Repeatable beats impressive

The best morning routine is the boring one you'll actually do every day. Elaborate 12-step routines look great online and quietly collapse by Wednesday.

A simple frame

Water before coffee, a little daylight, something with protein, and a two-minute plan for the day covers most of what a morning routine is trying to do. Stack any supplements onto an existing anchor, right next to the coffee maker, so you don't have to remember them separately.

Make it stick

Start with one change, not five. Once it's automatic, add the next. A habit you keep for a year beats a perfect routine you abandon in a week.