I Tried Five Morning Routines of Highly Successful People So You Don‘t Have To. Here‘s What Works.

What do the morning routines of people like Elon Musk, Sheryl Sandberg and Tim Ferriss have in common? After spending a week test-driving the a.m. habits of five famous entrepreneurs, I uncovered the best practices that anyone can use to design their own optimal morning routine, no matter how busy your schedule.

The goal? To see what the morning routines of high-achievers can teach us about starting each day with energy, intention and efficiency to prime ourselves for productivity and success. Let‘s dive in.

The Morning Routines, Ranked

After much research into the daily habits of dozens of CEOs, creators and change-makers, I selected these five morning routines to try for myself:

1. Tony Robbins‘ "Hour of Power": 10 min priming meditation, 10 min gratitude practice, 10 min visualizing goals, 30 min intensive exercise
2. Jack Dorsey‘s Mind-Body Reboot: 10 min meditation, 7 min high-intensity workout, 10 min sauna, cold shower
3. Sheryl Sandberg‘s Themed Days: 45-60 min Peloton ride (Motivation Mondays, Topic Tuesdays, etc.), 10 min intention-setting, healthy smoothie
4. Tim Ferriss‘ Mindful Mornings: 10-20 min transcendental meditation, 5 min gratitude journaling, 10 min calendar review and prioritizing, healthy breakfast
5. Arianna Huffington‘s Unplugged Rise: No devices/apps for first 30 min, 20 min meditation, 10 min stretching, 10 min inspirational reading

Here‘s how each one went and what I learned:

1. Tony Robbins‘ "Hour of Power"

Tony Robbins swears by devoting the first hour of his day to an empowering routine he calls his "Hour of Power." It involves 10 minutes of priming meditation (a practice to enter a state of calm focus), 10 minutes of gratitude reflection, 10 minutes of visualizing his goals and priorities, and 30 minutes of intensive exercise.

The first few minutes of priming felt a bit strange and I had trouble focusing just on my breathing without my mind wandering. But by the end of 10 minutes, I noticed feeling more centered and clearheaded.

The gratitude reflection was a pleasant experience and left me feeling appreciative for all the positives in my life, both big and small, that I usually take for granted. It was a great way to start the day with a sense of abundance and positivity.

Visualizing my goals and picturing what success looks and feels like was actually quite motivating. It gave me a boost of purpose and direction before diving into work. I can see how doing this consistently could help with long-term goal-achievement.

The 30 minutes of exercise (alternating pushups, squats, lunges and ab exercises in a circuit) definitely got my blood pumping and endorphins flowing first thing. While it required some discipline to push through, I felt energized and accomplished after.

Key Takeaways:

• Priming meditation enhances focus and sets a calm yet purposeful tone for the day
• Gratitude practice elevates mood and provides perspective
• Goal visualization clarifies priorities and boosts motivation
• Intensive exercise rapidly increases energy and releases positive neurochemicals
• Devoting an hour to this routine requires waking up earlier and prep the night before

2. Jack Dorsey‘s Mind-Body Reboot

The co-founder of Twitter and Square is known for his unique blend of mindfulness and physical intensity in his morning routine. It includes 10 minutes of meditation, a 7-minute high-intensity workout, a 10-minute sauna session, and a cold shower.

I found the 10 minutes of meditation first thing helps clear mental clutter and prime the mind for deep, focused work. Using guidance from apps like Headspace or Calm is helpful for beginners.

The 7-minute HIIT workout, while brief, was challenging and effective at raising my heart rate. Research shows even short bursts of intensive exercise can yield health benefits similar to longer moderate workouts.

The sauna felt very soothing and relaxing, especially after the workout. Studies suggest sauna use can reduce stress, ease muscle tension, and improve cardiovascular function. The cold shower that followed was a shock to the system but extremely invigorating. The hot-cold contrast is shown to strengthen the body‘s stress resilience.

Key Takeaways:

• Meditation and exercise are a powerful combination for both mental acuity and physical vitality
• Brief workouts done at high intensity can still be highly effective with less time
• Saunas and cold immersion accelerate workout recovery and provide a robust energy jolt
• This routine is less time-intensive than Robbins‘ but requires special equipment/facilities

3. Sheryl Sandberg‘s Themed Days

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg organizes her mornings around daily themes: Motivation Mondays, Topic Tuesdays, Win Wednesdays, and so on. Each one includes a 45-60 minute cardio workout (usually a spin class), 10 minutes of intention-setting, and a nutrient-packed breakfast smoothie.

Theming each day with an area of focus helped provide an overarching purpose and context to my mornings. On "Motivation Monday" I listened to an inspiring podcast during my workout. On "Topic Tuesday" I read articles on a specific subject while sipping my smoothie. It made mornings feel more purposeful.

The lengthier workouts were tougher to schedule and sometimes felt too long. But I did notice improvements in my stamina and mood. Studies show 30-60 min of cardio yields more endorphins and greater stress reduction than shorter sessions.

Intention-setting, by identifying 1-3 key priorities, helped direct my day. The smoothie ritual of blending healthy fats, plant protein, berries and greens was an easy way to start each day with quality nutrition to fuel my brain and body.

Key Takeaways:

• Giving each morning a theme can make it feel more purposeful and engaging
• Longer duration cardio has unique benefits but requires more time commitment
• Defining a primary intention brings clarity amid competing priorities
• A nutrient-dense breakfast smoothie is a quick way to get ample vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein

4. Tim Ferriss‘ Mindful Mornings

Bestselling author and podcaster Tim Ferriss is a proponent of meditation, specifically the transcendental method which involves 10-20 minutes of silently repeating a personal mantra. He combines this with 5 minutes of gratitude journaling, a 10 minute calendar review and prioritization session, and a nourishing breakfast.

Of all the meditation techniques, I found transcendental the easiest to stick with. Having a mantra to anchor my attention when my mind wandered was helpful. With practice, I was able to drop into a rare state of inner stillness and deep relaxation.

Writing down 3 things I was grateful for each morning, from the simple joys to the significant events, fostered feelings of appreciation, contentment and optimism that lingered. A regular gratitude practice is linked with higher psychological wellbeing.

Ferriss‘ 10-minute morning calendar review to delete, defer or delegate obligations and zero in on true priorities was highly clarifying. So often we confuse being busy with being productive. This allowed me to operate more purposefully.

The nourishing breakfast, high in protein, healthy fats and produce (like eggs, avocado and sauteed vegetables) kept me satiated and energized far longer than my usual carb-heavy fare. What we eat truly does affect our cognition.

Key Takeaways:

• Transcendental meditation utilizing a repeated mantra can calm and center the mind
• Gratitude journaling elevates wellbeing by orienting attention to the positive
• Discerning essential priorities from less important tasks maximizes productivity
• Upgrading breakfast macro-nutrients enhances and sustains mental performance
• Ferriss‘ routine felt very doable time-wise and had noticeable cognitive and mood benefits

5. Arianna Huffington‘s Unplugged Rise

Founder of Thrive Global Arianna Huffington takes a firm stance against rushing for devices first thing in the morning. Instead, she spends the first 30 minutes of each day completely unplugged, followed by 20 minutes of meditation, 10 minutes of stretching, and 10 minutes of reading something enlightening or inspiring.

Resisting the urge to check my phone for the first half hour of the day was challenging but worthwhile. I hadn‘t realized how habituated I‘d become to scrolling on autopilot first thing. Replacing this with more intentional, nourishing activities was grounding.

The 20 minutes of quiet sitting felt lengthier than I was used to, but allowed me to drop into a steadier rhythm of breath and deeper stillness of mind compared to my usual 5-10 minutes. The mental spaciousness and clarity lingered long after.

The 10 minutes of gentle stretching (a blend of cat-cows, forward folds, easy twists and warrior poses) relieved tension, stiffness and aches. It left me feeling more limber and at ease in my body.

Huffington‘s practice of reading a few pages of an uplifting book or article started my day on a more thoughtful, expansive note, compared to diving right into tasks and chores. It primed a more reflective, philosophical, big-picture mindset.

Key Takeaways:

• 30 minutes unplugged first thing can spur more mindful, less reactive technology use
• 20 minutes allows meditation to deepen breath, settle mind, and instill calm
• A few minutes of simple stretches can alleviate pain and promote mind-body integration
• Inspirational reading sparks deeper thoughts than task-oriented cognition
• The simplicity of this routine felt accessible for consistent practice

The Big Picture: Key Principles of an Optimal Morning Routine

Across trialing these various morning routines, a few overarching best practices became clear:

1. Start the night before. Restorative sleep is the foundation of an energized, focused morning. Aim for 7-9 hours in a cool, dark room after unwinding screen-free.

2. Wake up earlier. Adding a morning routine means setting an earlier alarm. Start in 15-minute increments to make it sustainable.

3. Hydrate before caffeinating. Drinking 16oz of water first thing rehydrates the body and brain. Save coffee for 60-90 minutes after waking for the biggest boost.

4. Move mindfully. Whether it‘s intensive cardio, strength circuits, yoga flows or a brisk walk, exercising in the morning offers physical and cognitive benefits that endure all day. Start small and build up.

5. Meditate to focus the mind. Even 5-10 minutes of meditation enhances calm, clarity and concentration. Guided apps are great for beginners, as is practicing right after waking.

6. Set intentions and priorities. Defining a daily intention and 1-3 essential priorities provides purpose and focus. Journal, visualize or calendar review to clarify aims.

7. Fuel up wisely. Upgrade your breakfast with ample protein, healthy fats, fiber and greens to sharpen cognition and stabilize energy. A balanced smoothie or scramble works well.

8. Digital minimalism. Postponing email and social media for the first 30-60 minutes of the day can spur more intentional technology use. Fill that time with nourishing offline activities.

9. Iterate and adapt. No one morning routine works for everyone. The key is experimenting to find what combination of practices leaves you feeling energized, focused and motivated – then practicing consistently.

Crafting Your Personal Morning Routine

Based on my experiments with the morning habits of peak performers, here‘s a step-by-step approach to designing your own optimal a.m. ritual:

1. Set your intention and write down your "why"

What do you want to get out of a morning routine? More energy, focus, purpose, mindfulness? Having a clear reason will help with adherence.

2. Assess your current obligations and schedule

What current morning responsibilities do you have (getting kids ready, long commute, etc.)? What would be a realistic wake-up time to fit in a routine? Start small if needed.

3. Select 2-3 non-negotiable practices to anchor your morning

Based on the key principles above, what core habits do you want to prioritize (ex: meditation, journaling, exercise)? Keep it simple at first.

4. Sequence your activities strategically

Organize your practices for greatest effect and efficiency (ex: hydrate, meditate, move, fuel, review calendar). Use time-blocking if helpful.

5. Implement, experiment and troubleshoot

Test out your new morning routine for at least a week, noticing what feels feasible and what doesn‘t. Course-correct as needed until you find a sustainable flow.

The most important thing is to keep experimenting until you land on a morning routine that leaves you feeling focused, energized and motivated to tackle your day. Treat it as a practice, not a performance. Progress over perfection.

The Bottom Line

While there‘s no single morning routine that works for everyone, my week test-driving the a.m. habits of highly successful people illuminated key principles anyone can use to start their day on the right foot.

Hydration, meditation, movement, nourishment, intention-setting and digital minimalism are powerful common denominators. The most critical factor is consistency. A morning routine practiced daily, even if brief, can compound remarkable benefits over time.

So set your alarm a bit earlier tomorrow and see which practices most elevate your energy, focus and drive. You just may find your new not-so-secret weapon for winning your day, every day.