Another day, another reel telling you about the perfect morning routine: waking up at 5am, meditating, drinking celery juice, journaling your dreams, and then crushing a 10km run before sunrise.
Apparently, that’s the key to success.
It’s weird to me, because some of the most productive, profitable, and powerful entrepreneurs I know don’t start their day until 10am.
I’m a night owl myself and been starting to feel guilty about not being able to get up in the mornings, because the rest of the world seems to be smashing it before 7am.
But after doing a lot of research on this, I discovered that forcing yourself into someone else’s ideal routine could be the very thing sabotaging your energy, creativity and business growth.
This blog will let you know about what I found and how you can genuinely “win the mornings”.
If you’ve also struggled with the morning guilty, then please do take a listen to my latest episode of Sniffing Out the Bullsh*t too. I did a personal interlude on my struggle with prioritising myself in business.
This one gets really real:
Morning Routines Have Become a Status Symbol
There’s a whole online economy built on “morning routine porn.” You know what I’m talking about – those aesthetic TikToks with perfect lighting and even more perfect abs.
The problem is: most of it’s aspirational fluff. There’s no strategy, science or even reality around most of it.
Some routines work because of the person’s energy type, business model, support system, or natural rhythm – not in spite of it. And yet, we act like there’s one holy template that everyone should follow. That’s where things get dangerous.
There’s a Real Thing Called a Chronotype
Here comes the science: you’re not lazy – you’re just wired differently.
Chronotypes are biologically determined patterns that dictate your natural sleep-wake cycles. Some people are early birds (larks). Others are night owls. And then there are the in-betweeners.
If you’re a true night owl and you try to force a 5am wake-up every day because some guru told you to -you’re working against your biology, not with it. That means less energy, more brain fog, and lower-quality work.
Not exactly the productivity hack you were promised.
Source: Dr. Michael Breus, The Power of When
Reading this book enlightened me, as when I started embracing my chronotype, I feel so much more energetic and my work massively improved.
The Best Routine Is the One That Works for You
Instead of asking, “What’s the perfect routine?” ask:
“What habits actually move my business forward – and when do I naturally work best?”
Because that’s actually what it’s all about – building healthy habits; and ones that are healthy for YOU.
So, here’s how I suggest is a healthier way to build your day:
- Track your energy, not just your time. Use a week to note when you feel sharpest. That’s your deep work window.
- Build anchors instead of routines. Anchors are simple actions you return to every day – regardless of when you wake up. E.g., start your workday with a 15-minute prioritisation session, whenever your workday begins.
- Protect your creative zone. If you do your best thinking at 9pm, don’t waste it doom-scrolling or writing emails. That’s your strategic edge.
Real Talk: You’re Not Less Disciplined Because You Don’t Wake Up Early
This one hits a nerve, especially because the early bird crowd can get smug.
But let’s be clear: discipline is about consistency, not conformity.
If you’re consistently delivering results, serving your clients, growing your brand and protecting your energy – that’s discipline. Whether it happens at 6am or 11pm is irrelevant.
So, What Should You Actually Do?
Here’s what I tell clients in Strategy Days and 1:1 work when they feel guilty for not having the “perfect” routine:
Get honest about what you need, what drains you, and when you operate best.
Then build a routine around that. A routine that helps you…
- Make better decisions
- Protect your mental clarity
- Show up for the work that matters
- Keep your personal life intact
…and drop the rest.
You’re running a business, not performing for LinkedIn.
If you want to also know more on this topic, do check out my YouTube video on it:
Final Thought: Your Routine Isn’t the Problem. Your Comparison Habit Might Be.
It’s easy to feel like you’re failing when you see someone else’s colour-coded morning routine with sunrise journaling and matcha-frothed manifestation. But chances are, they’re sharing the highlight reel – not the reality.
Stop comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s content strategy.
Your routine is only as good as the results it creates – for you.