The Morning Routine That Will Transform Your Positivity (And Your Life)

The Morning Routine That Will Transform Your Positivity (And Your Life)

We've all been there. The alarm goes off with that jarring sound that somehow manages to be both obnoxious and panic-inducing at the same time. You reach over to hit snooze, dreading the start of another stressful day.

As dads, our mornings often set the tone for the entire day ahead. Do you want to wake up feeling groggy, frazzled, and behind before you've even started? Or would you rather begin each morning with clarity, energy, and a positive outlook that propels you forward?

The difference lies in your morning routine. By developing a consistent, purposeful sequence of morning activities and mindsets, you can quite literally wake up on the right side of the bed every single day. This powerful morning routine will have you feeling like one of those deliriously cheerful morning people you've read about but never quite believed could exist.

The best part? This transformative routine is built from habits that take no more than an hour or two each morning. An hour or two to completely shift your day from stressful to joyful and productive. That's a pretty great ROI if you ask me.

So what does this world-class morning routine look like? Let me walk you through it, complete with examples and stories that will have you ready to overhaul your mornings starting tomorrow.

The night before: Winding down right

It all starts the night before with getting quality sleep. Dads are notorious for pushing themselves past the point of exhaustion. But getting enough rest is critical for having the energy and positive mindset to crush your mornings.

One of my good friends, a father of three, used to burn the midnight oil responding to emails, checking social media, you name it. He'd wake up feeling like a truck ran him over mentally and emotionally. Then he started a simple routine of shutting off screens at 9pm and reading for an hour before bed to allow his mind to unwind. It made a world of difference in his sleep quality and morning energy levels.

5:30am Wake up, Hydrate, And Move

They say the toughest step is the first one, and that's why the ideal morning routine starts bright and early around 5:30am or 6am. Waking up when it's still calm and quiet allows you to claim that time for yourself before the day's chaos begins.

As soon as that blessed morning silence is broken by the sound of your wake up music (ditch the blaring alarms!), start hydrating. Down a glass of water to rehydrate after 6-8 hours of fasting during sleep. Getting that boost of hydration first thing provides an energizing jolt.

Then, get moving with some light exercise or stretches. Don't worry, no need for an intense workout at this hour unless you're a masochist. Something as simple as a 10-15 minute yoga flow or brief walk around the neighborhood is perfect. The key is to get your blood pumping and body loosened up.

I have a friend, Dave, who swears by his morning jogs around the neighborhood while listening to motivational podcasts. He comes back feeling energized in both body and mindset.

7am Mindfulness And Breakfast

With some physical movement under your belt, it's time to engage your mind while nourishing your body with breakfast. Kill two birds with one productive stone through a "mindful morning meal."

The idea here is to take your time eating a healthy, hearty breakfast. But as you eat, you read or listen to something inspiring, motivational, or educational. Feed your mind and body at the same time.

Some examples that work well:

•Reading a personal development or motivational book

•Listening to an informative podcast on a topic you're interested in

•Writing in a gratitude journal

•Meditating or practicing deep breathing exercises

The idea is to pair your nutritious morning fuel with inspiration that feeds your mind and soul too. It's amazing how stimulating both the body and mind during your first meal provides such a powerful combination of physical and mental energy.

One dad I know, Mike, used to rush through breakfast while checking emails and social media. He constantly felt frazzled and unfocused. Now he takes 30 minutes to cook up a protein-packed breakfast while listening to an audiobook or motivational podcast. Mike always emerges from his mindful morning meal feeling grounded and ready to crush the day.

8am Plan And Prioritize

With your mind and body energized, it's time to put that inspiration into an actionable plan for the day. Highly successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, and other productive titans recommend spending 15-30 minutes each morning mapping out your schedule and top priorities.

Whether you use an old-school pen and planner or a digital calendar, take this time to lay out your day's tasks, meetings, goals, etc. Review your big picture priorities for the week and month as well so you can ensure your day's schedule ladders up to hitting those targets.

Get specific and allocate time blocks for when you'll tackle different items. That Monday morning planning session isn't just telling you what to do. It's telling your time how to behave. Prioritize and protect time for your biggest priorities first before everything else gets scheduled.

I worked with an entrepreneur dad, Chris, who always felt frantic and unfocused before we implemented a morning planning ritual. Just 20 minutes looking at his calendar and making a prioritized to-do list made a world of difference. Chris says it allows him to be intentional about his day rather than just having it ReactReact to him.

8:30am Put Your Stake In The Ground

Your mindset in the morning is a huge driver of your attitude and positivity for the whole day. That's why the final step of this world-class morning routine is about taking a few minutes to cultivate an empowering mindset before you dive into the day's grind.

There are a few great ways to put your stake in the ground and "claim" your positive, productive morning before the tide of busyness rolls in:

•Repeat a mantra, affirmation, or quote that resonates with you

•Visualize or write down your goals for the day and how you'll feel achieving them

•Voice record yourself discussing your intention for the day

•Step outside and breathe some fresh morning air while centering yourself

This simple ritual serves as a form of meditation that aligns your mindset with your intentions. It's like drawing a line in the sand that says "This is the day I'm choosing to have. A positive one filled with focus and productivity."

My buddy Will is a perfect example. A recent retiree from the software world, he now works part time as a consultant while caring for his two young grandsons during the day. Every morning at 8:45am, he walks outside and spends five minutes inhaling the crisp air and reciting his favorite affirmation: "I am energized and eager to spend this day in service of my loved ones and life's highest values." Will swears it puts him in the perfect frame of mind as a calm, present granddad ready to pour into his family with joy.

The Ultimate Morning Starter

There you have it - the ultimate morning routine formula that takes no more than 90 minutes but provides incredible boosts in positivity, productivity, and overall life satisfaction.

The core philosophy is about purposefully frontloading your mornings. Hit the ground running with self-care habits that energize and align your body, mind, and mindset. When you pour into yourself first thing through hydration, movement, mindfulness, planning, and purpose-setting, you become powered up to pour into your entire day with a can-do positive attitude.

Of course you can mix and match which specific habits you incorporate based on your own preferences and schedule constraints. But the key is creating any routine that intentionally invests in your personal energy reserves first thing. That investment gets paid back exponentially in the form of a more positive outlook and productive capabilities throughout your day.

I'll leave you with one final success story from a father close to me. My brother works insane hours as a corporate executive and started defaulting to the snooze button when his mornings were a frenzy of getting the kids ready while chugging coffee and scarfing down an energy bar. He felt stressed, irritable, and generally like he was failing before his day even began.

After taking up this world-class morning routine though, my brother now wakes up two hours earlier than his old routine. He spends that time hydrating, working out, reading motivational books, planning his schedule, and reciting affirmations. Despite still having a hectic work schedule, he says he feels happier and more positive than he has in years - all thanks to his intentional morning habits. His wife and kids have remarked at the dramatic transformation in his patience, energy levels, and general demeanor.

Those first few hours can chart the course for your entire day, week, and life. So start sailing in a more positive, purposeful direction by claiming your mornings with this routine. You'll be