I used to hate mornings:
Cursing the alarm
Hitting “snooze” 8 times
Praying for “just 5 more minutes”
Feeling drained, even after 9 hours of sleep
Sitting at my desk like a zombie, taking forever to get work done
It killed my productivity.
After cycling through countless morning routines, I finally cracked the code.
Now, I wake up around six - without alarm - and finish most of my work before lunch.
And no, the answer isn't a 2-hour long, mystical routine.
All that will do is waste valuable time.
It’s much simpler…
If you want to:
Wake up on time, without alarm
Get out of bed, actually feeling awake
Knock out your big tasks before others even start
Finish work early and get more time with your family
Keep reading and follow these 5 simple steps:
1) Wind-down ritual
I’ve tried all the “high-performance” morning routines:
Running
Reading
Journaling
Stretching
Going for a walk
Bathing in cold water
Having some special smoothie
Meditation (and falling right back to sleep)
None of that helped me get more productive.
It'd take me two hours to even start work, and I’d still be unfocused.
Here’s what I realized:
A productive morning starts the night before.
If you wake up to a desk littered with papers, empty coffee cups and 50 open tabs on your computer, you’ll lose an hour just cleaning up and figuring out what’s actually on your schedule.
Rian Doris, CEO of Flow Research Collective, calls this "friction":
The more obstacles you face, the more energy you'll lose before getting productive.
Here’s my 15-minute night-time routine - it can save you hours in the morning:
Review your day
Clean up your desk
Close open browser tabs
Schedule tasks for the next day
Prepare your outfit for the day ahead
Put a note for the first task you’ll do in the morning
The less friction you have to deal with in the morning, the faster you’ll be in flow.
2) Consistent bedtimes
Being prepared for the day ahead is great, but it’s worth little if you barely get out of bed.
And I used to be guilty of that.
Why?
My irregular sleep-cycle:
I used to get up at 6:30 for work during the week but stayed up late on the weekends.
Even though I got 7-9 hours of sleep every night, I’d feel horrible.
An inconsistent sleep cycle messes with your body’s internal clock:
Your circadian rhythm.
As a result, you’ll…
Get more stressed
Be cranky and irritable
Feel like you didn't even sleep
Have a much harder time to focus
… no matter the length of your sleep.
If you’re a busy entrepreneur who struggles to get 7 or more hours of sleep consistently, it’s even more important.
Do everything in your power to boost the quality of your sleep and aim to go to bed at the same time every day to avoid this (yes, on the weekends as well).
Over time, you’ll wake up refreshed and on time - even without an alarm.
3) Old-school alarm clock
Here’s the easiest way to improve your mornings:
Make your bedroom a “no-phone” zone and get yourself an old-school alarm clock.
If you need something to wind down, read a book that has nothing to do with your work.
Here’s another trap from using the alarm on your phone:
You’ll wake up to text messages and notifications.
Getting bombarded with distractions is the worst possible way to start your day.
If you have breakfast before work, make sure to eat it mindfully:
No screens and no newspapers.
I’ve built the habit of not touching my phone before I’m done with the most important task for the day and it was a game changer.
I’d recommend you to do the same.
Bonus points if you move your old-school alarm clock to the other side of the room:
That way, you’ll get out of bed right away and avoid snoozing.
4) Start your day with water
The first thing most people drink is coffee.
I get why you’d do that:
You want as much energy as possible to crush your day.
The problem with that is your body craves water after sleep.
Think of it like a plant that hasn't been watered for a while.
Dehydration leads to:
Fatigue
Irritability
Tiredness
Headaches
Reduced creativity
On top of that, caffeine will compete with cortisol, leading to a mid-morning crash.
Hold back with caffeine for at least 30 minutes and let your body go through its natural wake-up process.
Here’s how to make this easy:
Before you go to sleep, put a big glass of water on your nightstand and drink it right after you get out of bed.
I like to drink 1l of water within the first 2 hours of the day.
5) You might not be a morning person
If none of this works for you, it’s probably due to your chronotype.
A chronotype refers to an individual's natural preference or tendency to be active and alert at certain times during a 24-hour period.
Think of it as a person's internal clock:
Some people are "morning larks" who wake up early and feel most energetic in the morning, while others are "night owls" who stay up late and feel most active in the evening.
Your chronotype influences when you prefer to sleep, work, or relax.
If you’re a night-owl, don’t be surprised if you’re more productive at 9pm than at 9am.
This has nothing to do with your work-ethic, but is largely due to genetics.
To determine your chronotype:
Observe your sleep patterns: Note when you naturally sleep and wake up on obligation-free days
Monitor your energy levels: Track when you feel most and least energetic
Take an online quiz: Use tools like the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ)
Consult a sleep specialist: For a detailed assessment
Listen to your body: Recognize your natural activity and rest cues
If you fall into the “night-owl” category, don’t feel bad about it or try to force yourself into getting up at 4:30 because it’s preached on Instagram.
Adjust your day towards your chronotype as much as possible.
Summary
How to make your mornings enjoyable and hyper productive:
Evening ritual
Consistent bed-time
Old-school alarm clock
Drink water immediately
Determine your chronotype
If you’re an entrepreneur or creator and want to get in your best shape ever within two hours per week, click the link and hop on a free 30-minute 1:1 strategy call with me.