Quiet time is my favorite morning routine. Having time to reflect, in a quiet atmosphere, gets me into the right mindset before the day begins.

Earlier in my career, I didn’t have a morning routine. The very first thing I did over a cup of coffee was check email. Inevitably, I became consumed by something—and the next thing I knew I was rushing and frustrated the entire day.

Here’s what I learned: What you do first sets the tone for the rest of the day.

A morning routine doesn’t mean you have to get up at 4:00 a.m. 

If you have young children, get up 30 minutes earlier than usual, so you’ll have time for yourself before the kids get up. If you’re not a morning person, close your day with reflective quiet time before you go to bed. 

The space you create for yourself will lead to better results.

If you want a different experience, you must do things differently.

The advice I give to every leader I work with is this: Start every day with time for yourself.

When you consciously make morning quiet time a priority, amazing things happen. Priorities crystallize, solutions emerge, and your energy skyrockets.

Wondering how to make a morning routine work for you? Check out this video for some tips:

Or stream it on your favorite podcast platform! It’s episode 140 of the Getting Results podcast: Create a Morning Leadership Ritual. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, and others.