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20-20-20 Morning Routine

The 20-20-20 Morning Routine: How Changing Your Day Can Transform Your Life

Jasmine Nguyen
Jasmine Nguyen
Let's look into each aspect of the 20-20-20 morning routine. We'll talk about how to effectively adapt it and how these simple 20-minute blocks can change your mornings and, by extension, your whole life.
Table of Contents

Before everyone wakes up, in the quiet hours of early morning, there is an opportunity. An opportunity to alter not only your day but also your whole life.

The 20-20-20 morning routine is said to be an easy but effective way to get your day going in a way that makes you more productive and healthy. But what is this routine about?

We'll look into each aspect of the 20-20-20 morning routine. We'll talk about how to effectively adapt it and how these simple 20-minute blocks can change your mornings and, by extension, your whole life.

What's The 20-20-20 Morning Routine?

The 20-20-20 morning routine is a concept introduced by Robin Sharma in his book "The 5 AM Club". It's a simple idea: spend the first hour of your day doing three important things, each for twenty minutes. This is like a three-course breakfast for your mind, body, and growth as a person.

Let's look at each part of the 20-20-20 morning routine:

1. Exercise (20 minutes)

To begin, wake up your body. Running a marathon isn't the point; the point is to get your blood moving and spirit high. These are some things you could do to get in shape:

  • A quick workout at home
  • Dancing to your best music
  • Some gentle yoga stretches…

It's kind of like giving your body a "start" button for the day.

2. Reflection (20 minutes)

The next thing we do is focus on our minds. Now is the time to check in with yourself and decide how you want to spend the day. Some things you could do are meditate, write in a notebook, do deep breathing exercises, or think about your day while you sit still. Giving your brain a chance to fully wake up before getting to work is like this.

Image: Freepik

3. Personal Growth (20 minutes)

Lastly, learn something new. This part of the 20-20-20 morning exercise is all about getting better as a person. You could read a few pages of an interesting book, listen to an educational video, watch a TED talk, or work on your language skills.

It's like setting seeds of knowledge that will grow as the day goes on.

Why the 20-20-20 Morning Routine Works

The 20-20-20 morning routine is effective for several reasons.

Balanced approach: If you take care of your physical, mental, and personal growth needs in the first hour after getting up, you'll be ready for any challenges that come your way. This all-around method makes sure you don't miss any important parts of your health.

Manageable structure: It might seem like a lot of time to spend an hour, especially in the morning. But if you split it up into three 20-minute chunks, it becomes much easier to handle. This split-up method makes the process less scary and more likely to be kept up over time.

Flexibility: Another reason the 20-20-20 morning practice works is that it can be changed to fit your needs. Even though the amount of time is set, you can change the tasks in each segment to fit your own goals and interests. You can make your morning habit something you really look forward to with this customization, which makes it more likely that you'll stick with it for a long time.

Setting a positive tone: Last but not least, the 20-20-20 morning exercise works because it makes you feel good about the rest of the day. You're telling your mind that you and your goals are important by putting money into yourself first thing in the morning. This way of thinking can affect the other things you do every day, which could make you more productive and happy generally.

Image: Freepik

10+ Practical Tips for Your 20-20-20 Journey

Alright, so you're sold on the 20-20-20 morning routine. But how do you make it stay? To help you nail this process, here are some tips:

Start Small and Build

Start small with the 20-20-20 morning routine if doing it all at once seems too much. You could start with just one 20-minute block and add the others over time. You start with training wheels and work your way up, just like when you learn to ride a bike.

Find Your Tribe

It's better to have friends, right? The same goes for the 20-20-20 morning routine. Find someone to hold you accountable, or join an online group of early risers who share your goals. It's like working out with a friend but for the whole morning!

Make It Fun

If your 20-20-20 morning routine feels like a chore, you won't stick with it. Make things more interesting! It's possible that your activity is a dance party, your thought is drawing, and your growth is picking up a new language. Find what makes you happy.

Be Flexible

Life goes on. In the morning, you might not be able to do all three 20-minute blocks every day. It's okay! You could do a 10-10-10 version instead. As always, make progress instead of perfection.

Prep the Night Before

Make things easy for yourself. Set your journal next to your bed, put your workout clothes out, or start listening to your podcast. Like putting your bags away the night before. It makes getting ready in the morning so much easier.

Track Your Progress

Use a habit tracker app like Habitify to keep an eye on your 20-20-20 morning routine. It works amazingly well, like giving yourself gold stars.

It can help in these ways:

  1. Make clear goals. For each 20-minute chunk of your practice, set a different goal.
  2. Keep track of your progress. Write down your daily tasks easily and keep an eye on your runs.
  3. Stay on track. Get alerts to help you follow your 20-20-20 morning exercise.
  4. See yourself succeeding. Graphs and charts let you see how far you've come over time.

With Habitify, you can see your "score" going up over time as you do your exercise, making it feel like a game. The ability to see how far you've come can be very inspiring and help you create a 20-20-20 morning routine that will help you reach your targets.

Prioritize Sleep

The 20-20-20 morning routine works best when you're well-rested. Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. To prepare for the next day, think of it as charging your phone. Try to stick to the same bedtime routine every night to get better sleep. This could mean doing things like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or doing some light stretching. Also, think about making your bedroom a good place to sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet.

Minimize Distractions

Put your phone on "Do Not Disturb" or leave it in another room while you do your 20-20-20 every morning. It's like making a focus bubble just for yourself. Your family or roommates should know about your 20-20-20 morning routine, and you should ask them to help keep the room quiet during this time. Keeping distractions to a minimum will help you fully engage with each part of your practice and get the most out of it.

Be Patient and Kind to Yourself

It takes time to form a new habit. Don't be hard on yourself if you miss a day (or a week) of your 20-20-20 morning routine. Pick up where you left off. Remember, you're playing the long game here.

Image: Freepik

Wrapping It Up

Before we say goodbye, I want to remind you that the 20-20-20 morning routine is just advice. Some days you'll complete all three parts. Some days, you might only be able to do one or none at all. Okay, that's fine. It's important that you go back to it and are ready to try again.

"Some people dream of success, while others get up every day and make it happen," Wayne Huizenga said.

The way you change a day is also the way you change your life. As you integrate the 20-20-20 morning routine into your life, you're not just starting your day. You're putting together the building blocks of the life you want to live. Hope your new days are inspirational with an abundance of ideas!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 20 20 20 rule when you wake up?

The 20-20-20 rule is a morning routine where you dedicate 20 minutes each to exercise, reflection, and personal growth activities. It encourages you to be mindful, active, and keep learning so that your body and mind are ready for an active day.

What is the 5 AM rule?

The 5 AM Club rule, as popularized by Robin Sharma's book, is about waking up at 5 AM to dedicate the first hour of your day to a powerful morning routine. This also consists of 20 minutes each of exercise, reflection, and personal growth. The goal of this practice is to improve focus, productivity, and general health by putting self-improvement first and setting a positive tone before the day's tasks arrive.