Welcome back to Rise + Thrive, a multi-part series about how to wake up early and build strong morning rituals for daily success. View every installment here.
Having a strong morning routine has been a game-changer for me. And when I have my most purposeful and productive days, I know it’s because I touched on all of the following four core human dimensions before 9am:
- PQ – Physical
- IQ – Mental
- EQ – Emotional
- SQ – Spiritual
1. The Physical component (PQ) — Nourish and activate your body to prime it for a successful day.
Some examples:
- Drink a liter of water immediately upon rising
- Walk outside
- Exercise
- Jump up and down to wake your body up
2. The Intellectual component (IQ) — It’s just as important to exercise your brain as it is to exercise your body.
Some examples:
- Read
- Work on a puzzle for a few minutes
- Do something that challenges you to stretch your mind
3. The Emotional component (EQ) — This is about cultivating the right emotions within yourself.
Some examples:
- Start your day by asking yourself, “How do I want to feel today?” Then answer the question in your mind, or journal it on paper.
- Envision a successful day ahead. How would you like to feel today? What kind of emotional energy do you want to bring to your work, to the people you interact with? Imagine every outcome you have planned for the day as working in your favor.
- Connect with someone you care about.
4. The Spiritual component (SQ) — Fill your soul and spirit. Some examples:
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Think of three specific things or people in your life that you’re grateful for — and truly allow yourself to feel it. To cultivate a sense of intense gratitude is a powerful spiritual experience.
The morning routine checklist
One thing that helps me maintain long-term habits is checklists, thanks to their ease of use and replicability.
Having said that, if you’re looking to shape your own morning ritual, you might find the following morning routine checklist helpful.
It’s based on the four core human needs I mentioned earlier, and it can serve as a powerful motivator for you as you develop the right morning routine for yourself.
Enjoy!
Download the Morning Routine Checklist
I created a simple and beautiful checklist that you can download and make copies of to help you implement your own morning routine.
Here’s how to use it:
- Think of at least one thing you can do every morning in each of the following areas: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. (Take a look at the examples I’ve included in the checklist if you need a little inspiration.)
- Then, write each of those actions down on your checklist and dominate your morning!
Download the checklist below.
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The Morning Routine Checklist (PDF)
More from the Rise + Thrive series
- Dean Bokhari’s Morning Ritual
- A Motivating Morning Ritual for Productivity
- The 4 Components of a Healthy Morning Routine
- How to Wake Up Early and Work Out—An 8 Step Guide
- A Morning Ritual for Working Moms
- 11 Tips to Wake Up Early + Become a Morning Person
Master the Morning
Get step-by-step guidance on how to wake up early and build a personalized morning ritual that suits your lifestyle with Master the Morning, a research-backed training program by Dean Bokhari.
