One thing that many highly successful people have in common is that they start the day off with a morning routine. Why is that? I believe it is because when you create the habit of investing in yourself, it has a ripple effect on all areas of your life.
It’s amazing how “lucky” I start to get when I’m consistent with my morning routine. When I haven’t been consistent, I’ve noticed I feel different and it affects my overall day. Makes sense though because consistency and time are key to being successful in anything.
Motivation Behind My Morning Routine

In 2017, things were not going well in business, and I knew I needed to improve myself…so I show up differently (meaning better). That’s when I got the idea to put a morning routine in place and it changed my life. Each thing I do during my routine hits 1 of 3 different areas of personal development that I focus on…health, learning, and mindset.
Think about it…when you spend even a few minutes a day doing something small, it can add up to something really big. Every day my brain is getting sharper, my cardio and strength are improving, I’m more grateful, etc.
My Morning Routine Schedule
When I first started, I followed the specific routine that Miracle Morning teaches. It was a great starting point for me and I’ve since adjusted the routine to match up with my goals and interests.
Here is the 1-hour schedule I start most days off with. My day is already a success before it even fully starts.
- Take my CBD oil + read (10 minutes)
- DarrenDaily lesson + journaling (5 minutes)
- Meditation (10 minutes)
- Gratitude & Productivity (10 minutes)
- Exercise while listening to Audible (10 minutes)
- Brain training (10 minutes)
- Review my written goals (5 minutes)
What’s Involved in My Morning Routine

While I follow a lot of the principles I learned in the Miracle Morning, I’ve put together a specific routine that works best for me. My exact morning routine may not be for everyone, but you can use this as inspiration and ideas for what ritual would fit your life.
Note: some of the links below, and throughout my website, are affiliate links where I earn a commission on any sales I refer. That said, I only link to products/services that I use and recommend…and I link to the product/service even if they don’t have an affiliate program (meaning, it’s not just about the money 🙂). -Ryan
CBD Oil
The first part of my routine is to take CBD oil. I’ve been taking it for a while now and have found that it helps me stay calm and focused throughout my routine and the rest of the day. The purest CBD I’ve found is from AMMA Healing.
Reading
I spend the first 10 minutes of my routine reading a Kindle book on my phone. It’s almost always business or self help related in some aspect because I want to continually improve myself and learn new things.
Lessons and Journaling
I watch a 5 minute video lesson from DarrenDaily (he talks about success, mindset, growth, etc.) and I journal on what I’m learning as I watch the video. This practice helps cement the advice.
Meditation
To help me with my morning meditation routine, I use InsightTimer. I created my 10-minute meditation routine to include 7 minutes of focused breathing where I bring my mind back to silence when it wanders. In the last 3 minutes of meditation, I add in my daily affirmation. P.S. If you start using this app, join my Circle so we can share personal development ideas!
Exercise
I like to stay active throughout the day by taking walks and using a standing desk. But, first thing in the morning I focus on body-weight exercises while I listen to an Audible audiobook – usually something in the self-development or business genre. I also drink a bottle of spring water with fresh lemon juice while I work out.
Brain Training
It’s important to me to keep my mind sharp. So I spend 10 minutes playing brain games using the Elevate app. Each day, it gives you 3-5 short, interactive games to complete that help you grow across speaking, writing, math and reading.
Gratitude & Productivity
Part of my routine includes a 10 minute gratitude & productivity practice. To help me with this, I use 3×5 Life cards. You write down, pen to paper, what you’re grateful for. I also use the cards to plan out my day’s to-do list…and there’s also a section to both journal your thoughts and jot down your wins for the day.
Review Goals and Affirmations
In the last 5 minutes of my morning routine, I spend reviewing my written goals (including what I’ve already achieved that I’m proud of) as well as my list of affirmations that are important to me. I also look over the dream board I created which is a visual reminder of what I want to accomplish.
I Hope You’ll Join Me!
My goal with this site is to help others to see how powerful developing a consistent morning routine is. If you do, I promise it will change your life!
Please check out my story page to learn more about my morning routine journey and where my passion all began.
Ryan, one of your email blasts caught my eye and I found your blog. I, too, read Miracle Morning and since July have built my morning routine around it. Good for you to build healthy habits while so young and to be able to pass on to your children. Continued success at Ballantine and with the MorningUpgrade! – Genie Weisz – The Paper Store & more…
Hey Genie, great to hear from you! Would love to have you on my podcast to learn more about your morning routine. I will email you.