Today I am going to share with you my journey in creating a Morning Routine.
In addition, I would like to share how it has positively affected me by providing a solid foundation to the start of my day.
I share this in hopes that you too create a unique Morning Routine to benefit your productivity.
How I Found Morning Routine that Worked for Me.
“Hello! My name is Procrastination and I am here to disturb your goals.” My distracted thoughts whisper, leading me off the path of completing the task at hand.
I will admit I am a HUGE procrastinator, always have been. I’ve always said…
“I work best under pressure” and “I am more productive when the clock is ticking.”
Let me say, What a load of bologna!
My procrastination is a disguise for my laziness. Yep, I said it, Laziness.
I am here to be real with y’all, some days are really good, productive. Others, I can barely muster the strength to do last night’s dishes.
For years, I would kick my own ass after failing to deliver a goal I had set forth.
I’ll give you an example. One year, I vowed to write a journal entry every day.
The first couple of weeks, I wrote. Then surely I started missing days. I would go to write and see that the last entry was 2 weeks ago and my thoughts would start attacking me.
“You suck.” “You can’t even do a simple task like write in your journal.” Why do you suck so bad?” etc.
On and on these negative thoughts would inhabit my mind throughout the day.
This happened with many goals. I would set a goal, fail to deliver, and the negative self-talk cycle continued.
I was failing myself, not only from the incomplete goals but from the inner language I was developing.
Thus, I began upon a quest for inspiration on how to break this cycle.
The Importance of a Morning Routine:
What kept coming up, was developing a Morning Routine. I shook this off as I believed I already had a routine in place.
Certain things must be done in the morning to get ready for the day. For example, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, etc. I considered those to be a part of my “routine”
EMany mornings I’d snooze my alarm for 10-20 extra minutes and then scramble to leave the house on time.
The worst thing is to leave the house in a hurry, and realize you have forgotten something important. I have left my phone, my lunch, an important document, a jacket, the list goes on.
Running late, realizing halfway to my destination I’d forgotten said item, I’d have to turn around and become even later. Proceeding to curse in the car, I was not existing in peace nor harmony.
This is no way to live and a change needed to take place!
How to Prioritize for Effective Morning Routine:
The first thing I did was evaluate what my morning consisted of. What needed to be done, what I would like to do and the time that was allotted for those to happen.
What I came up with looked something like this:
Need to Do
Brush Teeth/Wash Face/Style Hair
Get Dressed
Make Bed
Brew Coffee/Tea
Set up work/school bag (lunch, drinks, snacks)
Eat Breakfast
Clean
Laundry
Want to Do
Yoga/Meditation
Journal
Read/Write
Play Piano
Paint
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First, let’s take a look at these lists for a moment. Now that it’s written out, it’s easier to assess the time frame needed to accommodate mostly everything.
Next, notice if there are any [Need to Do] tasks that are taking more time than [Want to Do]
If so, perhaps choose an option to set a timer and see if there is a way to complete with more efficiency.
Now, we have freed up more time to focus on [Want to Dos]
These are creative, fun hobbies. Activities that bring light and joy into your soul. These are important.
How To Succeed:
Write down your own [Need to Do] and [Want to Do] list.
Post it somewhere you can see it, a bathroom mirror, fridge, somewhere in your sight.
Take a look and see if you can find an area that needs balancing. Notice how you might arrange your time to accommodate all the things that are missing and matter to you in your life.
Use your list as a reference to stay on track and not become distracted by other things.
Don’t forget to take into account and give space for the routine of your loved ones, as you embark upon your unique routines side by side.
A Morning Routine is beneficial in many ways but most importantly it is a sacred time that sets you up for success in your day!
A routine creates space to begin each day in harmony and allows you the freedom to connect to your creativity!
I would love to hear how creating a Morning Routine has benefited you.
Please feel free to share by leaving a comment below.
Infinite Love to YOU!
Namaste,
Taylor