If you have read anything about feeling successful, you know that you must have a really good morning routine. It is important what time you get up, get out of bed, get dressed, drink a ton of water, eat, workout and then start the day so to speak.
Much of the advice I have heard over the years tells me to get up an hour or 2 before my family and jump out of bed when the alarm goes off, the alarm by the way, has been stashed in the other room so I have to get out of bed to get it, this is supposed to stop the snooze you lose syndrome.
Once all that is done you need to write in your journal and then review your top 3 goals and then the top 3 tasks that you must get done that day to consider yourself a real success.
This sounds like perfect advice for most people, but you and I are not most people.
I believe that in order to be successful with any type of routine you decide to put in place is that you need to take the tips and tricks you have learned and make them your own. For example, I will not be getting up at the crack of dawn before everyone else in my home because I usually do not go to bed until between 3:00 to 5:00 am. My family members are usually up around 7 am while I am just settling in for a nice long sleep.
For years I struggled to figure out how to wake up into a house full of people that are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, while I am trying to get the sleep out of my eyes and coffee into my body. I do not wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, like brewing a good cup of tea, I need to simmer a bit before I am ready.
But honestly, even if I could get up before everyone else, jumping out of bed and attacking my day immediately still doesn’t work for me. For a long time, I thought I just didn’t want a morning routine to work as I struggled to fit myself into the normal morning routines I read about and when it did not work, I would beat myself up.
I don’t want you to feel the same way about any routine you decide to put into place. While I know my suggestions will not work for most people, I have finally found a morning routine that works best for me and my family and hope that you too can find yours.
My reason for sharing is in hopes of helping you to find better routines to help you to be your best!
It has taken years for me to find what works today. I wake up when my body is ready, then after realizing the advice to drink a bottle or water first thing really helps with dehydration, I drink my water.
Then my biggest morning ritual is one spoonful of the most amazing honey, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon and apple cider vinegar mixture I discovered on Tik Tok, (OMG this really helps ladies if you have inflammation or pain which we all do – go to Google or Pinterest search under Turmeric Honey to find one that you like best)
Next, I have a hot cup of water and half a lemon, I am proud I have stuck with all of these for a good month or so and feel the impact.
Finally, my body is ready to enter more of my day and I take a hold shower and then alternate with cold water, this is a great way to get your body going as it moves the lymph in your system. After getting dressed I head outside with a cup of coffee to sit in the sun and get some good old vitamin D, this always lifts my mood.
Next, I do some jumping jacks and go for a run, right about now my husband should be laughing, just kidding, I hate to exercise, just wanted to see if you were still listening.
Then it really depends on my mood and mindset that day, sometimes I may feel like jumping right into housework and cleaning and organizing so I’ll do that first thing, for me clutter keeps me from feeling focused, so 10 times out of 10 the cleaning gets done first. I live in a small place, so 30 minutes is all it takes.
Unless there is something specific outside the home that I need to do next I look at my Google Calander to see what I put down to take care of today. Based on my mindset I will write something like this for you. If I am struggling to even think of writing I may play on Canva to create some images, that always works when I am in a creative mood or if I am feeling stuck or in a funk I may head to YouTube or Ted-x to feel inspired.
Grow your mind – take time for YOU
I may do some research about a new thought leader I had learned about recently (you have to check out Vishen Lakhiani under Mind Valley, he is my latest obsession and just the right person I need on my personal development journey), or I may watch a YouTube video or listen to a podcast while I do a bit of yoga. For me when I say yoga, I mean I pretty much stretch my tight muscles as I lay on the yoga mat.
Now I know that many of you may not have grown children or the time I have to enter the day as I choose to, but I encourage you to find ways to do this. I have 2 children; one is grown and off on his own and the other is about to turn 18 and still very under my feet. To find time quiet time I sometimes wear the most amazing noise cancelling earplugs. The brand is called Loop, while you can find them all over the place, I ordered right from the makers at Loop Earplugs
Silence the World – even if just for a little while
They start with the Quiet muffles background noise for $14.95, then Experience for $24.95 which is the pair I have, I can hear others, but it really quiets the loud sounds around me, then the Experience Pro for $34.95 that I plan to purchase next as I love total silence when I can get it. This has been the best way that I have found to quiet the world around me, I use it when we dine out or other loud events. I am not an affiliate; I just really love this product!
So that is the daytime routine, the nighttime formula continues to be a struggle.
This may not sound like any way for you to plan your day, but that is the point, it works for me, I get a lot done and when I follow this daily, I am in the best mindset for my day. You are not the same as anyone else, your family demands are different, your sleep and work schedule is different, you may have 5 children and I can’t even imagine how that routine works, but I bet you make it work. (Grab those earplugs, you can thank me later)
Don’t give up if continue to struggle with a morning funk and feel that you are falling behind. It took years of tweaking and small changes to find the morning routine that works best for me and my family. It is not about getting a to do list done or making everyone happy, it is about how you feel inside at the end of the day.
If you take one thing from my morning routine it is that you need to create one that works best for YOU and YOUR FAMILY and YOUR LIFE, and most importantly, if there is another human being that is old enough to make coffee and bring it to you without any issues, let them! May your day be blessed!
It is the little things that bring us joy like actually drinking your coffee while it is still hot!
If you have a routine that works well, please share and if you have a good nighttime routine to unwind at a late hour, let me in on your secret.
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