How to Build a Morning Routine You’ll Actually Keep

Most morning routines fail because they're built for someone else's life. Here's how to build one that survives contact with reality:

• Start with one small habit, not ten. Two minutes of stretching beats a 45-minute routine you quit in three days.
• Anchor it to something you already do — stretch while the coffee brews, read while you eat breakfast.
• Prepare the night before: lay out clothes, set up the coffee maker, put the book where you'll see it.
• Keep it short enough for your worst morning, not your best one.
• Stay flexible. A routine that bends on busy days lasts; a rigid one breaks.

The goal isn't a perfect morning. It's a morning that starts the day on purpose instead of by accident.