Having a strong morning routine has been a game-changer for me. And when I have my most purposeful and productive days, I know it’s because I touched on all of the following four core human dimensions before 9am:
- PQ – Physical
- IQ – Mental
- EQ – Emotional
- SQ – Spiritual
1. The Physical component (PQ) — Nourish and activate your body to prime it for a successful day.
Some examples:
- Drink a liter of water immediately upon rising
- Walk outside
- Exercise
- Jump up and down to wake your body up
2. The Intellectual component (IQ) — It’s just as important to exercise your brain as it is to exercise your body.
Some examples:
- Read
- Work on a puzzle for a few minutes
- Do something that challenges you to stretch your mind
3. The Emotional component (EQ) — This is about cultivating the right emotions within yourself.
Some examples:
- Start your day by asking yourself, “How do I want to feel today?” Then answer the question in your mind, or journal it on paper.
- Envision a successful day ahead. How would you like to feel today? What kind of emotional energy do you want to bring to your work, to the people you interact with? Imagine every outcome you have planned for the day as working in your favor.
- Connect with someone you care about.
4. The Spiritual component (SQ) — Fill your soul and spirit. Some examples:
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Think of three specific things or people in your life that you’re grateful for — and truly allow yourself to feel it. To cultivate a sense of intense gratitude is a powerful spiritual experience.
The morning routine checklist
One thing that helps me maintain long-term habits is checklists, thanks to their ease of use and replicability (you can make a template, print hundreds of copies to use every day).
Having said that, if you’re looking to shape your own morning routine, you might find the following (members only) morning routine checklist helpful.
It’s based on the four core human needs I mentioned earlier, and it can serve as a powerful motivator for you as you develop the right morning routine for yourself.
Enjoy.
Download the Morning Routine Checklist
I created a simple and beautiful checklist that you can download and make copies of to help you implement your own morning routine.
If you’re a member of the site, you can download it and start using it right away—and if you’re not, what are you waiting for?