A lot has been said about the importance of morning routines for productivity. Here are three elements that have worked for my morning ritual: mission, movement, and music.

MISSION

I start my best days by reviewing:

• the kind of person I want to be, with a focus on how I want to treat my wife and daughters,

• my goals for the decade,

• the next five years,

• and the year ahead.

I look over a bulleted list of items that I keep in a notebook to do this quickly.

Once I've refreshed my vision for where I want to go in life, I focus on priorities for the day. To do that, I write down my top three goals for the day - these are my "must do's." Most days, I have way more than three things that I "should" do or "can" do, but I know where to direct my energy by focusing on these three. Prioritizing my list of three things is especially important because I have less and less energy and focus available as the day goes on. 

That's why whatever is most important for my task list needs to get done first. I may not have the energy for it later.

As the day goes on and my to-do list fills up, I keep coming back to those top three priorities, and I delegate, defer, or delete the others as needed. The next day I review what didn't get done the previous day and then determine my top goals for that day.

(Note - I've adapted this system from Donald Miller's Hero On A Mission Planner)

MOVEMENT

While I do enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning (or several), I've found that deep breathing and moving my major muscle groups are even better for focus and energy. There are TONS of ways of doing this. 

Some mornings I’ll ride my mountain bike or stationary bike. Some mornings I take a nature hike. When I'm short on time, I might try a 7-minute workout or do some Tai Chi movements while making coffee. If nothing else, I'll knock out a quick ten pushups before getting dressed.  

Here are some general observations on movement:

• Walking helps me focus and think. I can jot down thoughts on my phone as they come to me, or I can dictate them. Evernote allows me to capture ideas like this because I can access my account on multiple devices.

• On the mornings (or evenings) when I need to get rid of stress, Biking is just the thing! Aerobic exercise helps burn off nervous energy.

• Deep breathing can help "reset" my system at any time of day - morning, noon, or night. The key is to inhale slowly through my nose, focusing on the temperature of the air. Then I exhale even more slowly through my nose or mouth, also paying attention to the temperature of the air.

• Bonus - deep breathing and large movements don't leave me jittery like several cups of coffee will. (Though I do love coffee!)

MUSIC

My go-to app for playlists is Spotify on the days that I'm struggling for energy or focus. I keep a playlist of fun songs for pep and a list of instrumental music that I can play for concentration.

So what about you - what helps your morning routine?

FOR REFLECTION