What is James Clear's morning routine?

Clear has described waking without an alarm, drinking a glass of water, writing down three things he is grateful for, sitting in silence for a few minutes of deep breathing, then reading twenty pages of a book. He skips breakfast as part of an intermittent-fasting window from noon to 8pm, keeping the morning simple and distraction-free.

How long is James Clear's morning routine?

About 38 minutes in full. Clear has emphasised keeping routines short enough that they do not creep into the rest of the day.

What does James Clear read every morning?

Twenty pages of any book, any genre. He has called it his newest but already non-negotiable habit, one that keeps him learning across subjects.

Do I need to do intermittent fasting to follow this routine?

No. The Burst keeps the water, gratitude, breathing and reading steps, and leaves food choices to you.

James Clear’s Practical Morning Routine

Quality: Exceptional· 100%Effort: Gentle· 038m

Inspired by James Clear

For when the routine can’t be taking up the whole morning.

Get clarity and consistency before anything else. Inspired by Atomic Habits author James Clear: a glass of water, three things you’re grateful for, a few minutes of deep breathing, then twenty pages of a book.

The runsheet

Glass of water
2 min
Nutrition
First drink. No breakfast, he does intermittent fasts from 12pm-8pm to simplify logistics.
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing nutrition before gratitude
This is an excellent pairing because finishing a meal highlights thankfulness for the food, what made it possible, and the body that uses it.
2
Three gratitudes
Gratitude
Writes three things he's grateful for. Added to the routine two years ago; he also practises one gratitude at dinner. This anchors the emotional tone of the day.
5 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 7 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing gratitude before breath work
This can help because breath work can deepen any relaxed good feelings, though gently.
3
A few minutes of deep breathing
Breath work
Sits in silence and does deep breathing before reading. This is not formal meditation but it can feel a bit like it.
5 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 7 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing breath work before reading (mindful)
This can be a good pairing because a calm, focused state from breath work can carry into mindful reading and sustained attention.
4
Read twenty pages
Reading (mindful)
Twenty pages of a book, any genre. The newest addition to the routine but it’s already non-negotiable. This keeps him learning.
20 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 22 min all-in
Time well spent.
38m spent doing something good for yourself.

The breakdown

Burst evaluation

QualityExceptional· 100%

Sequencing100%

Logistics100%

DifficultyGentle· 0

Total activity36m / 60mGentle

Physical activity5m / 29mGentle

Mental focus25m / 29mGentle

Introspection5m / 29mGentle

Creativity0m / 59mGentle

+ 3 more conditionsHow we assess →

Wellbeing focus

The relative wellbeing focus of this Burst.

HighEmotional

HighPhysical

MedSelf

HighSocial

MedIntellectual

About this Burst

James Clear is an entrepreneur, weightlifter, travel photographer, and author of Atomic Habits, the bestselling habits book that has sold over ten million copies. He lives in North Carolina.

Authors & thinkers Book lovers Clear my head Morning Quick (under an hour)Under 2 hours A new morning routine Easy start Most loved

Common questions

James Clear’s Practical Morning Routine38m · free in the app38m · free in the app