CAREER TIPS -5 Must-Haves In Your Morning Routine Guarantee Career Success
Posted 21st May 2025 • Written by Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. on forbes.com • • • • • •
A recent TikTok video by @ashtonhallofficial went viral amassing a staggering 109.2 million views. The video showed the creator’s time-stamped morning routine, starting as early as three a.m. The video gained traction as viewers wonder how realistic the routine is for success. After seeing the video, career experts at resume.io decided to offer tips on how five must-haves in your morning routine guarantee career success and boost productivity throughout your workday.
Must-Haves In Your Morning Routine
On some days, given the daily obstacles many of us face in our jobs, it can feel more productive to hit the alarm, roll over and go back to sleep--especially with threats of inflation, AI competition and massive layoffs. But then reality hits, reminding you that you have to future-proof your job so you don’t end up another statistic.
But have you ever been curious about how the rich and famous, with less to lose, start their early mornings? The career experts at resume.io compiled the morning routines of successful CEO billionaires Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook to show they start their morning routines for continued successful workdays.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and worth $202 billion, awakens around 6:30 a.m., according to resume.io and enjoys a screen-free start to his workday. The career experts describe his mornings as slow with family breakfasts and journaling before bracing the workday. They conclude that Bezos’ slow and balanced morning routine proves that productivity doesn’t always require rushing.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, is worth $188.1 billion. Career experts tell us that he starts his day at eight a.m., checking numerous social media platforms like Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. “Zuckerberg is known for his minimalistic morning routine, including wearing the same style of outfit daily to avoid decision fatigue,” they note. “This habit is also synonymous with other successful people like Steve Jobs and Barack Obama.”
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, worth $2.4 billion, is one of the earliest risers in the business world, according to the career experts. He starts his day between 3:45 a.m. “This may be what inspired TikTok creator @ashtonhallofficial to do the same,” the experts speculate. “Cook uses the early hours to get ahead on emails and current affairs. He also often completes a workout before 6 a.m. Cook credits his structured early starts with helping him stay focused throughout the workday.”
You may have already realized that the difference in you and the billionaires is that they have the freedom of going to bed and getting up when they choose. Many of us in the workforce don’t have the luxury of when to hit the hay or awaken in the morning. But research informs us that routines and rituals help with self-regulation and job stress, contributing to productivity and career success. So, it’s important to consider a structured morning to get your workday off on the right foot.
Five Must-Haves In Your Morning Routine
Amanda Augustine, career expert for resume.io, explains that you don’t need to wake up at 3 a.m. to be successful. She advises that the key to having a productive morning depends on three factors: consistency, balance and starting the day off on your own terms. Here are Augustine’s habits that can be integrated into a morning routine that guarantees career success.
1. Aim to wake up at a consistent time. “Try waking up around the same time each day to help regulate your body’s natural rhythm,” Augustine suggests. “Over time, your body will learn when it’s time to be alert, helping you avoid grogginess and feel more energized in the morning.”
2. Limit phone use for the first 30-60 minutes. “Resist the urge to jump into emails or scroll through social media—even if it’s what some famous CEOs swear by,” she advises. “Giving yourself some screen-free time in the morning can lower stress levels and help you start your day calmly and with intention, rather than reacting to the noise around you.”
3. Soak in some natural light. Augustine recommends exposing yourself to natural light within the first hour of waking up. “Whether it’s stepping outside or opening the blinds, this simple habit helps reset your internal clock, lifts your mood and supports better sleep at night.”
4. Move your body. “Incorporating movement into your morning—whether it’s stretching, walking or a quick workout—can get your blood flowing, improve your focus, and boost your mood for the rest of the day,” she points out.
5. Set your intentions for the day. “Take a few minutes each morning to jot down your top one-to-three priorities for the day.” According to Augustine, this helps bring clarity to your morning and ensures you’re starting with purpose instead of just jumping into the next thing. "Remember, the key is to build a morning routine that suits your lifestyle. This will make it easier to maintain and more effective in setting you up for long-term success,” she concludes.
These five must-haves in your morning routine corroborate studies that show morning contemplation broadens your perspective and reverses negative thoughts such as self-doubt and uncertainty about the future. Whatever you plant in your mind in the early morning will continue to live and breathe within as you face the challenges in the workdays ahead.
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