This year, I found a powerful ally in the battle to be productive. Routine. Last week I let my routine go, and the impact was not small.

I was quite sick, and it killed my morning routine. My wife can attest that I am a terrible patient. When I get sick it's as if the world is ending. I'm sluggish, cranky and very lethargic. It's not pretty, and I know it's a fault, but there it is. Last week I was particularly affected in the mornings. Usually by the afternoon I was able to focus on work and be somewhat normal. Before noon though? Forget about it.

The biggest casualty was my morning routine. Since the beginning of the year, I focused on building a consistent morning routine. For the last five weeks, on many more weekdays than not, my routine looked like this:
1. Get up
2. Turn on The Briefing podcast
2. Fix coffee
3. Make breakfast
4. Read the Bible
5. Write in my Day One journal
6. Work on one of my writing projects
7. Quick daily GTD review
8. Get ready for work

This all takes around two hours. If I am up between 5:30 - 6am, I can easily be done before work. While my adherence to an early wakeup time was not perfect, the results of the routine were very encouraging when I was. As a result, the lapse in my routine last week made its value even more clear.

I realized that my routine does three very important things for me, and I don't think I am unique. I bet a similar routine, based on your personal priorities, can bring you the same benefits.

1. Reinforced priorities

Every day, my priorities are: my relationship with God, my relationship with my wife, my writing and my work. While some are obvious (my time reading the Bible helps keep my relationship with God active), and others may not be (my GTD review ensures that any commitments I've made to my wife are on my radar first thing in the morning), every item on this list directly serves one or more of my priorities.

By starting the day with this routine, the rest of the day is already anchored in what matters most to me.

2. A clear and focused mind

The first week of the new routine was hard, but after several days I noticed that each day I executed the routine I was in a better mental position to start my day. With a good breakfast in my stomach, the Word of God bouncing around my head, and one more morning's worth of progress on a project that matters to me under my belt, the rest of the day almost seemed to be an easy coast downhill.

The value of a clear and focused mind cannot be overstated. We think and create best when our minds are free from distractions and worries. The effect this has on your productivity is essential.

3. Daily progress towards my goals

This is my main reason for establishing my morning routine. I realized that with everything I must accomplish, and the time and energy my daily commitments take, that sitting down in the evening to work on my writing was ineffective. If I could find the time and I was not too tired, my brain was usually stuffed full of baggage from the day and could not focus.

Making space for creativity first thing in the morning ensured two things. First, I would have the time to get the work done. Second, I would have a clear and rested mind to create from. This made all the difference in the world.

This week I will fight hard to get back into my routine as I get healthy again. While there is always a temptation for me to slide back into my old ways, the improvements I've seen over the last five weeks are more that enough motivation not to.

If you've never tried a consistent morning routine, you should consider it. I think you will be surprised by how much you like it.