (it's a game changer, friends). Mornings are just so much easier now.

Once ready, I take the pup for a walk. He’s a great excuse to get out and take in some fresh sea air. I have a specific route that we walk, and it always leads me down my favourite road in Brighton. It’s a one-day-we’ll-buy-one-of-these-houses type road and it’s a pretty aspirational skip back to the office from there! I'm back at my desk by 10am and work begins again.

I don't think you need to be up and out at ridiculous o'clock "hustling" to be successful. Find your best time to work and then structure your day around that. Don't compare your routine to others either! Because quite frankly if I did, then I'd come up short. You'll find no green juice or yoga routines around here I'm afraid. But that's OK, because you do you.'

Positive Morning Habits

Whatever your routine looks like, adding in some positive morning habits is a good idea. Founder of French Wedding Style, NLP Mind and Success Coach Laura Payne Stanley suggests the following:  

1.    Recharge your Motivation
'Being an entrepreneur is a rollercoaster. The ups and downs are part of the journey, so you need to understand how to recharge your motivation on a daily basis. You can do this by journaling, meditating or just going for a walk to connect with your top-level life aspirations and goals. Superpower motivation comes when we connect goals with emotions and visualisation is a turbo boost for this.

2.    The Power of Thanks
This habit is about so much more than just being happy. When you express gratitude, your brain releases dopamine. This not only makes you feel good; it also triggers positive emotions. When linked to the goal setting above, you experience another hit of intrinsic motivation. You also get a swig of the ‘happy drug’ serotonin which enhances your mood. Tap into the internal power of thanks by writing a short gratitude list each morning.

3.    Find your 20%
According to Pareto’s rule in business, 20% of the activities you undertake are going to bring about 80% of your sales/ returns/ happiness and reward. However, it’s easy to get the balance wrong and get bogged down in your never ending ‘to-do’ list. Each day, identify three activities that are going to elevate your business, move it forward, and bring in that 80%.'

 

If You Do One Thing This Week

Spend some time thinking about what you need to do in order to start the day well. Are there any positive habits you’d like to adopt? Identify things that make you feel good and remember it’s OK for your mornings to look completely different to everyone else’s.   

Further Reading/Watching/Listening

• 5 Morning Rituals to Nourish You, Your Creativity and Your Business
• The Miracle Morning – The 6 Habits That Will Transform Your Life for the Better
• Listen to my Let's Get Cracking playlist
• How Do You Start Your Day?

Val