If you've been looking for ways to ground yourself in this chaotic world, be more productive with your time, or accomplish more and feel like you're reaching your full potential - then your morning routine seriously matters. Everyone's saying it and I'm going to say it again because it's true.
There's been times in my life of immense productivity and action on creative projects, and seasons of doubt, stagnancy and zero movement. Yes there are ebb's and flows to our lives, and I'm not pushing for hustle culture, but I do know that despite the seasonal changes of my energy and productivity, one thing remains the same. My ability to stick to a morning routine makes a world of difference when I'm trying to feel on top of my work and personal priorities, and feel my best physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
I'm not going to lie, I'm still working on my routine, it's nowhere near perfect. When I first started putting together my ideal morning routine, I had a 6:30am wake-up followed by 10 minutes of meditation, journaling, a morning beverage, and finishing up with some form of stretching, yoga or exercise.
For someone who's never had a stable gym routine, or any daily practice besides waking up and scrolling on my phone it wasn't the smoothest start. My initial attempt lasted 2, maybe 3 days until things started dropping off. I'd run out of time, skip activities promising to come back to them, and find myself losing motivation entirely. As a person who over thinks, and is hard on themselves I'd find myself mulling over my inability to keep the promises I made to myself. Then I'd neglect to try again, worried about failing all together.
But when I'd really forget about the morning routine and go back to waking up and scrolling, without setting intentions or taking quiet time - I'd actually find myself more irritable and unsatisfied than when I had taken the 10 to 20 minutes just to organize myself in the morning.
So I'd go back to pushing myself, trying to force the routine, but I'm only human. It's not realistic for me to wake up flawlessly every morning at the crack of dawn, or do the exact same exercises every morning. Just like we have to be adaptable at work, we need to practice the same flexibility with ourselves. I still strive to make time every morning for my routine, but that doesn't mean the routine always needs to look the same.
Your morning routine is absolutely essential, but it doesn't have to be concrete. As you change, your needs will change as well. Being soft, open and allowing ourselves to make the changes we need is worth the uncomfortability it involves.
Some days I wake up and i journal, some mornings i meditate, and on good days I'll get both done. But if I don't get it all done I do my best to be patient, instead of hard on myself. Sometimes I do none of the above and i opt for a walk outside, or just a nice place to sit. And that's okay. What I've come to realize, and hope you will too, is that no matter what it looks like your morning routine is essential. What you do at the beginning of your day sets your course for life. Choose wisely.
Comments