5 steps to a life-changing morning

One of the most important habits you can establish for happiness and success is an intentional morning routine. Not having one is like getting into your car for a road trip and not using a map. How do you get where you’re going if you don’t have directions?

We all know that our daily habits; including how we spend the first hour of our day, are pivotal to our happiness, health and success, so we don’t need to belabor ourselves there. The way you wake up sets the tone for the rest of the day. Got it.

Why then is it hard for us? We KNOW that it’s in our best interest to be intentional. We even really WANT to change our habits, but then time and again; we fail to stick with our healthy routines long term. And then comes the worst part, when we shrug our shoulders and give in. We pile feelings of failure onto our proverbial plates… and nobody wants to eat THAT for breakfast! It’s no wonder we’d rather hit the snooze button! But ultimately what you’re doing is hitting the snooze button on your happiness and success. So, this is important to figure out! We know this! But it’s HARD too…right?

Nope. It does not take discipline or strength or willpower to create and maintain healthy habits. It just takes some mental housekeeping. So, that’s the little secret I want to share with you. Your routines have to FEEL GOOD if you’re going to do them long term. This is your ticket to get off of the “struggle bus” my friend! I’m going to show you how to get from scattered and unfocused to calm and centered. Sound good?

I will share FIVE STEPS for you to design your very own blissful morning routine that you will actually look forward to. And because you’ll stick with it day after day, it will become an integral part of YOU LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE. And that’s what we’re after here, right?!

First, we’ll set an anchor, then we’ll do some mental housekeeping because we really do keep all kinds of junk in our brains that needs to get swept out! We’ll set priorities that fit easily into your morning and most importantly; we will make sure it’s FUN! Now, that’s something worth getting out of bed for!

Please note: Feel free to read through the steps below first, but please understand that this process will only work if you take the time to reflect and answer the questions. When you’re ready, you’ll just need about 30 minutes, a pencil and a notebook.

Step One: What’s your WHY?

You need to get clear on why you want an intentional morning routine. This will be an anchor for you when you’re tempted to hit snooze. Your WHY is the foundation which you will build upon, so it needs to be more solid than, “because I should”. Jot down a few answers to these questions to help guide you.

· An Intentional Morning Routine is important to me because…

· When I have been successful about doing an intentional morning routine, my day is…

(if you haven’t been successful yet…you’re in the right place! Just write down how you think your day would be different…)

· I want to create a morning routine that feels/makes me feel…

Step Two: What is your current morning routine?

Take an honest look at how you’re spending the first hour of your day currently. Whether you realize it or not, you already have a morning routine by default! Maybe it involves hitting the snooze button a few times? How long does it take until the soft glow of your phone is illuminating your face while you scroll social media or the news?…you know…“for just a minute”. Do you feel rushed or like you’re racing against the clock towards the end? And most importantly, how do you feel when you’re ready to start your big awesome day of adulting? Do you arrive to your life centered, calm and nourished? What are you spending your time on that isn’t beneficial or can be tended to later in your day? Take a few minutes to honestly assess what your current routine is; every minute of it and write it down.

Step Three: What’s important to YOU to include in your mornings?

I recommend considering habits in terms of how they support your WHOLE SELF; mind, body and spirit. I personally do my best in life when I feel nourished in all three of those areas before I start my day.

· What elements and activities are essential to your morning routine?

· What habits will support you showing up for your life as your best self?

If it helps, take a look at this list to get your brain going.

· Yoga/Stretch

· Exercise/Movement

· Breathing exercises

· Nourishment: Drink water or tea, eat a healthy breakfast, take supplements

· Gratitude

· Get organized and focused: review your schedule, prioritize your to do list

· Journal

· Read

· Nature Fix: water a plant, step outside for a deep breath, feel the sun on your face

What on this list resonates or calls to you? What’s missing for you? Your morning routine should include things that make your heart smile. Also, pay attention to any habits that feel necessary but have some negative mental “junk” around them such as exercise, prayer, meditation, etc. Just allow yourself to witness any negative feelings that come up around morning habits that you feel are necessary but also resist, and we’ll peek at the “why” behind it without judgment here in a minute.

Step Four: Only do things in a way that feels good.

Yep, you heard that right. You will not faithfully continue a habit if don’t enjoy yourself while you’re doing it. It’s as simple as that! Willpower is a “fair weather friend” who isn’t going to show up for you every morning, so let’s just bypass our need for it, shall we?! It seems that somewhere along the way, we accepted that healthy habits not only can but maybe even should involve suffering and sacrifice! It’s no wonder we fail to stick to habits that are fueled by messages that tell us we need to struggle. Remember the whole “No Pain, No Gain” mantra popularized in the 1980’s? If you find yourself bucking up against habits that feel like a miserable ride in the “struggle bus”, please do yourself a favor and ditch any harmful messages you have been dragging around all this time. Write down any habits you have typically wanted to do but don’t stick to and see if you can peak at any negative beliefs/messages lurking behind the scenes.

Imagine what it would feel like if you took the “punishment” factor out of your healthy habits. Imagine how liberating it would be if you moved your body only in ways that felt amazing? What if eating healthfully was full of delight and pleasure? What if you ditched the “right way” to meditate or pray (or any other habit that currently feels uncomfortable in any way) and did it in a way that felt right for you? I’m going to bet you’d look forward to doing all of those things every day!

Step Five: Make it fit and make it stick.

Now that we know what’s important, why it’s important and we’ve freed ourselves from harmful messages that suck the joy out of our days, we’re ready to put this into practice! Figure out how much time you can reliably spend on your routine each day. Whittle each habit down to a time frame that adds up to what you can manage daily. Yes, daily. You are much better served by a healthy habit done daily for a short time, than one that gets avoided, skipped and postponed because it’s overwhelming or cumbersome. (please refer back to step four if you’re getting tripped up here with things like, “but I really need to exercise for a full hour to make it worth it!”)

Put everything on a list that’s easy to refer to right out of bed. There are many helpful apps out there, but a piece of paper with a hand-written list will suffice just fine to start and it may be helpful to not have your phone in your hand as you start your day!

Tip: Take a habit you would never skip (i.e. brushing your teeth, drinking a cup of coffee, etc) and put it as the FIRST thing on your routine. Getting started is often the hardest part, so this is a great way to trick the part of you who wants to resist. You’ll be on your way before your inner cynic even wakes up!

You’re ready! It’s just a few pivots in your mindset and you’re on your way! Now watch your life open up in beautiful ways when the first thing you do every morning is invest in arriving to your day calm, centered and nourished.ed.