Why Morning Time Is Important
Morning is the time when willpower is highest and concentration is easiest to exert throughout the day. When the brain is refreshed by sleep, complex decision-making and creative thinking can be performed more effectively. By making good use of this valuable time, you can improve the quality of your entire life.
It's no coincidence that many successful people have early rising habits. Morning time has the great advantage of having fewer interruptions from others and being able to concentrate on activities for yourself. During the day, time is easily taken away by various external factors such as work emails, phone calls, and requests from family, but in the early morning, the possibility of such interruptions is significantly reduced.
Also, by completing important tasks in the morning, psychological breathing room is created for the rest of the day. The sense of accomplishment that "what I should do today is already done" greatly improves the quality of subsequent time. Conversely, procrastinating important tasks can become a burden in your mind and negatively affect other activities.
Benefits of Morning Time
There are many benefits, both physiological and psychological, to utilizing morning time. During sleep, the brain organizes information and removes fatigue substances, so cognitive function is at its highest immediately after waking. There's no reason not to utilize this time.
- Quiet environment with few interruptions
- Brain in refreshed state
- Can secure time for yourself
Building an Effective Morning Routine
The secret to success is not trying to change everything at once, but starting with small steps. Human willpower is limited, and maintaining rapid change is very difficult. However, if it's a small change, the brain doesn't perceive it as a threat and is more likely to accept it as a new pattern.
The most important thing when building a morning routine is making the content suitable for your lifestyle and goals. Rather than copying someone else's morning habits as-is, think about what is most valuable to you and prioritize placing that in your morning time. There are countless options like reading, exercise, meditation, creative work, but you don't need to incorporate everything.
Phased Approach
A phased approach is effective for establishing new morning habits. Rather than aiming for a perfect routine from the start, you can progress with habit formation without strain by adding elements one by one.
Fix Wake Time By waking at the same time every day, your body rhythm stabilizes. Ideally, wake at a consistent time including weekends. When your body clock stabilizes, you'll be able to wake naturally, and waking itself becomes easier.
Decide the First Action By deciding the action to take immediately after waking, your day starts automatically. This first action should be as easy and comfortable as possible. Start with low-burden actions like drinking a glass of water, opening curtains, or light stretching.
Place High-Priority Activities By doing the most important activities in the morning, you can execute them reliably. If you finish important tasks in the morning when willpower is high, satisfaction with the day's results greatly improves.
Recommended Morning Activities
What activities to do in the morning varies by individual goals and situations, but the following activities are known to be effective for many people. The important thing is not trying to do all of these, but choosing one or two that are most valuable to you and focusing on them.
"One hour in the morning is worth three hours at night"
- Exercise and stretching
- Reading and learning
- Planning and reflection
- Creative work
Tips for Habit Formation
Habit formation typically takes several weeks to several months. To get through this period, it's effective to consciously utilize several strategies.
Start Small
Start with 5 minutes at first and gradually extend the time. It's important to start within a range you can continue without strain. If you think "just 5 minutes," you can do it even on the busiest days. And once you start, you can often continue longer than expected.
This "start small" approach not only lowers psychological barriers but also helps accumulate success experiences. If you can continue a 5-minute habit for a week, that's a splendid success. This success experience becomes confidence and provides momentum to further develop the habit.
Set Triggers
Linking new habits to existing habits makes them harder to forget. This technique, called "habit chaining," places new actions immediately after already established actions so they can be executed naturally.
- After brewing coffee → Start reading
- After brushing teeth → Do stretching
By setting triggers this way, you eliminate the need to think about "what to do next," and actions become automated.
Summary
Morning habits are one of the most effective investments for changing your life. What's important is not aiming for perfection, but finding a form you can continue. If you try to build an ideal routine from the start, you're more likely to give up. First, start with a small step, establish it, then add the next element—this gradual approach is the shortcut to long-term success.
From tomorrow morning, try just one new habit. Small changes lead to big results. Once you can control the beginning of your day, you'll develop the power to control your entire life.