If you're not a morning person like me, having a good morning routine will make getting out of your comfy bed a little bit easier.
My mornings either make or break my day. If I have an off morning, I will have an off day. There is no worse feeling than hitting the snooze button way many more times than you should have only to find yourself scrambling and flustered while trying to get out the door.
A lot of the times, starting your days off like this leads to unfortunate events or feeling like something is missing in your morning. There have been times where I've spilled coffee on myself because I was in too much of a rush to grab a coffee cup. I decided to bring my mug in the car and thought it was a good idea in the moment, then come to realize it wasn't when I had to go back and change my clothes when I took that sharp right turn.
Sounds exhausting right?
We've all had those mornings and we want to avoid them at all possible costs. Waking up a little bit earlier to give yourself some time to wake up and mentally prepare for the day is key.
Take care of yourself, there always should be the time in your morning to take care of yourself mentally and physically. Journal, exercise, or calm your mind. Do whatever makes you feel good or gives you a sense of satisfaction.
Doing the little things goes a long way
My favorite part of my morning is my music and coffee. I like to put on songs that make me happy and I make mindless activities such as brushing my teeth fun. Or maybe some days I need a few words of affirmation or encouragement. I will listen to audio books such as "The Power of Now", or podcasts depending on my mood. It helps me set an intention and focus on my day. There are a plethora amount of podcasts and books that you can listen to depending on your interests.
List goals you plan on completing throughout your day, but make them realistic. Start with the big tasks first, it will make your day more productive. There is nothing that is more satisfying as crossing completed tasks off a list.
Make a morning routine that will get you excited to start your day and do things that your future self will thank you for. Start by having a signature breakfast, picking out your outfit the night before, and setting up your coffee to be made in the morning. Take out some steps so you can focus your energy elsewhere for the rest of your day.
Making small decisions such as choosing what you want to eat or wear drains your energy for other tasks you need to accomplish for the day. This is called decision fatigue, if you make fewer decisions in the morning you will have the mental energy to put your focus elsewhere for the more important things.
The routines of the most successful people in the world don't try to change things too drastically about their routines. Variety is good but don't sweat over the small stuff.
Steve Jobs said in a commencement speech at Harvard in 2005:
"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."
Having a routine that you stick to will make your life so much easier and your mornings' something that you look forward to.
