OK I’m getting real with you this week…
There’s lots of talk these days about morning routines…some people swear by them, while others can’t seem to stick with them.
I want to get more real with you than I ever have before. So, the truth about morning routines, at least from what I’ve found, is: they work for some people and they don’t work for others. It’s that simple!
Now, if you’re resisting one, maybe that means you need it. You might be selling yourself short by just believing you can’t be a morning person. Commit to doing it for a week and see if your resistance starts to fade.
Or maybe you love to plan everything and do everything “perfectly,” so rigidity is your roadblock when it comes to your morning routine. There’s no wiggle room and you force and push yourself to follow it, even if it’s not totally serving you.
If you’re going to beat yourself up or be an all-or-nothing person, then a morning routine might not be for you.
I love the term Dan Harris uses in Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, when he says he practices meditation “daily-ish.” That means he doesn’t beat himself up if he misses sometimes. But as often as possible, he tries to do it.
This is the healthy medium I believe we can all apply to our morning routine. We know the basics of what we want to do and we do it most of the time, but we don’t beat ourselves up if we can’t do it ALL the time.
I don’t have the exact same morning routine every day. The one where I flourish the most is when I go to bed at 9:30 and get up at 5:30. This really sets me up to have a great morning.
I cherish the time from 5:30 to 9:30, I really need that time for me, before I start my workday. I use it for reading and journaling and meditation. It’s incredible. And it makes me feel my absolute best.
In the past, when I’ve let work slip into that time, and I didn’t feel like I was thriving or flourishing.
I’ve now decided that for 2020 this morning time is important and I need it for me. My workday starts at 9:30 and before that, I get to enjoy my morning and fill it with things I know support me and the life I want to live.
So, what is my morning routine? Well, it varies every day!
Monday morning is Tobi time. Every Monday, I go to the gym at 10:30am. A lot of people think they can’t do that in the middle of the day, but I changed that belief and it’s been amazing. And every other week, for the past 10 years, I’ve gotten my nails done on Monday morning at 8:30am.
I don’t start my work day until 1pm when I have my team meeting. On the weeks when I don’t have a nail appointment, I’ll spend those 2 hours in my bed, starting my day more slowly with coffee, journaling, meditating and doing a project that’s important that I want to get done before I even open my email.
Most people think they have to hit the ground running on Monday to be productive. Well, I’ve found the opposite to be true! What I’ve found is I’m healthier, more productive and kinder to myself when I allow myself to ease into Mondays, to do things for me, to start the week off with self-care, with “me” time, with health and wellness time. And I truly don’t start my day on Monday, from a work standpoint, until 1pm.
On other days, I designed my morning routines around my favorite chair in my living room, and in the winter, I turn on the fireplace.
I make my favorite bulletproof coffee in my favorite mug and have my favorite journal and favorite blanket to cuddle in and I head from the bed to that chair and am so happy to start my quiet “me time” here Tuesday-Thursday if I’m not traveling or out of town.
I call this space my “Idea Incubator” and often, this is when ideas start flowing and I take lots of notes that I can refer back to later when I’m working.
And then there are Fridays. They are my favorite and every other Friday is massage day in my yoga and massage room at 8:30 am. My therapist Julianne comes to me and 90 minutes of bliss ensues. So before she arrives, the time between when I wake up which is typically between 5:30 and 6:30 depending on my bedtime the night before (I need my 8 hours y’all) and the time she arrives, is filled with journaling, reading and coffee. No need for meditation those days, because Julianne does a guided meditation during the first 10-15 minutes of my massage. It’s incredible.
Another big part of my mornings is making sure my daughter has everything she needs for the day during the school year and making sure we all eat a healthy breakfast–well let me be honest…mine is healthy, my family leans towards more carbs and sugar than me. But I make sure we are fed and organized and I can head into the day knowing everyone has what they need.
I typically have a smoothie every morning, but let’s get real friends, a smoothie is definitely not enough to keep me full til lunch. I’m literally hungry ten minutes later—so yes, I love that I get all my fruits and veggies, but this Southern girl has to have some bacon too!
For me, along with my smoothie, it’s bacon or eggs or both, maybe an omelet, something full of protein that I can pair with my smoothie to keep me full until lunch.
Most days, I try to journal, spend some “me” time, eat a nutritious meal, and maybe work out or tackle a project that needs my full attention before I get into emails. I’ve followed this routine now for years and the key is: I let myself be flexible with it.
Some days, I get everything I want to do done, and I start my workday feeling fresh and ready to go. Other days, it doesn’t look that way. But the key for me is consistency and self-love. I never beat myself up and I know that there’s always tomorrow to try again.
So tell me, how do you feel about morning routines? What works for you?
xo,
P.S. If you want help designing your days, I created a DesignYou Blueprint that you can download right now for free to get you started! This will help you create a morning routine that works for you and more. Get your free copy here.
