It Starts with a Morning Routine

Do you have a morning routine?

I mean a real, day inspiring routine filled with habits that move you forward.

My routine is simple. I get dressed and head downstairs for coffee, supplements and writing in my journal. I do a massive brain dump on the pages, in the quiet of the morning. If I have to go to work, I have to be done by 7. If I am on a break or day off, I don’t. But because of my habitual ways, I am.

I learned a long time ago that if I wanted to change my life and move forward with anything I would need to develop new habits first thing in the morning. I needed to set up my day for positive outcomes. I found a few tools to help me.

The book The Artists Way by Julia Cameron was the first helpful tool I had. I used the Morning Pages section to shape and encourage my morning writing and brain dump. I committed to 3 pages every morning for a year. Once I accomplished this goal, I kept the habit because it was extremely good for me.

I drink copious amounts of coffee and I use something creamy in them. I love my morning coffee. I drink until the pot is empty.

I pray or meditate- this looks different each time I do it. It depends on where I am sitting and what else I need to accomplish that day. It also depends on how long my list is of things I need to pray about. Some mornings I only pray. Some mornings I also meditate over scripture. It happens everyday in some form.

If I am driving, I listen to a podcast or scripture using one of the apps I have downloaded. Access More is a great app full of podcasts from artists and ministry leaders. K-Love is the radio station of choice and I use multiple Bible apps to listen to scripture.

If I am home, I read. I typically have 3-5 books on my to do list, with a couple in process. I read everything. I just take my time with some things when I want to glean more from the content.

There are other healthy habits I have gotten into such as being more intentional with simplifying our home and lifestyle, planning meals and budgeting. These will always we a work in progress for me because they are naturally hard to do.

I also make lists for everything I want to accomplish and I am really good at getting things done when there is a written list. Handwritten. On paper or a whiteboard. I just do better with something visual.

I also have a hardcopy planner and I love it! I try to put everything in it, including our budget. I carry it wherever I go, and I use it for tracking most things in our lives that need to be kept track of.

In the quest to be more organized, I have started to change how I keep things. Storage containers and vacuum bags have become part of our routine, and I like feeling like I can find things again. Even labeling things has become a blessing, though some may think its over the top.

At the end of the day, if establishing few healthy habits allows me to be a better wife, mom and friend, then I am all for it. Taking care of myself on this level has been beneficial for everyone around me and has proven to be a very healthy choice for my mind, spirit and body.

Xoxo,