Over the course of the last six years, I’ve learned there are many ways managing our health is similar to running a business. In both, we think it needs to be complicated, and that complexity will lead to success. When I first opened my online fitness coaching business in 2018, I took a course to help me get started. While I expected the most complicated things to give me the best results, I was pleasantly surprised when one of the simplest things I learned ended up being the most powerful. 

One of the first things my course instructors recommended to implement was a morning routine. I was taken by surprise, as I didn’t think this had anything to do with business. But as the hungry learner that I am, I am always willing to try new things, especially if I learn them from someone who has been successful in an area I aspire to also be successful in. 

The basis of a morning routine is this: spend time doing something for yourself first thing in the morning. Ideally, these activities make us better, are repeated daily, and set us up to have a great day. 

If you think closely, you probably already have a morning routine. If you have a job, kids, or go to school, there is likely a process you follow to get your day started, whether you realize it or not. It also could include not-so-beneficial activities such as checking email or social media first thing. The idea here is to intentionally choose activities that give us a moment for ourselves, before we tend to all of the needs of the world around us. 

At the time of first implementing my morning routine, I was still commuting two hours to Manhattan each day for work. This forced me to keep my morning routine extremely simple, as I didn’t have very much extra time. Meditation and journaling had been things I’d been wanting to try, but never implemented consistently, and I figured these would be a good place to start. Five minutes of meditation and five minutes of journaling seemed doable, so I set out to be consistent. 

The first few days of my new morning routine were very challenging. Creating a new habit is always difficult, as the new pathway is not familiar. After a few tough days, I started to get the hang of it. After a few weeks, I was obsessed. Not only did I feel calmer and more in control throughout the day, it felt so nice to have that ten minutes each day just for me. It wasn’t until I started my morning routine that I realized how little time I actually spent with and for myself. 

This simple morning routine makes me a better person all around. Taking a few minutes each day just for me helps me stay grounded, make better decisions throughout the day, and feel more capable of handling challenges that arise, and the simplicity is what leads me to the greatest success. 

Implementing a morning routine into our day is a small action with exponentially greater results. Whether it’s your morning routine or other parts of your health goals, remember to keep them simple. Simplicity leads to consistency, and consistency leads to results.