If you’ve got a life planner, now is the time to get it out and start working in it. There’s no better time to upgrade your routine and be the best version of yourself, so find out how to create a life plan in just three simple steps here.

So many people are waking up every morning to the same, dull routine. Mornings aren’t always the most exciting or fun times of the day, but with these 8 simple changes, your morning can be super-charged and productive.

1.

START YOUR MORNING AT NIGHT

Think of the night before as part of your morning – having a super-charged morning routine takes planning.

During this time, think about what you want to get done the following morning and devise a meal-prep plan in your life planner for the entire day, so you don’t need to waste time thinking about what to cook and eat. Check out our seven day super healthy meal plan here if you need some examples.

2.

WRITE A TO-DO LIST

Writing a to-do list will help you remain focussed throughout the morning and will then keep your brain on track for the rest of the day. You can either write your to-do list in your life planner the night before or on the morning of, but whichever you choose, keep it brief.

You can use a planner like this one as your life planner, or try a lined notebook if that gives you more space. Giving yourself too many tasks will cause more stress than help. On that list, try writing three small objectives to get done before you allow yourself to look at your phone.

3.

ZERO SCREEN TIME

As unbearable as it can be, don’t allow yourself to look at any screen when you first wake up. Ensure you get those three small tasks ticked off your to-do list before you even think about picking up your phone.

If you struggle with this, try placing all your devices into a locked box or in another room to avoid distraction. Check out some tips for becoming more focused here.

4.

EAT A FROG

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.” – Mark Twain. In simple terms, do the worst thing that you are dreading on your to-do list first to get it out of the way.

This also gets the job done faster and gives you a positive outlook for the rest of the day. Find out the brain priming hack you need to use in the first hour of work here.

5.

DON’T MULTITASK

Multitasking can be confusing and forcing yourself to do multiple things can stress you out and actually cause you to be less productive.

6.

MAKE ALL IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN THE MORNING

It’s harder to make decisions later in the day due to varying factors, including fatigue, which is why you should make important ones in the morning when you are fresh and ready for the day.

7.

STAND UNDER A WATERFALL

Okay, don’t actually do that, but having a cold shower first thing in the morning will shock your body into waking up quicker.

This means you’ll waste less time on the ‘waking up’ process and more time on your productivity.

8.

AFFIRM-WHAT?

Affirmations are techniques used by some of the most successful people in the world. Start your day by reciting the positive things in your life: things you have done, will do and can do.

This will help you keep an optimistic mindset through to the end of the day. If you need more morning inspiration, why not check out this list of TED talks that will seriously inspire you?

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