I am not an early bird by nature. But as a working mom, I’ve found that early mornings provide the best opportunity for me to make time for my writing. So I hacked my knowledge of habits and routines to create a morning routine that allowed me to make time for what’s important to me.
Chances are, if you’re a mom, a simple morning routine could help you make space for your priorities too.
What Is A Morning Routine?
The word routine isn’t magical. Calling a frenzied, overly ambitious morning schedule a routine doesn’t make it one.
By definition, a routine is simply a sequence of actions regularly followed. That means a morning routine is a sequence of actions you regularly follow in the morning.
The more important question is what actions do you want to follow regularly in the morning? There’s not a right or wrong answer here. You get to decide what goes on your list.
Want to eat breakfast? You can add that to your routine (although I should also point out that there are steps you can take the night before to set yourself up for success here).
Want to read more? You can decide to include 15 minutes of reading in your morning routine.
Want to savor your coffee? You could make that part of your morning routine.
Making My Mornign Routine A Reality
For my morning routine, I knew I wanted to write regularly, so I created a routine around that. While I had to think about the steps in my routine those first few weeks, now I don’t even have to think about what to do next. It’s automatic.
When my alarm goes off, I think about the day ahead and how I need to show up. Then I get dressed in something comfortable, brush my teeth, and make a cup of green tea. While I brush my teeth, I do a set of standing leg lifts, and while I wait for my tea, I drink a big glass of water, put away clean dishes, and do a set of squats. Then I’m ready to head downstairs to start writing.
When I walk through my office door, I pause to remind myself that I’m here to do my best writing and work. Then I sit down and get to it.
Morning Routines Are Flexible And Personalized
My morning routine has shifted since the homeschool year ended. I was able to extend my writing time and move my walk from later in the day to immediately after I finish writing. Yes, you can change a routine. The routine is there to serve you, not the other way around.
When you have a simple morning routine that works for you, it gives you more bandwidth for your priorities because you don’t have to think about making it happen.
You also get to decide what does or doesn’t go in it.
Writing might not be your priority. Maybe you want to exercise, pray, paint, or take care of a household chore so that you have more time in the evening.
Create Your Morning Routine
Think about what your ideal morning would look like and build a routine around it. It’s okay if Tuesday has a different routine than Friday. You get to design the routine that works for you, and you get to change it if it’s not working.
Don’t overthink this. What is your ideal morning, and what is the first step you can take toward making it a reality?
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