How to Build a Morning Routine for Success

In today’s episode, we are going to be speaking on some of the morning routines and rituals that traders can use to put themselves into the right mindset for high-performance trading!  Routines and rituals are actually an integral part of daily life and every person has their own that they have developed over the years - both consciously and subconsciously - that allow them to get through the day.  Traders are no different, we are creatures of habit and require routines in order to complete our jobs effectively.  So let's unpack this topic in deeper detail and along the way you will learn how to build a powerful morning routine that you can implement right away!  When studying successful individuals (whether athletes or business moguls), a majority of them swear by their morning routines that they use to get into the required state for action which is necessary for achieving high-performance.  Some common traits of the morning routines of these high-performers include the following:

• They set alarm clocks to wake up early, the same time every day and especially on weekends and days off
• They start the day with a few minutes of meditation (quiet time)
• They establish a routine for morning exercise
• They sit down for breakfast with the family*
• They start the day with a to-do list

When you look at how high-performers start their days, they are effectively priming themselves to win from the get-go! And it makes sense because there are plenty of benefits to implementing morning routines such as:

• They bring you into a positive mental state 
• They inspire confidence and clarity 
• They increase energy levels 
• They kick start your brain 
• They encourage self-reflection

So now think about your morning today? How did it start? What did you do to prepare yourself for the day? As a trader, it can be beneficial to establish some similar routines in order to be in the best position to perform at a high level when you sit down at your desk for the session. But why a morning routine you might ask? Because at the end of the day, what the market does is out of our control but what we CAN control is how we think, feel, and behave! It's no secret that trading is a high-performance sport and that we as traders exert a lot of energy and resources to win!  If you are constantly depleting these resources without following a routine to replenish and recharge your batteries, you will burn out very quickly and your performance is likely to follow suit. It is a constant balance of depleting and recharging these resources for optimal performance so it should go without saying that you will want to stay away from any negative routines that are not conducive to your goals!  The bottom line is this: Your body and mind need to be on their A-game to synchronize and deliver strong performance, this is why athletes train so much, so often, and why you need to also as a trader.  So now that we’ve got a better understanding of the benefits of morning routines and how successful individuals use them to win, let’s put together a morning routine!  When crafting a morning routine, you will want to replicate what high-performers are doing in order to level up your day. In the Morning Routine by Hal Elrod, he suggests that there are six components that make up a powerful morning routine. These are better known as the SAVERS:

1. Silence (Meditation)
2. Affirmation
3. Visualization
4. Exercise
5. Reading
6. Scribing (Journalling)

Stick around until the end because we break down each component and provide trading-related examples so that you walk away with a morning routine to win the day! In This Episode You Will Learn

• The common traits of morning routines of high-performers  04:45
• The one thing we can control in the universe of trading 10:15
• The two aspects of performance: the mental and the physical 17:20
• Why Mark starts his day by making his bed 28:51
• The root of meditation and why it is so recharging 38:05
• The 6 components of a powerful morning routine 44:15
• How to visualize your way to a successful day 50:57
• Why a little exercise in the morning goes a long way 55:56
• How journaling in the morning can clear your mind for the day 60:00

Some Things We Also Discuss

• Why morning routines can be useful for traders 09:30
• The fine line between exerting energy and burning out 15:11
• The benefits of implementing morning routines 25:57
• What George's morning routine looks like 33:01
• How to use affirmations to create your state 48:01
• Using books for morning inspiration 57:00

Resources

• Connect with our community online: Trade Pro Academy
• Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast
• Check out The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod on Amazon 
• Check out the Tool of Titans by Tim Ferris on Amazon 
• Check out Mark's favorite guided meditation on the Insight Timer website