I first heard the saying “Structure frees creativity” from Michael Allosso who is a coaching consultant and communications specialist. Michael saw something in me that day and “called me out” so to speak. He’s really dialed in how to motivate someone to improve. That moment stuck with me and really shaped who I’m trying to be.

As a creative profession I need to ensure my days starts off on the right foot. The best way for me to do this is to start my day off with a routine.

I’ve built a structured morning routine that gives the best opportunity to have a successful day.

I was never a morning person. I mean who is – right! It’s tough to get up early especially in the winter time when it’s cold and dark in the morning. I know the bed is so warm and cozy. But you can turn yourself into a morning person.

Here’s how I do it:

The night before:

• Get in bed at least an hour before you plan to fall asleep. If I try to get in bed and go right to sleep I find I have trouble doing this. I need time to let me body settle down.
• Make your “fall asleep” time consistent every night. I’ve found having a consistent “fall asleep” time is much better than falling asleep at different times even if you get the same amount of sleep. Yes even on weekends you should do your best. I find if I’m off my schedule the next day is going to be really tough.

The Morning Routine:

• Drink a cup of water: It’s vital to get your body rehydrated after sleeping. Do it first thing. Some people even have a cup out on a night table so they can drink it first thing.
• Exercise: Sooner or later you will have to exercise and the sooner the better. Exercise increases serotonin levels. It helps to get you going remember energy begets energy – this is another quote from Michael Allosso.
• Read a book:Reading should be a part of your personal development plan. Reading stimulates thought and helps your mind to remain sharp. And don’t discount fiction either.
• Affirmations. When you say your affirmation over and over again the brain thinks of this as important to you. Your brain also senses the tension between what you are saying and what it perceives are truth. The brain fights this tension and starts to believe what is said.
• Read more: This time it’s my RSS feed with all the blogs I subscribe to. Steven Covey wrote about sharpening the saw. Blogs are a great way to keep up with what’s going on in your industry and the world.
• Journal: I use a template for my journal posts where I review yesterday, think about right now and finally what I’m planning to do today. Give your day some thought! Don’t just jump in head first. Think about what’s important right now.

Don’t you think if Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway (to name a few) thought it was a good idea to have a morning routine that you should consider it. Do you want to learn more about this Hal Elrod has an entire book called The Miracle Morning.

Do you have a morning routine I would love to hear about it on Twitter.