All around the wilds of the interwebs people are touting the awesomeness of a morning routine–how it changed their productivity, made them happier, healthier, and higher functioning humans.
The thing is? They are 100% on point. It is true. Routines have a way of defining us. And starting out your morning right? 100% super key.
But the thing is, if you’re anything like me, everyone else’s morning routine–water, treadmill, green juice–just wasn’t cutting it for me and I noticed that nearly ALL of my clients struggled with creating their ideal morning routine. It was a block for them. They simply had no idea of where to start.
So I decided, being the coach I am, that I needed to simplify the way in which my clients and my people created their own morning routines so they didn’t get lost in the sea of overwhelm and rigidity that comes with finding a perfect rhythm.
So what do morning routines have in common? They all feed the Mind, Body, and Soul. Good morning routines expose our needs, allow us time to ourselves (coughselfcarecough), and feed crucial elements that make for a successful day.
How to create YOUR perfect Morning Routine
1. How much time to you have daily to commit? Be frank, honest, and kind to yourself.
Half an hour? Fifteen minutes? An hour? Keep in mind your time constraints, and build your routine around that. If you can only commit to 20 minutes a day for your routine, an hour walk is off the table. Be frank and honest so your routine sings to you. My morning routine is right around 45 minutes these days, and it is just right for my lifestyle.
2. Make a list of things that you enjoy doing within said timeframe
Create a list with three categories: Mind, Body, and Soul. Write down everything you can imagine doing within that time frame you set out to accomplish in step one. These are broad categories, and can mean WHATEVER you want. For me my lists were….
Mind
Read the News
Read 5 minutes of a creativity book
Look over my Calendar for the Day
Read a journal prompt, write for a few minutes
Body
Yoga
Hooping
Green Juice
Warm Beverage
Pilates
Soul
Yoga
The 5 Tibetans
Reading journal prompts, writing
Sketching, Art
Meditation
3. What of your list are non-negotiable daily things? Make sure to include them
Do you feel lost without a morning Coffee? Green Juice? Yoga session? Whatever your daily needs are, they are first priority. Make sure you include them, and give them some love. For me? I absolutely must check my Trello board (project management software that rocks my face off) and consume a tasty warm beverage. Coffee, warm lemon water, or tea. Doesn’t matter which one, but I need a warm kickstart to my morning.
4. Do your daily non-negotiables fill up the quota of Mind, Body, Soul? If not, what’s missing? Notice for overlap
For me, a warm beverage takes care of some of my needs, but not most of them. Adding checking my calendar/reading over my Trello board that is pretty awesome too. But that doesn’t take care of movement or the soul category. So I had to make sure to add something from the other columns….
5. Finally, piece it all together and do it everyday!
Mine is Warm Beverage, The Five Tibetans, Trello, Write, Start my day!
I get up extra early so that I can enjoy the peace of the morning. I usually have a cup of warm lemon water, I drink a green smoothie every other day. I set an intention. Then I read and write a little bit, before getting started for the day. On the weekends my morning routine includes a morning walk as well.
I need to incorporate some stretching on weekday mornings as well… my body will be soooo happy!
Excellent post… you make creating a routine sound simple and easy, which is exactly what it needs to be in order to do it daily 🙂
Thanks for stopping in! I try to keep things simple, life is complicated enough no need to add to it! Good luck adding the stretching!!!!
My effective morning routine is 30min long…starts out with some tapping, seguing into my morning mood playlist..next dancing to said morning mood playlist..incorporate some loud sing along to morning mood list and usually by this time kids are ready to be dropped off at school..the after school drop off is the quiet portion of my morning when I check emails and facebook. Then its time to get to work! If I do all these things, I am sure to have a great day!
I love hearing about your morning routine! And now I want to add dancing to mine. 🙂
So good. Thank you Makenna! I often look at these huge involved morning routines that people on the interwebs talk about and think.. that’s more then I get done all day!! It always seemed too overwhelming and like hard work to me. I love your simplified version and I think I will be able to come up with something doable for me by using the same formula 🙂
🙂 I’m so glad you find it helpful! I think finding one’s perfect routine is key, and that so much of the hype of these two hour mornings just isn’t feasible for mere mortals. 😉
Hi Makenna! I love this piece. Thank you! I find it hard to establish a regular, every day routine because I have a young child, so I am sometimes awakened earlier than usual/had a long night so want to sleep in more, etc… or, the morning routine with HER gets messed up because she is taking her time getting ready or whatever. I find that it is helpful to know my non-negotiables, and try to squeeze them in as I can if I am having an off-morning. Granted, the way to avoid this problem would probably be to get up earlier than my daughter every day, but that is not in the cards right now. 🙂 xoxo
I know this is an older post, but I was wondering if you could tell me where you find journal prompts? I love writing, and sometime a good prompt is just what I need to combat writer’s block. Thanks!
Anna! I apologize for missing this comment.
I actually write my own prompts! Or if I am stuck I do a quick google for writing prompts and find something that tickles my fancy. (Also I really really like Write Alm’s writing prompts and Alexandra Franzen has some good ones too)