You don’t need an elaborate morning routine. Online coaches and influencers describe theirs ad nauseam. If you have the time, by all means spend your morning with strength training, affirmations, a home-cooked breakfast in accordance with your chosen macros, a walk outside, meditation, tai chi, and a success visualization. But most of us have a job to do. We get up, shower, brush our teeth, have coffee, and head to the office.
But as so often, there is a grain of truth behind the hype. It is true that your brain is reset when you wake up. But as soon as you open your email, messages, or social media, other people’s concerns and agendas take over your life.
The one thing that matters most in your mornings is to set your intention for the day. Before you reach for your phone, identify one thing you want to achieve this day. Just one. Your brain is not good at holding dozens of tasks simultaneously. It gets confused, and you start task swapping and spinning your wheels. Set your sights on one task in the morning. You’ll find your brain will keep reminding you, and that one task does get completed.