We've all been there. Your alarm starts ringing early in the morning and you contemplate whether or not to hit that snooze button and catch a few extra minutes of shut-eye. While you might thinks it's too tempting to resist, waking up and forming morning habits has long been associated with success.

This is especially important for court reporters who - as you well know - always have to be on their game. Use some of these suggestions to try and form a morning routine and we guarantee you'll rock that next deposition.

Wake Up Early

Waking up early is the one constant found on all the lists detailing the routines of successful people. Scientists have proven time and time again that hitting that dreaded snooze button will screw up your entire day and give you that sleepy-fuzzy feeling in your head. Wake up and give yourself some time to complete your morning routine without feeling rushed. Resist the snooze!

Exercise or Meditate

Exercising first-thing in the morning is an excellent way to start your day, and is considered the best time to get a work-out in. You'll be more awake and focused on your next activity as opposed to walking into the office sluggish and craving caffeine. Plus, endorphins are awesome.

Meditating is also a great way to start your day, as certain practices help wake you up as opposed to putting you back to sleep. Clearing your head and reducing your stress will put you in the right mindframe for the rest of your productive day.

Answer Emails or Network

Answering emails might be one of your least favorite responsibilities, but there's no doubt that it's necessary and important if you want to remain in business. Getting this task out of the way early in the morning will leave the rest of your work-day open to other important projects, ideas, and tasks. 

The morning is also the perfect time to network over coffee, or even on social media - whether it's posting relevant content or catching up with other professionals on LinkedIn.

Catch Up on the News

It's important to keep up with the relevant news in your area and around the world, not only to stay informed, but also to predict any impacts it might have on your business. Luckily for us, there are a multitude of broadcasts and newspapers to choose from each morning. Whether you like The Today Show, your local news, or prefer your news in print, there's always time to brush up on the goings-on of the world.

Pro Tip: if you find yourself pressed for time (or just find the news too depressing) check out theSkimm. The daily email newsletter gives you the skinny on everything you need to know about world news in as few words as possible. 

Strategize and Create a To-Do List

Strategizing and creating your to-do list for the day after a mind-clearing workout is an excellent idea. Having your priorities and schedule written out will keep you on track and focused - whether you're a paper and pen purist or prefer to organize your goals in an app like Evernote.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

As your mom always said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy and satisfying breakfast factors into your levels of focus and energy, helping you concentrate on tasks and not feel fatigued throughout the day. It also prevents you from overeating for lunch and dinner, and as our good pal Ron Swanson says, "There has never been a sadness that can't be cured by breakfast food."

What are some of your favorite morning routines? Let us know in the comments below!