Quit trying to implement someone else's morning routine. A successful morning routine should be based on your personality type!

Everyone is talking about “morning routines” these days.  Hal Enrod even wrote an entire book about it called The Miracle Morning.  I like the book, but I have some serious problems with it, too. I strongly believe everyone should have a morning routine and that it really sets you up for the day….but I also firmly believe that every individual has different needs for their routine..and those needs will change over time.

I’ve talked with dozens of people about their morning routine (or lack thereof) and found an underlying common thread.  The vast majority of people are struggling to find a morning routine that fits their personal needs. And…even more interesting is the fact that women struggle with this far more than men do.  Women that are working moms have the hardest time of all.

Years ago, I struggled for months to find the right morning routine that would serve me.  A morning routine should accomplish one critical thing and it is this: your morning routine should be 100% selfish.  It should be all about serving yourself before you serve others. And guess what? Serving ourselves is really hard for women.

I talked with 8 women that all told me they had a morning routine.  After chatting with them, I discovered what they had was a morning task list, not a morning routine.  There’s a difference. If your morning “routine” consists of cooking breakfast for others, packing lunches for others, getting kids ready for school, or just hopping in the shower to head to work, that is a task list.  Unless, of course, cooking for others fills your energy reserves and lights you up.  

A morning routine should consist of activities that refuel and energize you.  A morning routine should ground you.

The more I talked with people about their routines, the more I wanted to learn.  So I dug further. And what I found was eye opening!  

Bottom line is this:  your personality type (think Myers-Briggs) has a direct impact on the type of morning routine you should craft for yourself.  Introverts and extroverts do NOT have the same needs in the morning.

Why?  

Well, when you dig down to one of the fundamental differences between introverts and extroverts, it boils down to how you refuel.  What gives you energy? Do you prefer to be alone in a quiet space or does being around people fill your tank and give you an energy boost?  How you refuel is a key driver to creating the right morning routine that serves you!

I recently ran a 5 day “Master Your Morning” challenge to test this…and the results were fabulous!  Over the course of 5 days, the participants analyzed their personality type and then developed routines to fit their unique needs and circumstances.  No two routines looked the same…and some people needed an evening routine instead. We even covered what to do with infants and young children at home. They throw non-stop curve balls into our mornings!

If you are interested in exploring this further, download my simple questionnaire.  If you answer “yes” to 7 or more of these questions, you likely need a quiet morning routine 100% alone.  You need the space to quietly fuel up for the day. If you answer “no” to 7 or more, then you are likely an extrovert and you may need a very different routine…one of podcasts, music, and possibly even some focused task time.  If you are in the middle, then your routine will depend more on other personality traits.  

The Master Your Morning challenge goes far more in-depth with morning routine suggestions based on other aspects of your personality but the starting point is understanding HOW you refuel and energize.

If you are interested in learning more about morning routines and want help crafting the right one for you, come join my free Facebook community where you can access all the info from the Master Your Morning Challenge.  Just let me know you want the scoop!