"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." W.C. Fields

A productive day needs a crisp start. Whether one is a "morning person" or not, it's worthwhile to examine our morning routines in order to get the most out of each day. Typically, a solid start to the day is rooted in:

Getting to bed at a reasonable time the night before

Getting up at about the same time each morning

Building a set of rituals that constitute a Morning Routine

We've talked about these matters before at TDS. See "What Does Your Morning Routine Look Like?".

A concept that I've found helpful lately is to strip out of my morning routine anything that might cause drag on the day's launch. You could not do any of the following within your morning timeframe:

Prayer (as long as you can make it up later in the day)

Breakfast (as long as you could eat during your commute or at work)

Making your lunch (presuming that you'll buy lunch at work)

Exercise (provided you can get in some later in the day)

If you are typically sluggish in the morning (like me), these simplifications can make a huge difference in your day.

What's working well in your morning routine? Is there any way that you can simplify it?

*photo by dsevilla