Creating a Morning Routine
Do you have a morning routine?
How important is a morning routine?
It feels like there's so much talk around morning routines, maybe more so in years past, maybe my ears just aren't open to it right now. But I want to visit this idea of morning routines and why they are important.
Years ago, I had an amazing morning routine. My routine was set, I followed it, I was consistent. And it made my life so much better and so much easier. Because I had that routine. I did it every single day. And then life happened. And there were broken bones and there was my mom moving in. Tthen there was a cancer diagnosis. Then there was a cancer diagnosis for my mom and then she died and then my aunt was sick. Then another aunt was sick and there were more broken bones and there were more surgeries. I feel like I never got my morning routine back. Sometimes it is 10:30 or 11 o'clock before I get down into my office in the morning. I was just thinking the other day how much I have been missing my morning routine. Not only that I'm missing my morning routine. But acknowledging that without that morning routine, my consistency has faltered and taking full responsibility for letting that morning routine go. So I started to put into place action steps to take that morning routine back, take it back to hold myself accountable. Because it's not anybody's fault that I that I've slipped out of my morning routine, except for me, it is my responsibility to take it back.
I have a room that I am setting up with a rocking chair with bookshelves, with my devotionals with everything there so that I can take that time and that space back for me to jump into my morning routine.
Starting your day off right sets the tone for the rest of your day. By creating and maintaining a positive morning routine. you maximize your productivity you improve your mood you increase your overall well being. But there are so many articles and so many opinions and so much advice on how to set up a morning routine. So the point of this podcast is not to tell you that This is what you have to do for a morning routine.
This is the way you set it up, get your journal, take notes, because this is what you're going to do. It will only work for you. A morning routine will only work for you if it is your morning routine. It's not another thing on a checklist.
Okay, I did this, I spent one minute on this, I spent four minutes on this, I spent 15 minutes on this morning routine checked off and you go about your day, a morning routine is to maximize and optimize your time and your day. It's about making it work for you and letting it happen for you.
I'm going to give you eight tips that you can choose to follow or not, that you can choose to spend time on or not. These are tips. These are ideas that you can add into your morning routine. Take them, massage them, see what feels good to you what sits right in your heart, and then put your morning routine together and stick to it and show yourself grace. When it doesn't happen. There will be mornings that it doesn't happen. Commit to yourself that on those days where it doesn't happen, you will jump back in as soon as you can. It makes a huge difference. I used to get up in the morning, do my morning routine be to work by eight o'clock in the morning, having done my devotions read, worked out, showered, gotten ready for my day. I was in a desk co chair in corporate America at 8am. So where did the breakdown come that I wasn't in my own office at 8am.
I'm the CEO of my own company. If someone else did that, if another employee did that, and I was CEO of that company, I'd be writing them up I'd be saying look, we got to figure out what's going on. You got to get to work earlier we have things to accomplish. So I decided to take control. And these are the tips that I want to share with you on how to begin a powerful morning routine. Use what works for you let go of the rest maybe you'll think of some things that I don't have here. The point is to create your morning routine that works for you and take responsibility to hold your own self accountable.
We can hope we can ask others to hold us accountable. Here's the most powerful thing you're going to hear all week.
You need to hold yourself accountable.
Accountability from yourself is stronger than accountability from any one else. You must hold yourself accountable. So here we go. Tips To begin your own powerful morning routine one wake up early.
Set your alarm clock to wake up at a consistent time every day weekends as well. Yes weekends, allowing yourself enough time to complete your morning activities. Listen, without feeling rushed or stressed without driving to work, making up excuses for why you're late again, because you're all stressed out. Have you ever done that you leave for work, you know you're going to be late and so you spend your whole drive to work coming up with the reasons of why you're late. Let's wake up early enough to give yourself enough time that you are not feeling rushed or stressed in the morning. Maybe that means laying out your clothes the night before.
#1 is to wake up early. Wake up at a consistent time every day.
#2, stretch. Take a few deep breaths before rushing out of your bed. Spend a few minutes stretching your body and taking deep breaths. Wake up your muscles. Let yourself feel. Feel yourself stretching out feel your muscles coming to life. And right on the heels of that.
#3 practice gratitude and visualize a day of success. Take a few minutes to reflect on what you're grateful for in your life. Name three things write them down. Keep a gratitude journal by your bed, visualize how you want your day to go and set a positive intention or positive intentions for the day ahead. Then no matter what life throws at you, you've got your visualization and your gratitude done. It makes a huge difference in your day, no matter what happens in your day.
#4 move your body engage in some form of physical activity to boost your energy levels. It can be as simple as doing some light stretching, going for a quick walk. Maybe it's a full workout. Maybe you're lifting weights, maybe you're going out and jogging, maybe you're walking for miles whatever it is. Move your body exercise improves your mood and mental clarity it kicks up those endorphins and you feel better. You feel better. Lately I have found myself putting my work off my workout off, get I getting involved in something else. Sometimes it's scrolling I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm gonna be completely authentic. This has been a struggle for me. I am currently struggling with taking back my morning routine, but I am Taking it back. So number one was to get up consistently every day at the same time number two, stretch and take a few deep breaths deep breaths.
#5 prioritize your tasks. Make a to do list and prioritize your tasks for the day. Identify the top three important tasks and schedule them accordingly. This helps you stay organized and focused and increases your productivity. Prioritize your tasks, pick out the top three, you can either write them down first thing in the morning as part of your morning routine, or do them the night before but know what you are going to tackle in the day in order and what you are doing the top three.
#6 practice mindfulness or meditation. I know this is where some of you were like, Okay, we're done listening to this podcast, we're done. She said the meditation word wear out. But listen to me. Just spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness meditation, it sets a calm centered tone for the day. You could use an app I use the calm app, or simply sit quietly focusing on your breath and cultivating a sense of presence. This helps relieve stress and improves your ability to learn. This part of my morning routine is prayer, its prayer and my devotions. It's tuning in to the God who created me so that I can ask him who I need to serve today. practice mindfulness and meditation.
#7 avoid digital overload. Reduce your screen time in the morning, especially right after waking up. Instead of immediately grabbing your phone engage in activities that promote self care such as reading a book journaling, enjoying your coffee or tea exercising, leave the phone out of your bedroom, so you're not tempted to pick it up first thing in the morning. It's digital overload. When you pick up that phone first thing in the morning and you start checking emails, or you start scrolling social media you have just given someone else control over your day. Don't give them control over your day. This is your day. This is your morning routine, leave the phone alone.
#8 set realistic goals. Set achievable goals for the day and remind yourself of them. This helps create a sense of purpose motivation throughout the day. Break down your larger tasks into smaller pieces so that you can make your progress easier. Make sure your goals are realistic. It's It is fabulous to have a big huge goal. Break it down into small pieces that you can accomplish on a daily timeframe. Remember that creating this morning routine takes time it takes experimentation. You want to find what works for you. Because what works for you is what you are going to stick with someone else's morning routine may not be the routine that fits into your lifestyle. starting your day with intention and positivity leads to a more fulfilling and productive day ahead. So get that morning routine going.
Start creating your morning routine so that you can take back your productivity. You can take back your power you can take back your health, you can take back your mindset.
Your journal prompt today is this.
“My perfect morning routine looks like….” and list it out.
