We’ve all got the perfect morning routine in our minds. For me, I envision waking up without an alarm clock, spending a few minutes in meditation and journaling while sipping coffee, and getting in some exercise before starting my day.
While this sounds absolutely perfect, the reality is…This will very rarely happen perfectly. Everyone has their own reasons why their ideal morning routine doesn’t always happen. But, for me right now, it’s my precious pup.
She’s a little older and is requiring a lot more of my time and energy in the mornings. She requires a bath, being taken out, and a walk. You may be thinking, hey, at least you get some exercise with the walk, right?! Well…not exactly. Her idea of a walk is a .5 miles per hour meander around the neighborhood, which isn’t my idea of a good workout!
So, on my walk the other morning, I began thinking about how to adjust my mornings and still start them strong even when I don’t get all of my ideal morning items checked off. Here are the four things that I decided will help start your day strong even if things go awry…
● Schedule your Day Beforehand
To help establish a morning routine, take some time before bed to think through your next day. Can you build in some time to head for a morning walk or read some of your book while enjoying coffee? Is there room to shift things around so that you can make at least some of the morning routine must-haves a reality?
Think it through and schedule your day beforehand and you’ll instantly be in a better position for a calmer, more meaningful morning.
● Lay Out What you Need
After you schedule your day beforehand, lay out the necessities. Are you scheduling a run first thing in the morning? Go ahead and pick out your running clothes and lay them out with your socks and shoes. Think through and lay out everything you need. You’ll be amazed at how often you’ll follow through with your plan if you have less to think about the morning of!
● Take Action
Don’t think about it. As Nike says, “Just do it.” Once you’ve made the plan and have everything out that you need, take action. Don’t sit around thinking about it or keep hitting the snooze button.
Put yourself into autopilot, get your bum out of bed and hop to it! Your body and your mind will thank you for it!
● Dump Perfection
Be willing to do what you can. You’re not always going to have the perfect plan, and that’s okay. In the end, some is better than none when it comes to a strong start to your day with the ideal morning routine. If you become obsessive about your morning routine, there will come a point that not checking all the boxes will ruin your day. You’ll think about how you didn’t get everything in. Don’t waste your day worrying about what you couldn’t accomplish and focus on what you were able to accomplish!
Dump the perfection, accept yourself where you are, and start your day with the right mindset of forgiveness and grace!
When mornings aren’t perfect, there are always ways to start your day strong! If you take these steps, you’ll be even closer!If you want to hear more about starting your morning strong, be sure to check out episode 81 of the Fit is Freedom Podcast on “The Man Morning Myth”.