The Best of Forge 2019

3 Smart Ideas to Optimize Your Mornings

Forge’s favorite stories of the year on how to start your day

Illustration: Reza Hasni. Originally appeared in How a Night Owl Can Become an Early Bird.

Here at Forge, we’re not going to shout the virtues of waking up at 4:30 a.m. or give you the play-by-play of what every Fortune 500 exec does before their first oat-milk latte. You can find that, well, all over the internet.

While hyperproductive morning routines are overrated (yep, we said it), there’s still something quietly empowering about owning that first stretch of your day, before the bullet train of to-dos, deadlines, and Twitter scandals comes zooming through. Check out a few of the best Forge stories about making your mornings better.

5 Things You Should Do Before Lunch by Shaunta Grimes

Through trial and error (and a few too many breakdowns), Shaunta Grimes learned that how she spends her energy in the earliest hours directly affects her overall productivity and mood. Over time, she’s honed a five-item list of morning tasks—some unexpected—that help her set the right tone for the rest of the day.

The Best Sound to Use for Your Alarm in the Morning by Zulie Rane