Successful African Entrepreneurs Share Their Daily Morning Routines

Drive your day or your day will drive you – Mark Sisson.

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Willpower is strongest in the morning, according to scientific findings. Individuals can leverage their morning as they prepare to set the tone for the day in order to stay more focused and energetic. The morning is a powerful resource that can be harnessed to inspire productivity and creativity. Morning routines help to foster consistency which comes in handy in the pursuit of success and bringing about entrepreneurial discipline.
We take a sneak peek into how these African entrepreneurs and founders have proactively invested in their daily schedules.

Esther Kinuthia-Miss Independent
Associate Account Strategist at Google-Ireland
Founder Pan Africa Youth

• Outline your daily morning routine

I wake up at 7a.m and I turn my alarm off. Ireland is quite a chilly country so I give myself 5 minutes to enjoy the warmth of the bed before stepping out. I make my bed. Research has it that you should make your bed every morning as it is becomes the first thing you get to accomplish that day and consequently prepares psychologically for more achievements. (And no matter how late I am, I always make my bed, just to start of the day with a sense of achievement).

• For how long have you religiously held on to this routine?

For the last 1 year 6 months since I moved out.

• How has your morning routine contributed to your entrepreneurial success and helped transform your life?

I like that I always find a clean bedroom and house in general. It makes me relax after a long day at work. A clean environment is essential for inspiring creativity.

• What does it take to develop and maintain a morning ritual?

Honestly, understanding how it is useful for you. I never used to make my bed, just being frank. But then when I experienced the sense of achievement after making it for a while, it because something I must do so start the day with a bang! It’s more of an investment to my well-being more than anything else
Now I have introduced a new routine where I drink water before making my bed. I hope this one lasts as I struggle with drinking the recommended glasses of water.

M/s Shola Ade-Okafor
Professional make-up artist
Founder BlushinGirl Tools

• What is your morning routine like?
My morning routine is pretty simple. I typically wake up between 5- 6am on weekdays. I get my son ready for school and my husband and son leave home at about 6.30am.
Then I have my prayer time, very necessary for setting the tone for the day. Next is my exercise/dance time. I find the gym boring so I have an interesting playlist on my phone which I use for exercise. So I put on my earphones and dance for about 30 – 45 minutes.
After exercising I feel energized and alert and I take time to write down new ideas and my to-do list for the day. Next I check my emails and respond to them. Then I have breakfast or most likely brunch.
• For how long have you religiously held on to this routine?
I would say for about 1year since my son started school. When he was a baby I didn’t have a fixed routine and before he was born my routine was completely different from what it is now.
• How has your morning routine contributed to your entrepreneurial success and helped transform your life?
I think it has helped me to be organized and to focus on important things like responding to emails and messages early in the morning and also having a to-do list so I can focus on my tasks for the day and keep track of my progress.
• What does it take to develop and maintain a morning ritual?
I think it takes incorporating activities that get you excited and makes you look forward to the rest of the day. For me its music, when I listen to music I get inspired, I’m alert and energized so I look forward to other tasks for the day with joy.

Walter Akolo

Freelance writer, techpreneur and internet marketer

Founder FreelancerKenya

• Outline your daily morning routine (What is your morning routine like?)

I have always loved working at night for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I work overnight, hang out with my kids before they go to school then grab some sleep. Other times I sleep at around 3am and wake up after 6-8 hours. So, what is my morning routine when I don’t work overnight? After eating breakfast and freshening up, I take some time to pray and read the bible. Once I feel spiritually nourished, I follow up on communications from my leads and prospects then start working i.e. writing articles, training people on freelance writing, working on my blogs, marketing etc. I’m very flexible, that’s the joy of being a freelancer. Events don’t follow each other exactly the same way every morning. I may change the schedule anytime.

• For how long have you religiously held on to this routine? I don’t religiously hold on to any routine. I find that enslaving. I love being flexible. As long as in 24 hours I’ve taken care of my spiritual, family, work and societal needs, I sleep a happy man.
• How has your morning routine contributed to your entrepreneurial success and helped transform your life? My incredibly flexible routine helps me to be productive beyond limits. This is because I always assess everything and focus on what needs the most energy at the moment without forsaking other things that need to be done. I’m also able to take time out and relax, so that I replenish my energy and avoid burnout. This helps me stay motivated at most times.
•  What does it take to develop and maintain a morning ritual? Being a freelancer is awesome since you don’t really need a morning ritual. As stated, sometimes I don’t “see” mornings since I may be fast asleep after working overnight. At such times, I start my day in the afternoon, with lunch being my first meal. What it takes to have a great morning, in my opinion, is making sure you take care of yourself first. This is the best time to recharge spiritually to give yourself enough energy for the day. After that, you can prioritize what needs to be done and set goals that you’re sure you’ll achieve by the end of the day. See, most people just think of monthly or yearly goals, not knowing that all these are made possible by meeting daily goals. Additionally, I never advocate for one person copying another person’s routine. Everyone works differently. Some people work best in the morning, others at night. This is the same for everything you do, including reading the bible, praying, replying emails, looking for work, marketing, going out, relaxing etc. You should create your own unique and productive schedule.