When I think of “morning routine,” the first thought that comes to mind are all the repetitive tasks that I do in the first few hours of the day. Brush my teeth, shower, wash my face, get dressed, make breakfast, etc. These don’t necessarily always happen in order — they are usually habitual, and honestly can often seem a little monotonous. But boring isn’t exactly a motivating way to start the day, now, is it? In an attempt to shake things up, I decided to begin reimagining what my morning routine could look like.
After sitting on this idea for a few weeks, I knew that a pretty checklist made with colorful pens in a cute new notebook or planner wasn’t going to cut it this time. In the past, I tended to focus on material items that I thought would make me feel more energized or productive in the morning, like owning the perfect planner. So, I dove deeper this time and broke my mornings down into sections, and then assigned each section a word that I consider motivational. After several iterations, I came up with a formula to help myself create a more impactful and exciting morning routine. Under the categories are the tasks that I consider essential and motivating for me personally.
The Reimagined Morning Routine Formula
Wake Up + Energy + Focus + Empower + Action
Wake Up
Ask yourself: What do you need to feel awake in the morning? For me, feeling hydrated and getting out of that early morning fog by putting in my contacts and stretching makes me feel more awake.
- Drink a full glass of water
- Put in contacts
- Stretch
Energize
What do you need to feel energized? This is the category with the most tasks listed under it for me, and it is also where I am most likely to get derailed in my routine. I’m a mom to a toddler, and sometimes showering and doing my hair and makeup in the morning just doesn’t happen.
- Eat a handful of berries
- Shower
- Wash my face
- Get dressed
- Eat breakfast
- Do hair and makeup
Focus
What do you need to feel focused? It is really helpful for me to take a few minutes to review my calendar and to write down realistic priorities for the day. I try to include at least one thing on my list to ensure I make myself a priority at some point in the day, whether that’s with exercise, scheduling a break from work, looking over my finances, etc.
- Write priorities for the day in my pretty planner
- Glance at my calendar, email, etc.
Empower
What do you need to feel empowered? I feel empowered when I remind myself that I am a strong and capable woman, who also likes to have a lot of fun. I love a good mantra, and I also love listening to motivating music.
- Say a mantra out loud
- Listen to music, and maybe add in a little dancing
Action
Honestly, this can be the hardest part, but if I set myself up to take that first action step, it feels easy. It actually helps sometimes if I say things out loud. “Pick up the phone and make the call!” “Get your shoes on and start the car!”
Depending on my schedule, here are a few lines that could land here:
- Make the call
- Get in the car
- Write the email
Make it Personal
It’s important to remember that this is my custom formula, and yours may look completely different. For me, I like to consciously make the effort to wake up both my mind and body to start out on a positive note. Feeling put together gives me a confidence boost and makes me feel energized. Setting realistic goals for my day makes me feel less overwhelmed and more focused. Allowing myself to speak my truth with a mantra and get inspired by music makes me feel empowered. And lastly, taking that first step to act on the things I want to accomplish is probably the hardest for me, but when I start the day off putting myself first, it makes it easier to put it all in motion.
In all transparency, just because I created this new routine for myself does not mean that I have it perfected, nor that I do everything listed above every day. My two-year-old son, Mason, comes first. He is my priority and things don’t always go as planned, but in creating this formula, I gave myself a new sense of direction and added a little excitement back into my morning routine.
Everyone’s life is so different, and every woman is different, so when it comes to your personal routine, do what’s right for you. There are a million articles, posts, and videos out there about morning routines and also products that help keep you on track, but when it comes down to it, think about what you need instead of checking off someone else’s boxes.
Very well written. You provoked me to think about my morning routine with setting goals and priorities for my day. Most importantly, you made me think about adding something I can do for myself. Often times we overlook the need to refresh ourselves. Lastly, you hit the nail on the head with your closing statement, “… but when it comes down to it, think about what you need instead of checking off someone else’s boxes.”
Thank you for sharing your insights.