Build Strong Morning Routines
To live the life you want
Growing up my morning routine involved getting ready for school, packing a bag and chugging down a glass of milk but as I stepped into adulthood, my morning routine, as expected, evolved.
My routines have changed over time but one thing that has not changed are my 3 priorities:
- Physical Wellness
- Mental Wellness
- Creative Wellness
Little did I know, that the biggest trick in the 5 am club is also 20–20–20. That is 20 minutes for physical wellness, 20 minutes for reflection and mental well being and 20 minutes for learning.
So you spend first 60 minutes of your day doing the most important things you can do for yourself.
Not a bad bet, eh?
Why you should build a morning routine too?
Through the day, we have many distractions- from work, children, family, social media, our devices. Giving yourself those 60 minutes (minimum) helps put the gears of the day in the motion.
You can focus on your goals and priorities before the rest of the day has taken over your life.
You put yourself first, and you put yourself in charge.
I am a night owl, do I have to start waking up early to have a morning routine?
I would say, do not focus on the time of waking up, focus on what you do when you first wake up. I get up by 7 and focus on those 3 top priorities -Physical, Mental and Creative wellness. I move for 20 minutes, I meditate and write in my gratitude journal for 20 minutes and I either read or write for 20 minutes. You can do that too. Whether you wake up at 5 am or 10 am.
(The work hours may come in to the play and you may not have time to do those things. But that’s the sad reality of our world, it is not fair to the night owls. But thou shall not be desolate.
Find that 1 hour in a day when you can give your 100% to yourself! )
Okay, cool. I am on board! Tell me how to build my morning routine?
Building routines is a function of both habit science and perseverance. I rely on Habits Stacking, Habit Tracking and Bullet Journal to help me build my routines. You can either check those out and try it for yourself. Or you could try and test out what works for you. I came to Bullet Journal a little more than 3 years ago, and it works for me. You may be a person who prefers digital devices or excel sheets. Go ahead and use those to build your routines!
Whatever the medium, the principles of habit science remain the same. You have to find what works for you!
Things you should remember while building your morning routine
- Focus on PRIORITIES and stay away from social media and Emails.
- Find a quiet place that helps you focus.
- Be kind to yourself! It takes time to build any routine and to see change.
We are what we do. Give yourself that 1 hour in a day. You deserve it!
