Establishing an Essential Morning Routine: Part II

How we start our morning sets the tone for our entire day.  It’s no wonder that when asked, most people say their unique vision for their ideal life includes some sort of a more purposeful, consistent morning routine.  

Whether you consider yourself to be a morning person or not, this 2-part blog series was designed to help create a framework for making the most out of those critical early hours of the day.  Last week focused on tips + strategies for waking up earlier.  Today is all about structure + activities to include in our morning routine.

This time at the beginning of the day is highly personal and can encompass a number of activities.  Some people prioritize prayer/meditation; others, perhaps journaling or planning out the day ahead.  Many of us know that if we don’t work out first thing in the morning, we won’t get our exercise in during the day at all.  

There is actually a trademarked approach that takes all six of the most effective morning habits and combines them into one all-encompassing practice:  The Miracle Morning™. 

Our life is made up of the following parts:

• Physical: body, health, energy

• Intellectual: mind, intelligence, thoughts

• Emotional: emotions, feelings, attitudes

• Spiritual: spirit, soul, God

A common phrase I use when talking KonMari® + home organizing is:  our outer world is a reflection of our inner world.  When we focus on the above areas and work to change our inner world, our outer world improves in parallel.  

I was introduced to the Miracle Morning™ in 2017.  Exhausted with a newborn and toddler and feeling overwhelmed with no time for myself in the day, I finally decided something needed to change.  That year, I requested from my husband an invaluable birthday present:  TIME.  He gladly made it happen.  For the entire month of November, I had the morning hours before 7AM entirely to myself.  I committed to a minimum 30 days to establish a new morning routine, and he committed to giving me uninterrupted time in solitude every morning.  

To this day, my morning practice continues (more dedicated in some seasons, less so in others), making this the most precious gift anyone has given me.  

So what makes this so special?  You know the Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual aspects of our life?  The Miracle Morning™ is a practice that nurtures each of these areas through a series of six daily habits.

Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (writing). 

Let’s break it down:

Silence:  Purposeful silence is one of the most powerful tools for improving our fast-paced, over-stimulated lifestyle.  Beginning each day with calm, clarity, and peace of mind helps us to prepare and stay focused on what’s most important in our life.  There’s no one right way to spend time in silence, but here are a few suggestions:

• Meditation

• Prayer

• Reflection

• Deep breathing

• Focus on gratitude

Affirmations:  This habit allows us to design + develop the proper mindset for achieving our vision for our ideal life.  Our words are powerful.  We can actively design and write out affirmations to be in alignment with what we want to accomplish in life.

Many tools exist to help create and write affirmations.  I personally love and use a book by Louise Hay called Heal Your Body. 

Visualization:  Visualization is the process of imagining exactly what we want to achieve or attain, and then mentally walking through what we need to do in order to make it happen.  

My visualization practice has changed over the years.  I’ve used it to envision goals I’d like to achieve and the steps I need to take in order to achieve them.  Currently, I simply use this portion of my morning to plan the day ahead and write out a brief schedule and to-do list.  Many people create vision boards and focus on them during this time.  Do what works for you!

Exercise:  When we exercise for even a few minutes every morning, we boost our energy, health, confidence, and emotional well-being.  Just adding 10-20 minutes of movement first thing in the morning is helpful.  Consistent exercise is key for maintaining good health and increasing energy and we incorporate exercise into our morning routine, we accomplish it before our day has the chance to wear us out.  We put ourselves and our health first. 

Reading:  This is an immediate method for acquiring knowledge, ideas, and strategies for achieving our unique vision for our ideal life.  Learn from the experts. Commit to reading a minimum of 10 pages/day in a book relevant to what’s going on in your life, a goal you’d like to achieve, or a subject you’d like to learn.

Scribing:  By getting our thoughts out of our head and putting them in writing, we gain valuable insights we’d otherwise never see.  

Keeping a journal allows us to make gratitude a daily habit, gain clarity, document ideas, review lessons, and acknowledge progress in life. 

You can customize and personalize every aspect of your morning routine to fit your lifestyle.  Here's a quick snapshot of how I structure mine: 

• Silence:  10 minutes

• Affirmations:  3 minutes

• Visualization:  5 minutes

• Exercise:  20-40 minutes*

• Reading:  20 minutes

• Scribing:  10 minutes

NOTE: On the days I run, I save exercise for last.  On the days I don't run, I do only 20 minutes of low impact stretching.   

If you've been looking to create or switch up your morning routine, the suggestions above are intended to be a starting place.  You can customize as you see fit.  I do encourage you to give yourself 30 days to establish this as a new habit. Click here to grab a copy of a customized habit tracker. Simply print it out, fill it in, and keep it in a place you can see it each day.