How to Make A Morning Routine That Works For You
I LOVE PLANNING MORNING ROUTINES.
Yes, maybe I am crazy. Okay, I’m crazy. But here’s the deal: I’m a morning person, and I LOVE planning. So planning morning routines are probably one of my favorite activities, like ever.
But seriously. Morning routines are so important. That’s why SO MANY PEOPLE share their morning routine, tips on what to do in the morning, etc. Your morning routine sets the pace of your day - and a bad morning often means a bad day.
But if you are anything like me, you’ve probably seen lots of morning routines that honestly just DON’T work for you - like who has a consistent morning, 3-4 hours to kill, and no distractions like roommates or pets or kids around??? As a full-time software developer AND small business owner, I don’t have much room for any sort of routine in my mornings, so I totally get it.
That’s why I’m here to help. When I saw all these morning routines, I realized the real need - people needed help making a UNIQUE routine to work in their schedule. So I did some research and found out the steps to take to make a routine that WORKS for you! And here they are below:
Make a list of everything you NEED (no negotiation) and WANT (would be nice) to do - separated in two columns. For instance, I NEED to journal/meditate/do a devo to center my mind and then get dressed/ready for the day, and I WANT time to exercise.
Now, take a look at that NEED column. Start listing out the steps for each of those activities. For getting dressed, I need to shower, pick out my outfit, go through my skin routine, do my hair/makeup, and brush my teeth. For my devo/journal/meditation time, I need to make sure I have all the tools I need (notebook, pen, Bible, etc) and a place to do it. Kind of tedious - but worth it!
Next, look at those steps you just wrote out and SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO THE NIGHT BEFORE (or even on the weekend)! I try to plan my outfits at the beginning of the week so I don’t stare in my closet every morning, looking for something to wear. And I usually choose a Bible plan to walk through before the morning, so I don’t distract myself with my phone when I’m not sure what to do.
Okay, so now that you have the NEED list a little more simplified, take a look at your morning and start SCHEDULING. You can put all of the activities in a row at first, just to see how much time it will take you. And yes, put specific time estimates with each activity - and give yourself some extra “grace space” since mornings can be hard :)
Now that you’ve laid out your NEEDs, you can now jump into that WANT column. Pick those things that may be priorities for you (working out, writing, etc.) and see what you can fit in your schedule. You might even find you want to wake up a bit earlier to fit something in, like working out - well do it! This is totally up to whatever works best for you.
Mornings can be tough, I know it too well. But once you start sticking to a morning routine that you can appreciate, things will get a little easier, and you will probably feel a TON better about yourself and your day :) Go get planning!!!
