A Fresh Routine For Your Most Productive Morning

 

I have come to discover that mornings set your mood for the day.

If you are reading this and thinking: “But I am not a morning person”. I strongly believe everyone can be a morning person. It’s all in the mind.

But that’s not our focus for now.

This post addresses you who are a morning person, but struggle to find the perfect routine that works for you.

We’ll look at some guidelines that will help you curate a routine that is customized for you.

 

Things to note:

 

People have different goals and objectives. That means your routine will be different from the next person.

 

Consider your priorities for the day.

 

What things energize you and gear you towards your priorities?

If there is one thing you do not want to do is to feel forced to do something especially if you do not align with it.

For example: I am a person who enjoys reading. I had tried reading in the morning, but it always felt like a huge responsibility.

I have now understood that if I incorporate reading somewhere during the day, it becomes so easy for me because it acts as a break for me.

 

Understand your body clock. 

 

Experiment with different timings and see what works for you.

However, it’s not cast in stone. You can always adjust your waking time gradually as you give your body time to process.

 

Now that these two are clear let’s design your morning routine

 

Create a list of things you want to adopt. My recommendation would be three items.

The mistake we often make is wanting to do everything all at once. That will wear you out and you will lose consistency along the way.

Pick three things first. You can always add to the list later.

 

1. Pick a fixed waking time. 

 

This is entirely based on what you are comfortable with.

Remember it’s not about how early you can wake, but making the most out of your morning.

If 5 am or 7 am is the time you set to wake up, make sure your alarm is set to that and is on repeat for the week.

The advantage of having a fixed waking time is that your body gets used to it, to the point that you can even wake up without the alarm.

This has happened to me, I kid you not. 

 

2. Have a quiet time. 

 

This should cater to your heart, mind, and soul.

I do my Bible study, prayer, and journal at that time. Maybe meditation is on the list for you.

This is such a good part to include in your routine because it gets you reflecting on what the previous day was like, and you get to set your intentions for the day.

 

Here are some ideas you could add:

–          Write a gratitude list

–          Read your morning affirmations

–          Memorize a Bible verse

–          Journal

 

The heart, mind, and soul are three components of your being you cannot afford to neglect.

That’s because once the hustle and bustle of the day begins, you might be fully in work mode and that means you have no time to nourish these three areas.

There is a verse I love from Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”

While at it, make it cozy by having your hot coffee, tea, or chocolate. 

Associate these habits you want to create with something fun and exciting.

If you could step outside for a few minutes once you have woken up, that’d be so cool. 

Get to experience that morning breeze as you set your intentions for the day.

Picture this: A hot coffee in hand, while sitting under the fading moon and stars, writing your gratitude list for the morning.

It even looks more perfect in my mind than I can describe in words.

I hope this is sparking some inspiration for you. Paint a picture you want that aligns with the things you love and bring it forth in your routine.

 

3. Create your schedule/to-do list for the day.

 

Some people do that the night before. So if you already have it, this would be a good time to go through it and internalize every activity.

Your mind is so fresh at that time and it’s easy to store the activities in your subconscious.

The beauty of this is your mind begins processing some of these things and when you actually start acting on them, it feels as though half of the work is done.

What works for me is having a rough idea of the weekly tasks. I still have the daily lists.

I always check in with the previous day’s tasks that are pending and carry them forward to the next day and I make sure to start with them.

My recommendation for creating a to-do list is to have three main things and then add 3 more that are not a priority.

Those last three will cover the remaining time in case your main tasks have been completed.

 

4. A bonus for your morning routine is to include a physical activity for your body movement.

 

I say this because most of us spend our day sitting. Unless you have a standing desk or your job involves a lot of movements, then including physical activity is good.

There is no manual for this. You could do stretches in the comfort of your home, take a walk, do a morning run, or go to the gym.

Just get your body moving.

This goes a long way in taking care of your health. Remember a sedentary lifestyle is one of the causes of lifestyle-related diseases.

 

This is a perfect place to start if you want to create the perfect morning routine.

 

Once you have picked the three/four things you want to have in your routine, stick to them for the next 21 days.

By the time you hit day 21, the habit has strongly formed and you have your routine established.

In case you want to make adjustments, let it be gradual. 

If you decide to push your waking time to half an hour earlier, begin increments of 5 minutes until you hit the half-hour mark.

 

Tips to Remember

–          Keep your alarm far from your bed (preferably a few meters so you wake up)

–          Avoid the snooze button

–          If you skip a day, don’t beat yourself, add a day to your 21 days so it becomes 22.

 

Now go and ace that morning routine.

You got this!

Xoxo;)