Did you know that your morning routine can make or break your day?
Think about it. Do you ever have those days where everything feels like you’re behind, like nothing is going your way, and that you just feel frustrated and behind all day? It usually began first thing with your morning routine (or lack thereof).
My morning routine, while it varies a tad, has a few main things to ensure a smoother and more productive day. Of course there are rough days, kids have needs, or the baby wakes early. But by keeping focused on these three things, my days start off on the right foot.
So what’s my routine?
The first part of a good morning routine is what you DON’T do.
I hear often, I’m not a morning person, I can’t get up early. I need my sleep. Or I hear, I don’t have time for a morning routine, I have kids.
While I respect that. I also know that most of us wake up, reach for our phones and spend the first 20 minutes (or longer) scrolling instagram and Facebook, catching up on anything we may have missed while we were sleeping.
It’s time to eliminate this habit from your routine. You may have to keep your phone further from your bed. Or set up time limits on your phone as you practice this new habit in the beginning. But trust me. It’s worth it.
Start your morning by doing something for yourself or your business.
When you start your day with social media, you’re opening yourself up to imposter syndrome, the comparison trap, and just an overall time suck. While I believe social media is a great thing and a wonderful place for community, it is not meant to begin (or end) our days.
Instead, begin your morning routine by grabbing a journal and writing. (Did you catch my blog earlier on how journaling can help you find your business voice? I have three other tips on Four Ways to Find Your Voice for Your Business.) Let your creativity flow.
Read a daily devotional or another good book. Hop on the peloton and do some stretching and yoga. Or write a blog post, schedule your own social media posts (using something like Later so you’re not actually on social media). Just do something that either moves the needle in your business or fills your own cup before you enter the world.
It doesn’t have to take long, just 5-10 minutes. Then go wash your face, get the kids breakfast and begin your day.
The next step is to review your to do list and calendar.
Look at your calendar. Do you have any appointments, meetings, or commitments today? Then look at your to-do list and see where your priorities and focus needs to be. Do you have work time scheduled? What will you need to prepare before that time? Is it kid’s laundry day?
What 2-3 things are must dos for the day? Can you start tackling those things now? It might mean tossing in that kid laundry before taking the kids to school and coming back later to finish it. But that means you’ve started on your top tasks for the day before leaving the house.
By starting your day reminding yourself where your focus needs to be you can slow down, not multi-task yourself to death, and make sure you’re getting things done that you really need/want to get done that day.
That’s it.
Those are my two steps for a morning routine for a more productive day.
It may take a little time to get into the habit of not picking up your phone first thing, or by putting yourself and your business first. But try it. See how much that changes the flow of your day.
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