I just recently got into having a morning routine of my own. I usually wake up at around 5am, do some body workouts, mediate, and do some reading. I won’t actually tell you to do the same thing because everyone has their own methods that work for them. What I will do is give you some principles to look to when deciding to create a morning routine.

I will also do this with the help of the beautiful Claudia Wilkinson. Norah Wells links up with the blonde model to portray just an ordinary day for her.

“I teamed up with Claudia Wilkinson of KULT Management AUS and we decided to visualise an ordinary morning for her. Her rituals, getting ready, whilst experimenting with the natural light her apartment boasts in a comfortable setting. I however thought we should replicate a more pro female, dominant vibe towards the end of the shoot, so with my last black and white roll, we used her rooftop and some knee high boots to portray how routines and healthy rituals allow us to grow and feel more grounded.”

Norah Wells

Start Your Morning Off Strong

Our will power is the strongest in the morning. You might feel that way when you can get everything done at work, but too tired to head to the gym afterwards. Whatever you decide to do, start off strong. The first things you do in the morning should be purposeful and requires a lot of determination. As the day draws to an end, we start to lose self-control with the amount of decisions that we have to make. If there’s something that you must do, do it in the morning.

Begin Your Morning Routine the Night Before

One way to start your morning off strong is to “pre-game” the night before. Prioritize the hardest task that you have to do in the office and prepare for it the night before. You don’t have to do the task. Just before your leave home from work, think of the biggest task that you have to do the next morning, write it down on a sticky note, and once you stroll into the office the next day, you’re already off to work. If you want to go out for an early run, make sure your running shoes and workout clothes are laid out for you every night, so that you’re motivated to head out into the brisk morning air. This plan is something you can repeat every day.

Live Like Every Morning is Your Last

This one is pretty self explanatory. When people talk about living your life like it’s your last day so much, it starts to lose meaning. Instead I will end this section with a quote from Steve Job’s commencement speach to Stanford University in 2005.

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Steve Jobs

With these three principles in mind, it doesn’t matter what you do. The important thing is to make sure you do what is important in your life. Prioritize those important activities in the morning so that you put all of your effort. This could be working on your side business, going on an early morning run, or getting the kids ready for school. As long as you do what you love and do it to to fullest, your morning routine will always give you a sense of fulfillment no matter how the rest of your day goes.