We’ve all heard the claims: “The most successful people wake up at 5 AM!” “A proper morning routine will transform your life!” But as someone who has historically hit the snooze button with Olympic-level commitment, I approached these promises with healthy skepticism. Nevertheless, I decided to dedicate one month to experimenting with different morning rituals to see what all the fuss was about. What I discovered surprised me in ways I never expected.
For 30 days, I committed to trying a variety of morning routines, each lasting for one week:
Confession time: Those first three days of 5:30 AM wake-ups were brutal. I stumbled around my apartment like a character from “The Walking Dead,” wondering why anyone would voluntarily subject themselves to this torture.
But then something shifted on day four. Waking up became marginally easier, and I found myself enjoying the quiet solitude of the early morning. The meditation practice—just 10 minutes using a guided app—helped my brain boot up more smoothly than my usual method of immediately checking email.
Key Insight: It wasn’t the early hour that provided value, but rather the uninterrupted time for reflection before the world started making demands.
I’ve always been someone who saved workouts for after work, believing the myth that I simply “wasn’t a morning exercise person.” Turns out, that was just a story I told myself.
While I never experienced the legendary “runner’s high” during my morning workouts, I did notice that my energy remained more consistent throughout the day. The post-exercise shower also created a clear transition point between “personal morning time” and “work mode.”
Key Insight: Physical movement created mental momentum that carried throughout the day.
Last month, I was struggling with a major career decision when my dry cleaner casually mentioned how he’d rebuilt his business after losing everything in a fire. His perspective on resilience and starting over provided exactly the framework I needed for my own situation—all while he pressed my shirts!This week challenged me the most. Sitting down to eat breakfast without scrolling through my phone felt almost uncomfortable at first—like forgetting to wear shoes. But by forcing myself to just eat (and occasionally look out the window or flip through a magazine), I noticed flavors I’d been missing and actually felt satisfied after meals.
Key Insight: Rushing through morning activities wasn’t saving time—it was robbing me of presence.
As a perpetual “I’ll write/draw/create when I have time” person, dedicating the first hour of my day to creative work seemed indulgent. Yet this week produced not only my most consistent creative output in years but also my most innovative thinking at work.
Key Insight: Our creative faculties are freshest before we’ve consumed others’ opinions and content.
Beyond the specific routines, here’s what surprised me most:
After my month-long experiment, I crafted a personalized morning ritual that includes elements from each week:
Morning routines aren’t one-size-fits-all. The point isn’t to copy someone else’s ideal morning but to discover what helps you start your day with intention. Consider experimenting with your own morning ritual challenge. You might be surprised by what you discover about yourself in those first waking hours.