What Tony Robbins's morning routine can teach you

All of us can remember playing “follow the leader” as kids. We would each watch carefully what the “leader” did and didn’t do, and we’d do our best to copy them—with the winner being the one who could match the leader’s gestures and behaviors the longest. Did you know that as adults many of us play a version of “follow the leader” in our daily lives? It’s true! We often pick a leader, usually someone who has achieved certain goals or a level of success in life that we’d like to have, and we do our best to copy what they do, and hope that it ends with us being winners—in life. Playing “follow the leader” can actually be an effective strategy. It’s similar to having a role model whose habits and behaviors we emulate in an effort to achieve the same goals they have, and sometimes this approach works. If you’re looking for a leader to follow to help you achieve success, you can’t do much better than Tony Robbins—this 57-year-old motivational speaker and life coach is a dynamic force of nature who attacks every facet of his life with a tireless gusto. Robbins doesn’t just dream about a successful future—he spends every waking moment devoted to going after it and making sure his goals are always within reach. Business Insider recently took a look at a day in the life of this influencer. Robbins maintains an intense daily schedule, which takes him all around the world for tours, events, and speaking engagements all year long, and it isn’t uncommon for unexpected activities to pop up and force him to pivot unexpectedly. Therefore, he needs to be able to summon a great deal of energy—both mental and physical—to be able to maintain this pace and still be effective at what he does. It isn’t uncommon for Robbins’ to work 16-hour days and rely on just a few hours of sleep—sometimes as little as 3 hours each night! So, how does he stay energized enough to get through a typical day? It all starts from the moment he gets up each morning and begins his morning routine. Let’s take a closer look at Robbins’ admittedly insane early morning routine and discover what you can learn from how this influential leader starts his day.

A Tony Robbins morning

A typical Robbins morning begins around 7 a.m., often following just a few hours of sleep, with a 10-minute breathing exercise designed to prime his mind and body, and to prepare himself for the day ahead. He then transitions to a state of mindful meditation, in which he mindfully contemplates his goals for the day and allows himself to focus on the things in life that he’s grateful for. Once Tony feels mentally ready, he begins a hardcore physical workout with his personal trainer that features high impact intervals of ultra-intensive bursts of maximum exertion—these workouts typically only last around 15 minutes but are designed to keep his heart rate at a very high level, which helps get his body ready for the often long and exhausting day ahead. One his workout is complete, Tony spends a few minutes in a very hot sauna, followed by a quick dip in icy cold water—transitioning between these temperature extremes helps him keep his heart rate up, and it goes a long way towards getting him energized and ready to tackle the coming day. There’s lots of research available that suggests that exercising in the morning contains a wealth of benefits. According to a recent article by The Huffington Post, morning workouts help you stay fit, healthy, and energized longer, and it frees up the rest of your day for productive activity. Robbins brings the same attention to detail to his morning meal as he does his workout routine—a typical breakfast includes a wake-up cocktail full of vitamins, minerals, and key nutrients to jumpstart him, followed by a breakfast high in protein, usually free-range eggs. Once Tony’s mind and body are awake, energized, and properly fueled, he’s ready to move forward and work towards achieving his goals for the day.

Key takeaways

So, while it may be tricky for you to match Tony Robbins’ morning routine exactly, there are some key takeaways for you to think about for your morning routine: Dedication—Robbins never allows himself to “wimp out” of his morning routine, or make excuses. Starting the day off by allowing laziness or apathy to take control can really set your day off on the wrong foot. Your dedication to overcome all of the challenges you’ll face throughout the day should begin the moment you wake up. Focus—Robbins maintains a rigid and structured morning routine, and he stays on task. He doesn’t let his focus waver or distract him for a moment. This focused mindset carries over into the rest of his day, and helps him face any task and see it through to completion. Your day should start the same way. Energy—It takes energy to achieve your daily goals without letting exhaustion overtake you, and the core goal of Robbins’ morning routine is to energize his mind, body, and spirit. Whatever your morning routine is, it should center around this primary goal as well—make meal and exercise choices that fuel you, not drain you. What’s more, positive energy is at the heart of Robbins’ morning routine, beginning with an appreciation of his life and all the good things he has surrounding him. Whenever possible, make sure your day starts off on a positive note. Maximize time—If we haven’t already made it abundantly clear, one thing that Robbins’ doesn’t have in abundance is time to waste. That’s why he makes every moment of his morning routine count, so he can get on with the rest of his day as quickly as possible. Your morning routine should maximize your time while getting you energized and setting you up for success. So, while jumping into ice cold pools or high-impact workouts with a personal trainer may not be part of your morning routine, if you follow a routine that’s healthy and productive, and stay dedicated and focused while making the most of your valuable time, you’ll be setting yourself up with the positive mental and physical energy you’ll need to achieve your own success!