Your mornings don’t have to be chaotic, and AI can help you prove it.

I have mastered the early morning routine. And because of that, it’s one of the things people ask me about the most – how do you get up early to work out? What time do you go to bed? I want to become a morning person but it’s just so hard!

The extra time does not magically appear. Something has to give. For you, maybe prepping breakfast in advance for the week buys you a few more minutes each morning. Maybe time-blocking your day and locking yourself out of social media reveals more time than you think you have. Maybe setting a phone bedtime helps you sleep more, wake up earlier, and actually protect that morning routine.

You’re going to walk away from this post with a handcrafted morning routine, a nighttime checklist, and easy high-protein breakfast ideas. Your mornings are about to feel more automated and a lot less stressful.

I recently welcomed back a returning 1:1 client who wants to become a morning person but didn’t know where to start. We first worked together in 2023 when she was in college. Now she’s graduated, in her first year as an elementary school teacher, doing part-time marketing for another company, and coaching middle school basketball.

Her schedule looked very different than it used to. On our onboarding call, I had her walk me through a typical week – most of her days were pretty similar. It was really just a matter of mapping out a few schedule options for her to choose from.

Once I had a solid grasp of her life, I turned to AI to build two different routine options. Here’s the thing about AI: the BEST thing you can do is basically write a dissertation. The more detail you give it, the better the output. (If you’ve never used AI before – what are you doing?!)

Here’s the exact shorthand-style prompt I typed out – yes, you can absolutely use jot lists instead of full sentences:

I have a 1:1 client who strength trains Tues, Wed, and Thurs each week. She teaches elementary education and works part time for another brand doing marketing. Here’s her weekly schedule:

• Get to school: 7:45 am

• Leave: 3:15–3:20 pm

• Brand relations job: 1–2 hrs/night (always at least 1 hr/day; 30 hrs total every 2 weeks)

• Sometimes completes this during planning period; otherwise it’s after school

• Goes to bed around 9 pm

I want her to strength train Tues, Wed, Thurs and do incline or outdoor walks Mon and Fri. I want her to work out every morning before getting ready for work. Factor in getting ready as well. Create me 2 slightly different schedules for her to choose from – Schedule A and Schedule B.

YES, this was sloppy and imperfect, and it also worked beautifully.

I would say the large majority of women reading this have young kids to drop off at daycare, or older kids they’re ubering to sports. Your afternoons probably feel like a black hole (mine too).

THIS IS WHY WE MUST WIN OUR MORNINGS.

Below is the ultimate fill-in-the-blank template you can paste directly into ChatGPT (or whatever AI platform you prefer). Just replace the bracketed sections with your own information:

HERE’S THE PROMPT (so highlight these next several lines until you see “THAT’S THE END OF THE PROMPT“).

Create a step-by-step morning routine for me that minimizes stress and decision fatigue.

Here are my details:

I need to leave the house by: [time]

I need to be at work by: [time]

My kids need to be at school/daycare by: [time]

I have [number] kids and their ages are: [ages]

I want to include a workout that lasts: [minutes]

Workout location: [home / gym]

I need [minutes] to shower/get ready

On days I don’t workout, I would like to use that time block to: [sleep in / use it for something else]

Breakfast needs to happen for: [me / kids / everyone]

I have to pack lunch for: [me / kids / everyone]

I have to get the following kids dressed and ready: [insert kids and their ages]

It takes about [minutes] to get the kids ready

School or daycare drop-off includes: [a quick curb stop / you walk them in]

My commute takes: [minutes]

I work: [in an office / at home / am a stay-at-home mom]

I would like [x minutes] of personal quiet time (coffee, journaling, reading) before the day starts

I prefer to wake up no earlier than: [time]

The single biggest pain point in my current morning is: [insert a brain dump]

Please give me:

A realistic wake-up time

A minute-by-minute time blocked schedule for the morning

Suggestions to combine tasks or simplify things

A night-before prep routine that takes 10–20 minutes and will make the morning run smoother

Create a night time checklist of things I need to lay out so that my morning routine can feel more automated with very few tasks

Any other helpful ideas that can reduce stress in the morning

Assume mornings are hectic and that kids generally move slowly. The routine should feel realistic and doable.

THAT’S THE END OF THE PROMPT

That last section about your biggest pain point is the most important part. It’s what moves the response from a generic template to something that actually feels like it’s “solving” for your life.

One more suggestion – after the last line, add something like “Please provide two separate time-blocked morning routines – one with me going to bed and waking up at X time, and another with me going to bed and waking up at X time.” This is especially helpful if you have a variable schedule or take mid-week rest days from working out.

I have stuck with a morning routine and morning workouts for almost 8 years, and I will never look back. Here’s what it does for me:

• Regulates my nervous system
• Lets me start my day with peace
• Carves out time before anyone else needs anything from me
• Protects my quiet time and leisure reading
• Gives me a few healthy habit wins right out of the gate: water, a workout, and a head start on steps

Afternoons are always unpredictable – especially as moms. Kid gets sick. Kid doesn’t nap. Last-minute errands. Husband stays late. I could go on.

Start your day with an earlier morning, and I promise you:

• You will never look back
• The keystone habit of an early morning will trickle positively into your family and work life
• You will feel more productive overall
• You will become a lot more consistent with your workouts
• You will more easily hit your step goal

So grab that prompt, paste it into your AI platform of choice, fill in your details, and become a morning person starting tomorrow!!

---

One of the easiest ways to reclaim time in the morning is to stop making breakfast decisions at 6am.

Here are some easy-prep, high-protein options:

Protein Pancakes

These are a weekly staple for us on the weekends. You can make a batch ahead of time and reheat all week. Watch the reel here for the recipe.

Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats

Prep Sunday night, grab and go all week (portion to fit your macros):

• Old fashioned oats
• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 240 ml (1 cup) chocolate Fairlife milk (or you could use part of a Fairlife shake for even more protein)
• Chia seeds – for extra healthy fats and fiber
• Chocolate chips – for texture and taste

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

A crowd-pleasing make-ahead bake. Find the full recipe on Jordo’s World here.

McGriddle Bites

Batch-cook these on the weekend and you’ll feel like you have a fast food drive-thru in your own kitchen. Full recipe from Jordo’s World here.

High-Protein Breakfast Sandwich

A quick, balanced option you can assemble in minutes:

• Thomas Multigrain Light English Muffin (100 calories)
• 1 whole egg + 100g egg whites
• 2 slices turkey bacon
• Slice of provolone cheese
• Hot sauce on the side

Greek Yogurt + Protein Shake (Zero Prep)

For mornings when you need something fast:

• Greek yogurt cup (15–20g protein)
• Blueberries
• ¼ cup Kashi cereal for added fiber
• Protein shake (20–30g protein)