Why Your Morning Routine Is the Most Important Meeting of the Day

There was a time when my mornings looked like this:

Snooze the alarm twice.

Grab my phone before even sitting up.

Scroll through emails, panic at the ones I’d missed, and start mentally firefighting before my feet even hit the floor.

It was like I was already behind before the day properly started.

And it set the tone for everything that followed.

When you’re running a hospitality business, mornings can feel like a luxury you don’t have time for.

You’re exhausted, you’re racing to fix yesterday’s problems, and there’s always another shift, another event, another “urgent” thing demanding your attention.

But here’s the truth:

If you don’t claim your morning, the day claims you.

Changing the way I approached my mornings didn’t just make me calmer.

It made me a better leader.

A better husband.

A better human.

It’s not dramatic to say it changed my life—and I’m not exaggerating when I say it can change yours, too.

What Happens When You Don’t Protect Your Mornings

If you’re like I was, mornings probably feel reactive.

You wake up already stressed.

You reach for your phone out of habit.

You start checking messages, orders, rota issues—before you’ve even had a sip of water.

And from that moment on, you’re no longer running the day.

The day is running you.

You’re already reacting.

Already in defense mode.

Already pouring from a cup that’s barely full.

And the deeper you get into that habit, the harder it is to lead with clarity, compassion, or real energy.

The Morning Routine Myth (And Why It Nearly Put Me Off)

When I first started hearing about “morning routines,” I rolled my eyes.

It sounded like another productivity hack designed for people with no real pressures:

Yoga at dawn. Bulletproof coffee. Journaling in a sun-drenched loft.

It didn’t feel realistic for someone running a venue, dealing with staff, chasing invoices, and managing the chaos that is hospitality.

But eventually, I realised:

It’s not about a perfect morning.

It’s about an intentional one.

It’s about starting the day on your own terms, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.

Because when you start with intention, the whole day shifts.

What My Morning Routine Looked Like (And Why It Worked)

It wasn’t flashy.

It wasn’t Instagram-worthy.

It was real—and it was sustainable.

Here’s what I built into my mornings:

• Movement first.
  Even just stretching or a short gym session.
  Getting into my body helped get me out of my head.

• No phone for the first 30 minutes.
  Absolute game-changer.
  It stopped me from starting the day in reaction mode.

• Breathwork or meditation.
  5–10 minutes, guided. Nothing complicated. Just grounding myself before diving into everything else.

• A cup of tea—mindfully.
  No laptop. No planning. Just one cup of tea, intentionally enjoyed.

• A glance at my planner—not my inbox.
  I decided what I wanted to focus on that day, before anyone else’s priorities hijacked it.

It wasn’t about perfection.

Some days it was 10 minutes.

Some days it was an hour.

But it was my time.

And it made me stronger for everything that followed.

What Changed When I Committed to It

• I stopped feeling instantly overwhelmed.
  My mind was clearer. My energy was steadier.

• I made better decisions.
  Because I wasn’t starting every day already frazzled.

• I reacted less emotionally.
  I had a buffer—a sense of space between stimulus and reaction.

• I reconnected with myself.
  I stopped being just a business owner the second I opened my eyes.

• I started leading from a grounded place.
  Not from panic. Not from fatigue.
  From clarity.

How to Build a Morning Routine That Works for You

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

In fact, the simpler, the better.

Here’s how to start:

1. Claim the first 10 minutes of your day.
   Before phone, before emails, before anyone else’s needs.

2. Do one thing that connects you to yourself.
   Breathwork. Stretching. Journaling. Tea. Music. Prayer. Whatever works.

3. Decide one priority for the day.
   Just one. Set your own agenda before the world sets it for you.

4. Protect it fiercely.
   The world can wait. The fires can wait.
   You, grounding yourself, cannot wait.

Over time, you can build from there.

Add movement, mindset work, gratitude practices—whatever nourishes you.

But start small.

Start real.

Want a Little Help Creating Your Own Routine?

Inside my free Skool community, I’ve uploaded:

• Morning Routine Planning Templates

• Self-Check-In Prompts

• Wellness Trackers

• Weekly Reset Planners

• Plus access to a private community of other hospitality leaders doing the same work

If you’re ready to stop waking up already in crisis mode—and start leading from a place of grounded clarity—come join us.

[Join the Skool Community Here] (Link Launching in May 2025)

You carry a lot.

You deserve the tools and support to carry it well.

You matter too. Don’t forget that.