Last Updated on February 5, 2021
Victor Hugo took a public ice bath on his roof every morning as part of his daily routine. Maya Angelou got up at 5:30, had coffee, then went to a hotel room to write. Anna Wintour arrives at New York’s Midtown Tennis Club at 5:45 to play one hour of tennis every morning.
Morning routines are a fascinating topic, and I’m always intrigued to hear how others structure the early hours of their days. However, what I’m the most curious about is how people manage to actually stick to their routines. How did Victor Hugo find the motivation to take an ICE BATH *cringe* every single morning?
Since I shared my tips for starting a routine last week, let’s talk about how to actually stick to a morning routine once you’ve created one. After all, a morning routine can be great for your well-being, but it can feel like such a struggle to implement.
In this post, you’ll find five tips to help you stick to a morning routine so you can make part of your daily life instead of a well-thought-out plan.
Overcoming My Struggle With Routine
I’m the kind of person who used to love planning out an ideal morning routine, but following through with it was a totally different story. Because of this, I always told myself that I suck at sticking to routines.
I would try to wake up at 6, but every day I’d turn my alarm off and feel completely exhausted. I’d go back to sleep, forget about my planned-out morning routine, and later wake up at 7:30 feeling completely guilty about it. I always blamed it on my inability to stick to routines.
Shifting My Mindset
Eventually, I took a look at my daily schedule and saw that I had routines without even realizing it. I went for a daily walk, always ate breakfast before work, and watched YouTube while doing my makeup. I’m sure if you look closely, you’ll realize that you have a few daily routines of your own.
Staying Accountable
I also figured out what I need to keep myself accountable to my routine. After reading Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before, I now understand my preference for starting and sticking to habits. I learned that I’m a Questioner, which means I need a solid reason to do something before making a commitment. If I’m going to stick to a routine or start a new habit, I need to know why. You can take Rubin’s quiz here to find out what your habit style is.
Finding My Motivation
So what’s my motivation? My morning routine keeps me sane. Even if the rest of my day goes to crap, I can feel good knowing I did a few things in the morning to take care of myself.
By identifying my motivation and habit style, I realized that it was possible for me to stick to a routine. I just had to find the right balance.
How To Stick To A Morning Routine
Though I’m not perfect in any way when it comes to my morning routine, I’ve learned what I need to do to stay on track with it. After finding a few strategies that have worked for me, here are some ideas for making your morning routine stick too!
1. Shift your mindset
If you think you suck at sticking to routines, I encourage you to look at what you’ve done in the past. In college, I was SO good at sticking to my morning routine because it had to fit around my class schedule. Once I remembered that little fact, I realized that routine was a possibility for me. I just had to figure out how to make it work again.
You most likely have routines in your life now that you aren’t aware of. If you come home from work every day, make dinner, and watch Netflix, that’s a routine. It may not be the one you dream of, but it’s still proof that you can stick to something.
Have the self-confidence that you can stick to routines in your life. You’ve done it before, and you can do it again. Once you get over this mindset block, sticking to a routine becomes a lot easier.
Related Post: 5 Mindset Shifts That Make Healthy Living Easier
2. Be patient with yourself
If your plan is to wake up at 5:45 to start your morning routine but you wake up at 8 right now, you might want to slow your roll for a second. I know it’s easy to get excited about trying new things, but making a lifestyle change takes time and patience.
Changing the time we wake up can be one of the HARDEST changes of all, so you have to be realistic about your timing. Take it one step at a time so that you’re not frustrating yourself when your perfect morning routine isn’t happening as planned. If you want to wake up earlier, try doing it in 15-minute increments. Gradually work your way backwards until you can wake up at a time that feels reasonable without skimping on sleep.
Related Post: 3 Reasons You’re Staying Up Too Late (And How To Quit Doing Them)
3. Keep a habit tracker
Lately, I’ve been using a habit tracker to keep a record of my morning routine. There’s something so satisfying about checking off boxes when you’ve completed a task. Plus, I’m more motivated to keep up with my morning habits if I see a row of checked-off boxes. I love to keep a streak going!
4. Remember your motivation
In order to stick to something, you need a clear PURPOSE for doing it. If you’re only starting a morning routine because you see other people doing it, you’re unlikely to make it stick.
Instead, figure out what’s important about a morning routine to you. Is it to reduce stress in your life? To fit activities you enjoy into your schedule? To start your day with more energy? Whatever it is, write it down on a post-it or notepad and put it on your bedside table so you’ll see it when you wake up.
Related Post: The Secret to Staying Motivated
5. Try again…and again and again
Travel, meetings, calls, events, and late nights can throw us off from our morning routine. If you have days where you lack the time or energy to follow your morning routine, try again the next day. If there’s a day where I have to skip my morning routine, I try to get back into the swing of it as soon as possible. Trust me, it’s worth the effort to get your momentum back as soon as you can.
Related Post: 5 Healthy Morning Habits Anyone Has Time For
What helps you stick to your morning routine?
There you have five tips to help you stick to a morning routine! The most important things to remember are: know your motivation, take it slow, and keep trying. It may not always be fun or glamorous, but it’s worth it! Leave a comment below and share any morning routine struggles or wins you have!
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Since I wrote about my morning routine in your last post I felt the urge to write how I’ve kept my morning routine MOST days. (Yup, I mess up and don’t do it every morning, lol).
What keeps me consistent is my reason. I needed a reason, something that motivates me and I value in my life, to keep me going every day. And that is my health. To be specific, my mind and my feet (I have feet injuries). I have a very simple yoga routine I do every morning. First it helps my mind to help me focus and prep for my day. Second it stretches me out so I can have healthier feet so I can run and hike.
So in a way, my routine is out of necessity, at least to me. My mind and body health are very important to me and that keeps me going.
Best,
Allison
I love that you know EXACTLY what your motivation is! Proud of you for prioritizing your health, Allison! xo
Such a great post! And I agree with everything you mentioned. Especially being patient with ourselves. It can so easily throw us off our purposeful plan if we get all upset and judgmental towards our own because we didn’t get it “perfectly”. It is a hard tendency to lose, but so worth every bit off effort because in the end we are human, make mistakes and aren’t perfect.
Have a fabulous day!
xx Ronja ?
http://www.sothisiswhat.com
Thanks so much, Ronja! Being patient is the HARDEST (and most frustrating) part, but it’s totally necessary xo
I TOTALLY agree that making a routine and sticking to it are worlds apart. This semester a have four 9ams (which is usually unheard of for a senior, but alas) so I’m trying to build a good routine. So far I’ve found that reading for 20 minutes as soon as I wake up is a great start to the day!
xx Pia
http://gymbagsandjetlags.com
Dang, four 9ams! You got this, girl! Reading is such a great way to get inspired in the morning.
This was really helpful because I struggle with a stable morning routine. Although when I look back just as you did I see that I do have a routine every morning. With my college schedule my classes start at different times everyday however when I wake up I do the same things. With these tips it will help me stick to my routines every morning.
So glad this was helpful, Taylor!
Thanks for the great tips on creating a morning routine!
Not sure if this classifies as a morning routine, and possibly it has been addressed in other posts, but for several months I have been making a conscious effort to quiet my mind first thing when I get out of bed.
For most of my life, the moment I woke up my mind would start churning, which would contribute to my stress. By consciously quieting my mind, it makes the morning much more pleasant. Not totally second nature yet, but I am making progress.
I love the sound of that, Tim! I try to do the same with meditation in the morning. Otherwise, like you said, my mind will immediately start thinking 100 steps ahead of me.
I am starting to mold my morning routine but have had a problem getting up earlier so I will try the 15 minute increments! I’ve also ordered a regular Alarm clock so I don’t have to keep my phone I. My room… I’ll scroll for days right when I wake up. So far my routine is: make coffee and let the dog out, skin care routine, my bible/journal time, a few minutes of stretching, beauty routine while catching up on YouTube, then kiss my dog :) also I’m an “upholder” ?
Ooh yeah, an alarm clock is a great idea! The temptation of checking your phone is super hard to resist when it’s the first thing you see in the morning. Love the sound of your morning routine though! Smooches with dogs are the best!
I have tried to start a morning ritual but am really struggling. I am a nurse in the UK who works a combination of day and night shifts in one week so if I get it together on the day shifts I lose it when it comes to nights… I have to leave for work at 7am in days and am home for bed at 8.30 on nights.. Do you have any suggestions?
Hey Cassie! That’s a tough schedule for sure. I think what’s most important is trying not to overwhelm yourself and thinking realistically about what you can squeeze in. So maybe choosing one thing that’s really going to put you in a good mood (maybe that’s yoga, meditation, journaling, drinking coffee – whatever!) and just trying to fit that one ritual in instead of a bunch of different things. I hope that helps!
I have really enjoyed this post and also your post on how to create intentional routines in your life. You have pushed me to sit down and create a new morning routine for myself. I have wanted to change it up and now have the motivation! I am now going to take the quiz you mentioned :)
Great post! I Definitely need to get my butt in gear. I was doing so well with going to the gym in the morning, but as soon as something comes along and disrupts it, it throws me out of whack. Going to have to take that habit quiz you linked to see if that sheds any light.
XO Steph
I’ve always had this ideal for a routine in the morning, and at night. I know it’s so much healthier and when I do it I feel so much more motivated and better about myself. But I still struggle to make it a habit. I find myself not wanting to get out of bed just because I’m so exhausted! Once I get up, I’m fine. But usually I lay in bed for another 30 minutes at least before I even move to get up. Which makes me feel groggy and rushed. I know I can keep routines. But it’s hard not to stop the wagon whenever there’s a bump in the road. This post was helpful, even in just knowing I’m not the only one!
Catherine, I just recently began to read your blogs. I just want to say thank you! So inspiring and motivational!!! <3
I love knowing someone else loves making lists for routine but not following through! Thank you for this, you have motivated me to stick to a morning routine!
I’m so glad to hear that, Meg!
Victor Hugo took a public ice bath on his roof every morning as part of his daily routine? Talk about an interesting morning routine. I’m very good at sticking to my routines because I need them for my mental health but mine mostly involve pampering my face, drinking smoothies and eating yogurts.