Be honest, how much of your morning routine includes hitting the snooze button more times than you'd like to admit and then rushing out the door? If that's the case, then it’s time for a change.
1.Sleep as much as possible.
Porch
Name: Matt Ehrlichman
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Company: Porch
Morning routine: I am more of a night person. I would rather use my nights versus the mornings. So, I minimize the time between when I wake up and when I’m in the office for my first meeting. I will wake up before I have to make my first meeting, which usually starts around 8:00, look at email and delete the stuff that’s not important and get back to anything urgent. I then get cleaned up and off I go to work.
(Read more about Ehrlichman : How This Founder Uses His Competitiveness to Succeed in Business)
2. Check the news.
Sup
Name: Richard Pleeth
Company: Sup
Morning routine: I reach for my phone to see what I missed while I was asleep. I check all the news sites, my social feeds and do as many emails as possible while in bed. This means I'm fully informed for the day and helps me relax a little before having to get up. Then it’s up to the shower where I have some time to think about everything I have just taken in and wake up properly before heading to my first meetings.
(Read more about Pleeth:
After Flying 74 Times in One Year, This Entrepreneur Developed an App to Make Traveling Less Lonely)
3. Meditate for 10 minutes.
SeatGeek
Name: Jack Groetzinger
Company: SeatGeek
Morning routine: Outside of the normal morning routine stuff, the one thing I do before I come into the office is meditate for 10 minutes. I've been influenced by social psychology dysphemism literature which shows that meditation provides the highest return on investment for how you spend your time, increasing productivity and happiness.
(Read more about Groetzinger:
The Simple Trick This CEO Uses to Prevent Burnout)
4. Hit the gym.
DogVacay
Name: Aaron Hirschhorn
Company: DogVacay
Morning routine: I have a double cappuccino, then I have an hour-long routine of stretching and core exercise. It is super rejuvenating and recharging. It gives me perspective on the things that are important. So I get that done and then try to have a good hour of bonding with the kids before the craziness of work starts.
(Read more about Hirschhorn:
This CEO Says the Key to Being a Good Boss Is Getting Out of the Way
)
5. Clear your mind.
Too Faced
Name: Jerrod Blandino
Company: Too Faced
Morning routine: I just recently learned to start my day with this app -- 1 Giant Mind. It has helped me set myself off in a more focused way in the morning. I don’t have to think for a few moments and when it comes time to start taking care of everything, I’m more organized and clear.
(Read more about Blandino: This Entrepreneur Found His Way Into the Beauty Industry by Accident and Then Built a Worldwide Brand)
6. Get physically centered.
Banjo
Name: Damien Patton
Company: Banjo
Morning routine: I do light movements to get my brain out of stress. It’s simple movements, yet makes the day start way better. I then I go down to the command center in my house, which allows me to see people talking from different offices. I start the day by talking to the different teams and seeing how things are going, the metrics, etcetera. That way when I start my meetings for the day I have a full live view of where the day is beginning.
(Read more about Patton: The Boston Bombings Inspired This Entrepreneur to Use His Application to Make a Difference in the World)
7. Experience the great outdoors.
Gusto
Name: Josh Reeves
Company: Gusto
Morning routine: My schedule is waking up for sunrise. I usually spend the first 30 minutes in the garden. I find a lot of joy and simplicity in life from nature. It constantly grows without any of my input or contribution. It’s a reminder that the world is a lot bigger than anyone really envisions it. It also gives me a chance to clear my head. It’s very easy to become reactionary in startup life -- to become tactical and overcome whatever obstacle. But there’s always a million puzzles to figure out, so I need the opportunity to just detach and think -- to have my mind daydream. I like starting my day with that mindset.
(Read more about Reeves: The CEO of Billion-Dollar Startup Gusto Believes Passion Should Come Before Revenue)
8. Put the phone away.
Casper
Name: Jeff Chapin
Company: Casper
Morning routine:
I have a dog named Alta, so I start by running with my dog around 6:30 or 7 in the morning. I try best not to check my phone or email until I at least do that and have breakfast. The reason being is my default is to do many things at once, or rush to the next thing. Real life rarely allows us to get a full eight hours of sleep or an entire hour to run with the dog in the morning, but that doesn't mean we can't use those six hours of sleep or 30 minutes to run and clear the head, right?
(Read more about Chapin:
9. Remember the mind/body connection
Stella & Dot
Name: Jessica Herrin
Company: Stella & Dot
Morning routine: I start my day with two habits: meditation and exercise. I need strength in mind and body to be able to go do everything else my day requires, so I focus on self-care. It’s like putting on my own oxygen mask. I know if I take care of myself then I’ll be able to take better care of everyone else.
(Read more about Herrin: How Finding a Single Egg in Nicaragua Inspired the Founder of This $300 Million Company)
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