How long should my morning routine be?

Question

Hey BP,

I recently had a career change that allows me complete control over my schedule. I have found that my morning routine is now probably twice as long as it was before. Even though I am doing high value tasks like running, reading, and writing in my journal, I am still worried that I might be wasting time. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could find enough high value tasks to make my morning routine last all day. So my question is, what have you found to be the highest ROI activities of your morning routine, and how much time should be devoted to these activities?

Wyatt Johnson · Answer

Thanks @Damaso Bautista!

Damaso Bautista · Answer

@Wyatt Johnson

If you were sleeping your morning away, then I would be worrying about it.  As long as you are getting your W-2 career work done then that is important.

If you are working the rest of the day and making sure you are going forward and making progress I believe that is what is most important.

If you find your morning routine is taking away from your progress ( something measurable) then you can adjust accordingly.

I wouldn't change on feeling or conjecture.  Personal care is very important for health both physically and mentally.

In my opinion keep doing what you are doing until you can't because it is hindering your goals whatever they are.

Good luck!

Brad Hammond · Answer

That's a tough one because you might be robbing Peter to pay Paul.  I would say experiment with different combinations and see what your results are.  Maybe cut your journaling time in half for 6 weeks, then not do it at all for 6 weeks.  See what your results are and what feels good to you.

Wyatt Johnson · Answer

@Brad Hammond thanks for the reply. I am currently doing things to get leads every day including cold calling and door knocking. I'm just starting to wonder if I should be skipping my 15 minutes of journaling so that I can make a few more calls instead if that makes sense.

Brad Hammond · Answer

Hey Wyatt, congrats on getting a hold of your morning.  I think that is the most important part of the day.  I think you are doing the right things already by reading and journaling.  You should read Miricle Morning by Hal Elrod.  It is a great book and he has some great ideas on how to start your day so you are set up for success.

Beyond that, I would take a look at your goals and drill them down to the next actionable step.  That could be analyzing deals, networking, researching, etc.  Allow X amount of time for that task.  Also, getting done the 1, 3, or 5 most important tasks for the day done first is crucial.