Written by Kathy Burke and Nora Dietz-Kilen

Kathy Burke and Nora Dietz-Kilen share their perspectives on the benefits morning routines like that of the 12 women highlighted in the Forbes article by Samantha Ettus.

Nora: I used to believe that waking up before 7am should be illegal. Not long ago there were still some days where I had spent the night before cramming for a test until 4:00am and I hit snooze more than twice in the morning. However, I found myself starting to wish that there were more hours in a day. I wished that there were more hours for me to make every club meeting, pick up hobbies, stay ahead of my work load, eat, sleep and call home occasionally. That’s when it hit me – the morning hours are these untapped goldmines. The morning is the key to getting ahead of the game, to actually finish a to-do list and slow down.

Kathy: With the exception of a few years as a teen and college student, I’ve been more of a morning person, often waking before the alarm goes off and rarely touching the snooze button. I’ve also had some pretty well-established routines in the morning and the evening. Getting to bed at a decent hour makes those early mornings much more pleasant. While I’ve always thought I’m more efficient and productive when operating within routines, research suggests there are wide-ranging health benefits to regular routines.

We hope you take a chance to look through the article and challenge yourself to think about how your morning routine can help you be happier, healthier and find greater success. Share with us one of your favorite morning routines below in the comments!