5 Morning Rituals of Successful People That Can Change Your Life

Tim Ferriss firmly believes that “If you win the morning, you win the day”. And there’s scientific research that proves this is true. There are similarities in the morning rituals of successful people that we can learn from and apply to our own lives.

Our willpower is the highest during the morning and depletes later during the day. That’s also the reason, personal development guru, Brian Tracy, recommends ‘eating the frog’ (completing the most difficult task) in the morning to have a productive day.

In this article, you’ll learn the best ways to squeeze the most out of your days. Following these rituals will give you the freedom to bring your dreams to life.

Here are the morning rituals of successful people to help you design your mornings for maximum productivity and fulfillment.

1. Rod Friedman

Rod Friedman is a psychologist and the founder of Ignite80, an organization that improves employee motivation and well-being in the workplace. Friedman has one of the best morning rituals of successful people you’ll ever come across.

He recommends starting your morning with this 10-minute ritual:

Ask yourself this question the moment you sit at your desk: The day is over and I am leaving the office with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. What have I achieved?

This question will help you differentiate tasks that are urgent from those that are important.

Break down each task into a simplified list of action steps. For example, making a presentation can be broken into 1) Do research 2) Create an outline 3) Write first draft

This makes your goals very specific, which is important to make sure you actually achieve your goals.

Prioritise this list of tasks and do the most challenging task first.

2. Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss is known for his unconventional lifestyle ideas and for his books such as the Four Hour Work Week. The best part about him is that he created his morning routine after talking to over hundred successful people about their morning routines.

Therefore, he has one of the best morning rituals of successful people you’ll ever know.

Here’s his morning ritual step-by-step.

1. He makes his bed

Making your bed is a small win that can give you some pride and confidence to take on the day.

2. He meditates

In his interviews with top performers, over 80 percent had a mindfulness ritual in their morning routine.

3. He does pushups and takes a cold shower

Tim Ferriss recommends 5-10 reps of any exercise. The reason is that it ends the mental chatter and brings clarity to your mind.

4. He hydrates his body

Our body is mostly made of water, so hydrating in the morning is important to feel active and energized.

5. He writes in his journal

Write about your intentions for the day. Mention the people and things you feel grateful for. This brings focus and positivity into your day.

3. Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs rose early at 6 am every morning. In his commencement speech at Stanford, he revealed a key question he used to ask himself every morning,

“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.”

4. Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins’ morning routine is what he calls ‘priming’ which takes him 10 minutes. Priming can help us rise above the negative self-talk. Since negativity is the primary thing that makes people mediocre, Tony Robbins has one of the best morning rituals of successful people.

There are three steps to priming:

Do three sets of thirty Kapalbhati Pranayama breaths [1]. This is forceful yogic breathing to dispel negativity and toxins out of your system and energize it with fresh air.
Now, keeping your eyes closed, breathe slowly and focus on any three things you’re grateful for.
The last step is to spread love by sending strength and good wishes out to your family, friends, and colleagues.

5. Richard Branson

The multi billionaire wakes up early at 5 am in the morning. He exercises first thing in the morning: a game of tennis, a walk or a run, cycling, or kitesurfing – if there’s enough wind.

After exercise, he eats breakfasts and spends time with family. He believes that exercise and family time are the keys to having a great mind frame before starting work.

If Richard Branson can run 400 companies and still find time to exercise, so can you!