When you look closely at the daily habits of the most successful, efficient workers in the world, they all have one thing in common — a highly structured schedule. That schedule includes a well planned out morning routine.

It seems that almost every single month, I find myself writing yet another post about my morning routine (sometimes even two or three). Honestly, I can’t help it. Morning routines fascinate me. I’ve read countless articles and watched numerous videos about morning routines.

I give my own morning routine a refresh every few weeks to ensure it suits my needs and goals at the time, and I believe everyone can benefit from doing the same.

I know that some people think that morning routines are a waste of time, but I find the opposite to be true. Optimizing my morning routine makes me more efficient, productive, and saves me hours every single week.

Even if you don’t follow a structured morning routine, give these three strategies a try. Then, tell me you still don’t believe in the power of a smooth running morning routine (I dare you).

1. I follow this work method.

One method that I have followed for quite some time is called “eating the frog”. Trust me, it’s not near as weird as it sounds.

“Eating the frog” is a concept which was popularized by author Brian Tracy. He describes where the term came from and what it means as follows:

“Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long. Your “frog” is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don’t do something about it.”

I have found that this method works incredibly well for two reasons:

1. Your mind is freshest right when you wake up.
2. By completing the toughest task first, everything else seems easy by comparison.

The main takeaway here is to tackle your most challenging problem first so that it’s done and over with. That way, you can move on with your day and you won’t be thinking about it 24/7.

2. I exercise for 30 minutes.

I cannot stress this point enough, and honestly, you are probably tired of hearing it.

I talk about daily exercise all the time because I have experienced firsthand the incredible benefits of working out daily. Some positive effects I have personally experienced include:

• Better mood
• Higher motivation
• Improved self-esteem
• Clearer thinking
• Increased efficiency

All of these positive side effects help me stay on top of and optimize my daily work, which ultimately saves me hours every single week. You might find that exercising in the morning can help you work more efficiently and save time as well.

3. I do this when I wake up.

Right when I wake up each morning, I make my bed. Yes, I am a very neat and organized person in general, but that is not the main reason why I make my bed each and every morning.

There are two key benefits to making your bed when you wake up. First, doing so has been shown to increase daily motivation and productivity. In fact,

“People who spend a couple extra minutes smoothing the comforter back and rearranging pillows actually led more productive lives, according to a new survey from Best Mattress Brand.”

Second, making my bed signals to my brain that I am up and ready to get after the day. I don’t want to mess up my freshly made bed, which prevents me from trying to sleep in an extra hour, procrastinate my work, or take a long nap.

Now, there is nothing wrong with a power nap. However, if I have already gotten plenty of sleep and have a lot of work to get done, sleeping in late will only throw off my routine and put me behind schedule.

The takeaway here is to try and avoid hitting snooze or sleeping in unless you really need to. Typically, this isn’t an issue if you work a traditional 9–5 job.

However, if you are a freelancer/self-employed, it could be very helpful to set a schedule and stick to it. Making your bed could be part of that routine which ultimately allows you to be more efficient and save time each week.

Final Thoughts

Your morning routine will not (and should not) be exactly the same as mine. It should be curated specifically for your needs and goals to help you work as efficiently as possible.

While I do love gaining inspiration from the morning routines of others, I ultimately stick with the habits that help me work most effectively.

Find the daily habits that help you optimize your time, and you’ll be able to work less, accomplish more, and save hours each week.

Check out my blog, nomeatfastfeet.com, for more helpful content!