Success Advice
8 Reasons Why Your Morning Routine is Not Working for You

Want to have more kickass days? Days where you slay your workload with little effort and meet problems with zen-like insight? Of course! If you are anything like me, you’ve tried (and will try) just about anything to increase your productivity and boost your success. That’s why you committed yourself to do a morning routine.
Inspired by your entrepreneurial superheroes and mentors, you penned an elaborate routine into your schedule. If Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, and Darren Hardy do them- they have to be good! Jim Kwik, a prominent entrepreneur and a thought leader on brain performance, not only practices morning routines, but promotes them. He says, “If you win the morning, you win the day.”
Without question, a solid morning practice can 10X your productivity. This boost is a natural byproduct of the clarity and focus you get from your morning routine stimulates. Obtaining these benefits requires two elements:
- Building the perfect collection of activities that will jumpstart your day.
- Doing these exercises daily, which is not an easy task for an overworked and overextended entrepreneur.
There is a good chance that you are not seeing the benefits of your morning routine. Or worse, you don’t have one anymore.
Here are the top eight reasons your attempt to have a morning routine is not working, and a few practical suggestions on how to fix them:
1. You plagiarized
You wouldn’t dare steal, borrow, or repost the words of another and incorporate them on your blog and marketing material as your own words. Well, this is what you are doing when you use someone’s full blow-by-blow morning ritual without editing it or adding your flavor. When it comes to creating a morning routine, you CAN’T follow the same one as your entrepreneurial crush.
An authentic morning routine can’t be copied and pasted. Your morning pep session must work within your daily routine and blend with your emotional disposition. It has to motivate you. What drives you is unique.
Identify your specific morning needs. What energy do you want flowing into your day? What gets you fired up? Maybe meditation makes you too relaxed and takes off your creative edge. Equally, a cold plunge in the pool (which is what Mr. Tony Robbins does daily) may make you mad. Whatever you do, make it your own. Don’t take someone else’s prescribed medicine. What works for them could kill you.
2. Half-assing
It takes discipline, aka, mental energy, to practice your morning routine with dedication. If you start your morning with stress, worries, and split energy, it won’t be effective. You have to include an exercise in your morning system that can massacre these burdens.
In the book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow”, Nobel prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman calls this condition, “the lazy controller.” Kahneman suggests that “maintaining a coherent train of thought requires discipline.” Likewise, maintaining a cohesive morning routine requires discipline and dedicated energy.
“My future starts when I wake up every morning.” – Miles Davis
3. You do it because you think you should
Doing something out of peer-pressure, or following the crowd is akin to going out on a date with someone you find repulsive because your 12-year-old sister thinks it’s a good idea. There are a lot of methods, techniques, and strategies you can use to achieve what you desire. To make sure you are on the right track, ask yourself these questions:
- Is it right for me?
- Is this the best way for me to achieve my desired outcome?
- Is there a more natural, direct path I can take that will give me the same or better results?
4. Neglecting Your Night Routine
There is so much hype about the morning routine that you may forget to close the loop of your day with an organized nighttime routine. Think about if you go to bed with a bunch of issues on your mind. How do you think your sleep is going to be? And if your sleep suffers, how easy do you think it will be to wake up with the energy you need to get the most out of your morning routine?
- Night routines will help you:
- Review the productivity of your day
- Release the details of the day
- Prepare for a rejuvenating night of sleep
- Pre-pave the next day
Most importantly, a nightly ritual will prep you for your sacred morning routine.
5. It’s Boring
Set it and forget it is not the model here. You are not baking a roast or investing in your 401K. Your morning routine works better when it is fun and engaging. Shake it out. Make sure it is not stagnant. Make small changes like drinking an exotic tea mixture instead of your standard morning coffee. Your morning rituals should adjust to your needs.
6. You don’t budget it into your schedule
You are busy! All entrepreneurs are. If you don’t place this in your schedule, it is not going to happen with consistency. Add it to your calendar, and compress the time you commit to doing it. Instead of doing 30 minutes, do 15. Building a 5-min daily routine is better than a 30-min inconsistent one.
7. Having an all or nothing attitude
If your business made $1,000, but your goal was to generate $10,000, would you give the $1,000 away? No, not if you are a smart entrepreneur. You would take the thousand dollars and invest it into reaching your $10,000 goal. You want to take the same approach with your morning routine. Five minutes is better than no minutes.
Sometimes the only thing holding you back from your 2-hour morning routine is that you only have 30 minutes. So, do 30 minutes. Do 15-mins. Do something. Honor your practice. Just like in your business, you may have to make adjustments and invest until you get the results you want.
“Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” – Daniel Handler
8. Punishing yourself if you miss it
If you spend the rest of your day beating yourself up for missing your morning routine, it’s counterproductive. That is counter-productive to the spirit of your morning sessions. Find a way to fill in the gap if another obligation preempts your morning routine. Make it up as early in the day as you can. Yes, it can be made up, schedule it for another part of the day.
Here is another benefit of having a night routine. It can become your scheduled second chance if you miss your morning routine. Knowing you have this failsafe takes the pressure off, and alleviates any self-loathing that would have clouded your day. Adjust and then get back in the saddle. You’ve tried your hand at morning routines. You’ve experienced some success, so you know it is worth it.
How you focus your morning energy can turbo-charge or suck the life out of the rest of your day. Reap the rewards of consciously setting the stage for your daily success. If you make these small adjustments, your success is guaranteed.
Do you have morning rituals? I am curious to hear what is working or not working for you? Can you identify why or why not? Do you have any personal suggestions you can share?
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Personal Development
These 11 Habits Will Make You More Productive, Successful, and Confident
Boost your focus, confidence, and results with 11 powerful habits successful people use every day.

Successful people love to help beginners. They have an incredible work ethic and rarely complain. As a result, others naturally look up to them and want to follow in their footsteps.
But here’s the truth: there’s no success without sacrifice. You’ll need to give up comfort, excuses, and sometimes even social approval to accomplish your goals.
Value comes from solving problems, and these 11 powerful tips will help you become more productive, successful, and confident, starting today.
1. Take Short Breaks After Finishing a Task
Psychology shows it’s important to reward positive behaviour.
After completing a big task or finishing a book, take five minutes to walk, stretch, or simply breathe. This quick reset helps your brain recharge and strengthens focus.
Many great writers swear by morning walks, solitude, and reflection can unlock creativity.
But if you refuse to take breaks, don’t be surprised when burnout hits. Your brain needs recovery time just as much as your body does.
2. Schedule Your Most Important Tasks First
Multitasking kills productivity. If you want to get more done, try time blocking, a method where you dedicate set periods for specific tasks.
Productivity expert Caitlin Hughes explains, “Time blocking involves scheduling blocks of time for your tasks throughout the day.”
For example, if you’re a writer:
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Research your topic at night.
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Write your first draft in the morning (don’t worry if it’s rough).
-
Edit in the afternoon, great writing comes from rewriting.
You can’t buy more time. Use it intentionally and without regret.
3. Eliminate Distractions from Your Workspace
Focus is the foundation of success.
According to Inc. Magazine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to recover from a distraction. That’s nearly half an hour of lost productivity every time you check your phone.
Put your phone away. Close unnecessary tabs. And yes, limit your Netflix binges.
Meeting deadlines consistently is one of the fastest ways to stand out and earn respect.
4. Take Full Responsibility for Your Life
Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once said, “Everything is my fault.”
This mindset doesn’t mean self-blame; it means self-ownership. Stop pointing fingers, making excuses, or waiting for others to change.
If your habits (like smoking or drinking too much) hold you back, it’s time to make better choices. Your friends can’t live your dreams for you; only you can.
5. Invest an Hour a Day in Learning New Skills
Knowledge compounds over time.
Whether you read books, take online courses, or practise a craft, consistent learning gives you a competitive edge.
I used to struggle with academic writing, but I improved by studying the work of great authors and applying what I learned.
Your past doesn’t define you; your actions do. Every new skill adds another tool to your arsenal and makes you more unstoppable.
6. Develop a Growth Mindset
Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck introduced the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset.
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A fixed mindset believes success is based on natural talent.
-
A growth mindset believes success comes from effort and learning.
Choose the growth mindset. Embrace challenges. See failures as feedback. In today’s fast-moving digital world, adaptability is your biggest advantage.
7. Learn Marketing to Reach People Who Need You
I once believed marketing was manipulative, until I realised it’s about helping people solve problems.
If your work provides genuine value, marketing is how you let others know it exists. Even Apple spends billions on it.
Don’t be ashamed to promote your skills or business. Without visibility, your ideas will never reach the people who need them most.
Creative professionals who understand marketing and sales have an unfair advantage.
8. Ask Your Mentor the Right Questions
Good mentors can fast-track your growth.
While mentorship often costs money, it’s one of the best investments you can make. Great mentors don’t care about titles; they care about your progress.
If you don’t have access to a mentor yet, books are your silent mentors. Read the best in your field, take notes, and apply what resonates.
9. Build Confidence Through Action, Not Affirmations
Author Ryan Holiday once said, “I don’t believe in myself. I have evidence.”
Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations into the mirror; it comes from proof. Doing hard things, keeping promises to yourself, and following through.
When you consistently take action, your brain gathers evidence that you can handle whatever comes next. That’s real confidence, grounded, earned, and unshakable.
10. Focus on Your Strengths
Your strengths reveal where your greatest impact lies.
If people compliment you on something often, it’s a clue. Lean into it.
A former professor once told me I was creative, and that simple comment gave me the confidence to go all in. I studied creativity, applied it daily, and turned it into my career advantage.
Double down on your strengths. That’s how you build momentum and mastery.
11. Identify and Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs
Your beliefs shape your reality.
For years, I believed I couldn’t be a great writer because of my chronic tinnitus and astigmatism, sensory challenges that made concentration difficult. But over time, I realised those struggles made me more disciplined, observant, and empathetic.
Your limitations can become your greatest motivators if you let them.
Avoid shortcuts. Growth takes time, but it’s always worth it.
Final Thoughts
Becoming productive, successful, and confident isn’t about working harder than everyone else. It’s about working smarter, consistently, and intentionally.
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start small: take a break after your next task, schedule your priorities, or spend one hour learning something new.
Every habit you change compounds into long-term success. Remember, true change comes from practising new behaviours.
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