| name | morning-routine-builder |
| description | Designs personalized morning routines for entrepreneurs with time blocks, habits, and productivity triggers tailored to energy levels and business goals. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Morning Routine Builder
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Design a structured morning routine optimized for entrepreneurial productivity
- Map habits and rituals to specific time blocks based on energy science
- Build a repeatable morning system that supports business and personal goals
- Reset a broken morning routine that is costing you focus and output
DO NOT use this skill for full daily scheduling, evening routines, or general time management. This is specifically for the first 1-3 hours after waking.
Core Principle
A MORNING ROUTINE IS NOT A WISHLIST OF HABITS — IT IS A SEQUENCED SYSTEM WHERE EACH BLOCK PRIMES THE NEXT, BUILDING MOMENTUM TOWARD YOUR MOST IMPORTANT WORK.
Phase 1: Assessment
Before designing anything, gather the inputs that shape the routine. No assessment, no routine.
Required Inputs
Ask the user for each of these. If they do not provide one, use the default.
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Wake time | "What time do you wake up (or want to wake up)?" | 6:00 AM |
| First obligation | "What time does your first meeting, commitment, or work block start?" | 9:00 AM |
| Top business goal | "What is your #1 business priority right now?" | Revenue growth |
| Energy pattern | "Are you sharpest immediately after waking, or do you need 30-60 min to ramp up?" | Ramp-up needed |
| Current routine | "Describe what you currently do in the first 2 hours after waking." | No consistent routine |
| Non-negotiables | "Any habits you MUST keep (coffee ritual, kids' school drop-off, exercise)?" | None specified |
GATE: Present the assessment summary and get confirmation before designing the routine.
Phase 2: Design
Build the routine using time blocks that follow circadian and productivity science.
Block Categories
Every morning routine draws from these five categories. Not all are required — sequence depends on the user's profile.
- Priming Block (5-15 min) — hydration, light exposure, breathwork, or journaling to shift from sleep to alert state
- Movement Block (15-45 min) — exercise, stretching, or walking to elevate energy baseline
- Focus Block (30-90 min) — deep work on the most important business task before distractions arrive
- Learning Block (10-30 min) — reading, podcast, or skill development
- Admin Block (10-20 min) — inbox triage, daily planning, reviewing priorities
Sequencing Rules
- Priming ALWAYS comes first — never start with email or social media
- Focus Block should land during the user's peak alertness window
- Movement before Focus if the user needs ramp-up time; Movement after Focus if they wake sharp
- Admin Block is ALWAYS last — it is a transition to the workday, not a morning activity
- Build in 5-minute buffers between blocks for transitions
Routine Template
Present the designed routine in this format:
## Your Morning Routine
**Wake:** 6:00 AM
**Routine ends:** 8:30 AM
**Total routine time:** 2 hours 30 minutes
| Time | Block | Activity | Duration | Why |
|------|-------|----------|----------|-----|
| 6:00 | Priming | Glass of water + 5 min journaling | 15 min | Hydration and mental clarity |
| 6:15 | Movement | 30-min run or bodyweight workout | 30 min | Energy baseline elevation |
| 6:45 | Buffer | Shower + get ready | 15 min | Transition |
| 7:00 | Focus | Deep work on [top priority] | 60 min | Highest-value task in peak window |
| 8:00 | Learning | Read industry book (20 pages) | 20 min | Compound knowledge growth |
| 8:20 | Admin | Review calendar + triage inbox | 10 min | Transition to workday |
GATE: Present the routine and wait for user feedback before finalizing.
Phase 3: Reinforcement
After the routine is approved, provide implementation support.
Habit Triggers
For each block, define a specific trigger that initiates the habit:
- Environmental trigger: Place water bottle on nightstand (Priming)
- Completion trigger: "After I finish my workout, I immediately sit at my desk" (Movement → Focus)
- Time trigger: Phone alarm labeled with the block name
Accountability System
Provide a simple 7-day tracking template:
## Week 1 Tracker
| Day | Priming | Movement | Focus | Learning | Admin | Notes |
|-----|---------|----------|-------|----------|-------|-------|
| Mon | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Tue | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | |
...
Ramp-Up Plan
If the routine is a big change, provide a phased approach:
- Week 1: Implement Priming + one other block only
- Week 2: Add the Focus Block
- Week 3: Full routine
- Week 4: Evaluate and adjust timing
Phase 4: Optimize
Deliver final refinements and long-term sustainability guidance.
Weekend Variation
Design a modified weekend version that keeps momentum without rigidity. Typically: same Priming block, flexible timing on everything else, Focus Block becomes optional.
Red Flags to Watch
- If the routine takes longer than 3 hours, it will collapse — cut blocks
- If the Focus Block keeps getting skipped, it is in the wrong time slot
- If the user dreads the routine, remove the block they resist most and add it back later
Quarterly Review Prompt
Provide 5 questions for the user to reassess the routine every 90 days based on changing business priorities and energy patterns.
Anti-Patterns
- Overloading the routine — cramming 10 habits into 90 minutes guarantees failure. Maximum 5 blocks.
- Starting with email — checking inbox first surrenders your agenda to other people's priorities.
- Copying someone else's routine — what works for a CEO with a chef and no kids will not work for a solopreneur with school drop-off.
- No triggers — habits without environmental or completion triggers rely on willpower, which depletes.
- Rigid weekends — forcing the same routine 7 days a week causes burnout and rebellion.
Recovery
- User has no morning time: Compress to a 20-minute micro-routine: 5 min priming, 15 min focus. Something beats nothing.
- User tried routines before and quit: Ask what broke. Design around the failure point, not despite it.
- User works night shifts: Reframe as "first 2 hours after waking" regardless of clock time. Same principles apply.
- User cannot wake earlier: Do not push wake time. Work with the time between waking and first obligation.
- User has young children: Build routine around kid-dependent windows. Priming during feeding, Focus during nap or before kids wake.
