Morning Routine Checklist - Your Guide To Successful Mornings

April 14, 2024

What is a morning routine checklist? How do I create a morning routine checklist? How do I stick to my morning routine checklist? If you have these and other questions, you have come to the right place!

Hi, I am Katie Lister, a practicing Registered Nurse and the founder of Growth Gals. I lead personal development groups and communities and coach women to evolve into the best versions of themselves. GG provides women with a safe space to come together to learn and get support from other women.

At GG, we discuss various topics related to everyday issues that affect the lives of women, such as mental health, emotional intelligence, finding your life’s purpose, and personal development, including creating healthy everyday habits. This article has everything you need to know about creating an ideal morning routine checklist.

Katie Lister

Written by Katie Lister, RN, BScN. An experienced Registered Nurse, Group Facilitator, Life Coach, and Community Leader. Read Katie's Full Author Bio

Why Do You Need a Morning Routine Checklist?

The morning is the most essential part of your day. Most of the time, how you start your morning dictates how the rest of the day will go. Having a morning routine checklist is an ideal way of ensuring you start your day on a good note. Do you have a morning routine? Do you have a morning routine checklist or template?

Just like an evening routine, a morning routine checklist is a list of activities you do every morning and is a part of your daily routine. This checklist ensures that you make time for healthy habits and productivity. A perfect morning routine checklist helps start your day on the right foot.

A morning checklist has numerous benefits, such as:

Organization and improved productivity

Starting the day with an intentional routine helps you feel confident and organized. A morning routine can include waking up at the same time every day, exercising, meditating, showering, having breakfast, and planning the day. The ultimate morning checklist helps you form healthy habits, increasing your productivity and efficiency.

It helps you feel energized

Having a list of consistent things to do in the morning like drinking a glass of water when you wake up, listening to a good podcast, or taking a walk first thing helps you feel refreshed and energized. It takes an average of 66 days to form a lasting habit, and if you kick start your day with a morning routine, you set the tone for a productive day. Once your body gets used to your morning rituals, it becomes easier to wake up without an alarm.

It helps you feel connected with your day

Knowing what you need to do to prepare for the day ahead grounds you. The secret is establishing a consistent routine that works for you. For instance, enjoying at least 7 hours of sleep the previous night will ensure you wake up feeling energized, in a good mood, and ready to tackle your morning routine and new day. Taking the time each morning to connect with your inner self and surroundings will help you feel ready to tackle the day. Start small and try different checklists until you find one that works.

Boosts your self-awareness

Self-awareness helps you recognize how your thoughts, feelings, and actions affect others. It’s vital for decision-making, relationships, your well-being, and achieving goals. Having a morning routine checklist is an excellent way of building self-awareness.

Examples of Ideal Checklist Items For Morning Routines

You can find printable and editable free morning routine checklists online, but here are some morning routine ideas you can try:

Write a to-do list, lay out your clothes for the next day, and set your alarm.
Wake up as soon as the alarm clock goes off.
Spend about an hour on self-care.
Make your bed.
Exercise: Do light exercises like yoga, a brisk walk, or a ten-minute workout.
Take time for self-care.
Brush your teeth and hair, and dress up.
Meditate or journal: Meditation or gratitude journaling in the morning clears your head. Meditation releases pent-up stress and gives you a clear headspace to be creative and productive. Do daily positive affirmations and set a positive tone for the day.
Eat a healthy breakfast: Eat a protein-filled meal to sustain your energy levels throughout the day.
Hydrate and then have a cup of coffee.
Review your to-do list and start with the most critical tasks.

You can shake up the above activities and do them in whichever order you please. It also helps to create a morning routine chart and stick it on your bedroom door or where you can see it every morning.

How To Create an Effective Morning Routine Checklist

A good morning routine checklist is one that is unique enough to tailor to your specific daily needs. This means that your checklist does not necessarily have to be identical to someone else’s. Here are some steps you can follow to create a practical morning routine checklist:

Think about what to include

Think about what you want to include and achieve in your checklist. Plans need a purpose or a reason, and setting goals allows you to think about what you want to accomplish and why.

Create an activity list

Create a list of activities you must do each morning and allocate an approximate time for each. This will allow you to know how much time you need to complete the morning routine checklist. Start with your wake-up time and the most important tasks, working your way down to the least important. Be realistic, and don’t add too many activities that may overwhelm you.

Start small

Start small and build up your morning routine. As time goes and you master your routine, you can add extra activities to your checklist. A habit takes about three months to become second nature. So, taking your time before adding activities to your list will give you more time to master the process.

Give each activity enough time

As you create your morning routine, give yourself enough time for the tasks on the checklist. Overestimate how long each task takes to allow yourself to perform it without feeling rushed. With time, you will better understand how long each task and the entire morning routine takes.

Have alternatives to your checklist

There are days when you may not feel up to doing a particular activity. Having a ready alternative to help you find your morning motivation ensures you stick to the process of completing the checklist. For instance, you may wake up and not feel like doing an intense workout or a long run. Having an alternative for those days like a leisurely walk or stretching ensures you still get your movement in before the start of a busy day. This way, you won’t feel like you have strayed from your routine, and at the end of the day, you will feel the same sense of satisfaction.

Create ground rules

A morning routine checklist needs a lot of discipline to master. Regularly reflect on your why and what you want to accomplish. A lack of ground rules sets you up for failure because skipping items on your checklist may become a habit, leading you back to the chaos of a rushed morning.

How to Ensure You Stick to Your Morning Routine Checklist

Creating healthy morning habits you can stick to takes work. It needs a lot of dedication, discipline, and focus, especially if you are not a morning person. Here are some tips to ensure you stay consistent:

Find your why: Know why you are doing the morning routine and the benefits it brings.
Set realistic goals: Try to have realistic expectations of yourself and aim for consistency over perfection. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes.
Enjoy yourself: Include activities like reading, spending time with loved ones, or listening to music.
Be accountable: Share your plans with a family member or close friend to help hold yourself accountable. Track your progress using your checklist or an app. Celebrate even your smallest wins to help keep you motivated.
Establish a routine and follow it: Maintain consistency in your morning routine. Wake up at the same time every day and do the same activities daily until they become second nature.
Make adjustments: Be flexible enough to adapt your morning routine depending on your preferences and schedule. The end goal is to create your own morning routine on your terms.

Relation between Morning Routines and Success

According to statistics, 92% of successful people have a non-negotiable morning routine hacks. Successful people like Virgin Atlantic’s CEO Richard Branson, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, and Tesla’s Elon Musk have solid routines.

All these successful people understand how crucial morning inspiration is when it comes to consistency and structure in achieving goals. Routines provide organization, better time management, and an overall sense of control. They also help you have discipline, which is crucial to success.

When you snooze the alarm for an hour or start scrolling social media apps, you end up getting out of bed in a hurry. Starting the morning in a rush sets a negative tone for the day, and you spend the day feeling disorganized. Waking up earlier and following a routine creates healthy habits that make you more productive.

How Growth Gals Can Help Create an Ideal Morning Checklist

Our aim at Growth Gals is to inspire women to reach their full potential. We also strive to create positive change by giving women the resources to discover their true selves and expand their knowledge base on various issues, such as mental health and emotional intelligence.

Growth Gals helps women overcome obstacles and make informed decisions. We also help them connect with other women with similar values and experiences. Subscribe to the Growth Gals newsletter to access resources and helpful guides for women. Learn more about how we can support you and help you create and stick to a great morning routine checklist that works.

Conclusion

The best morning routine checklist works for you. A morning routine adds structure to your day and helps you have a more productive morning and day ahead. Have a bedtime routine to plan for the next day’s tasks. Determine what works for you and make a checklist that aligns with your lifestyle and preferences.