7 Morning Routine Hacks to be a Successful Writer
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It’s time to start being a productive writer. And the best way to do that is through your morning routine.
Since changing my own morning routine, I’ve seen IMMENSE success both in my productivity and writing abilities. In 6 months alone, I’ve maintained an exercise regimen of 4 days a week, written daily, and centered myself through gratitude to see the positive parts of every day.
And it was actually easier than you think!
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7 Morning Routine Hacks to be a Successful Writer:
My morning routine used to start at 5:30AM, but if you’re not a morning person or someone who wakes up before 7AM, don’t think you have to get up super early to be successful, too.
Ease into your morning routine by gradually getting up a half-hour earlier or even with your first alarm. After all, we want you to stick with this plan.
Here are the most essential morning routine hacks you should add to your routine, especially if you’re not doing them already:
Hack #1: Read
I listened to a podcast by Terri Savelle Foy, who quoted a study on successful people. The most successful people in the world read every day. And the most unsuccessful people don’t read at all!
We already know as writers, that we need to be reading comp books. So why not start our day by reading a chapter? Especially since this is a rare moment of quiet before the craziness kicks in.
Hack # 2: Meditate
I increased my wake-up time by an extra half-hour to make time to meditate. I realized when I skip this step in my morning routine, my whole day is off and it isn’t always a good day.
To start, list 10 things that you’re grateful for, or things that you’re excited to happen today. This will help prime your mind for success and overall contentment throughout the day.
I also listen to motivational messages and spend time in prayer during this time. This extra time is vital to a successful morning routine and it’s my favorite part of the morning.
Hack # 3: Exercise
Raise your hand if you do not like going to the gym. 🙋♀️ I’m right there with you. It sucks, capital S. But when I skip the gym, I always feel tired and slow throughout the day.
Getting your body moving will energize you and get you excited for the new day. Plus, it will keep you healthy.
If you refuse to add the gym to your morning routine, at least do a simple stretch out of bed to wake your body up. Or consider a quick morning walk around the neighborhood with your dog. Any movement is good for you.
Hack # 4: Eat Breakfast
Hunger used to be the motivator pushing me out of bed. But I’ve learned to train my body to wait until 7AM now–almost 2 hours after I’ve woken up! As a hangry person, this is a HUGE accomplishment.
We all know that breakfast increases our metabolism and reduces health risks– Source: in case you didn’t know. But it’s also really important to focus and be productive throughout the day.
When you aren’t concentrating on your hunger, you’re able to focus on other important things. Like writing.
Hack # 5: Write
Why not try adding writing to your morning routine? After all, we’re trying to be successful writers over here. 😉
You can write ANYTHING, too, doesn’t have to be a story you’re working on. It could also be other book ideas, journal posts, your gratitude list, etc.
I combine my writing and meditation time by journaling my thoughts and priming my mind for the day. It’s still writing!
Hack #6: Start Early
Being a morning person is a trained skill, I’m sure of it. When I was a waitress, I would sleep until noon and stay out to crazy hours in the morning. But then I decided to try waking up early. Not only was it totally possible, but it was also very easy to do and I actually liked it.
When you wake up early, you can accomplish so much! Including most of these ideas for your morning routine. Give it a try for 2 weeks and don’t get discouraged if you fail one day. Keep trying.
I follow Laura Belgray, who recently started waking up earlier. She’s a known “lazy” businesswoman that usually wakes up at
Hack #7: Plan Your Day
In order to be successful, you need to avoid being reactive to the day. This means don’t open your email first thing, panic about your to-do list, start obsessing about all the fires you have to put out, and complain about how little time there is to do it all.
Instead, schedule your day in your planner BEFORE you pick up your phone. Mel Robbins of the 5 Second Rule says to keep your phone in the other room until you’ve finished your morning routine.
Time blocking is also a great way to be productive during the day. With all the rushing we have to do throughout the day, it’s nice to know we are in control.
Be sure to incorporate at least four of these morning routine hacks into your daily routine: read, meditate, exercise, eat breakfast, write, start early, and plan your day. But I recommend and challenge you to try all seven! At least for two weeks.
If you haven’t gotten a planner yet, these are my favorites:
- Big Ideas Box–great for bullet journaling
- Personalized Planner–awesome month and weekly breakdown
- Simple Hardcover–for those that just want a planner
Plus, they’re
Start Your Morning Routine Today!
Check out these other articles around the blog:
- Why you should read comp books
- All you need to write a kids book
- Motivate yourself to write when you don’t want to
- How to Create Effective Writing Goals
- How to Find Time to Write
when You’re Busy - 5 Work-from-Home Habits to be a Productive Writer
