Habits and routines are tools that we can utilize to take away decision fatigue and set us up throughout the rest of our day. Having an intentional morning routine allows us to take care of ourselves before we get started with our day.
With morning routines, they don’t have to be crazy and extensive. They just need to matter to you. For me, my morning routine focuses on working out my mind and body. So I do things in the morning that focus on that.
Building and Intentional Morning Routine
Get honest with yourself – what do you need to start your day off right? Are you someone like me who needs a slower morning or do you need a few quick things to get your day going? Do you want time to work on your business or hobby or do you want quiet moments to yourself before you kids get up?
Morning routines are a tool for us to use to set us up to have the most intentional day. The best part about a morning routine- it is up to you to create it to your needs. We don’t have to follow an influencer’s morning routine that is 3 hours long. In the same mindset, we don’t have to do what we’ve always done just because that’s how it has been.
Our morning routine is supposed to grow and change with us as we grow and change.
Using PEACEful Goals to Change Your Morning Routine
When I need a change in my morning routine, I fall back on my PEACEful goal-setting strategy to make it happen. I pick an area to change and work backward. Do I need more time to complete this task? How long before I want this to be a habit? Which habit can I stack it onto?
If I need more time in my morning routine for a task I make sure I wake up earlier. However, If I’m currently getting up at 6 am and need to be up at 5:20 am for my routine- I don’t do that on day 1. Slowly day by day or week by week I wake up 10-15 minutes earlier so my body can adjust without being in shock so I can adjust to it without feeling the fatigue.
PEACEful Goal Setting is a strategy that holds your values, vision, and purpose at the core of the goal. Whether the goal is implementing a habit, starting a business, or making home improvements; the purpose behind why we’re doing the things we’re doing matter and are what keep us going. So when my alarm goes off earlier and I’m tired, I still get up because of why I’m making a change.
Want more info on PEACEful Goal Setting? You can read more about the strategy or grab my free workbook!
Habit Stacking Your Morning
Habit Stacking is another strategy to build an intentional morning routine. Habit stacking is a way of pairing new with old habits so we don’t have to think as much about what we are doing. It helps with decision fatigue throughout the day but also helps make things muscle memory.
For example, when I wanted to bring reading back into my morning routine I made sure to note in my journal what chapter I was reading. Doing that made me make sure I had the book and had opened the book so I could start reading. You might even have your book sitting next to a light so that when you turn the light on, your book is right there. My dogs know when I make my coffee, they get fed. They’ve associated that habit with getting fed.
Sticking to A New Routine
For me, this is sometimes the hardest part of anything new that I’m implementing. It is hard to kick old habits. If you’ve tried new habits and didn’t stick with them- it’s okay. We are only human and nothing we do is perfect (even if we want it to be).
New habits and routines require determination from us to stick with them. This is why I use PEACEful goals, the purpose. of the goal is always at the forefront of them. When the purpose or the why is clear, it gives me motivation to keep going, even if it gets challenging.
When I find it challenging to keep going with a routine or habit, I always look back at my “why”. Have my priorities changed? Is this goal/habit still meaningful to me?
If it isn’t clear or meaningful anymore, it is okay to stop doing it. We’re only on this Earth for a small time so let’s spend it doing things that are meaningful to us.
As our life changes, our priorities will too. There’s no reason to continue with a habit you started in college if it doesn’t make sense in your life anymore now that you have a family.
Purpose in Your Morning Routines
Why you are doing a morning routine depends on you. There is no one size fits all for “the best morning routine”. I will never tell you that my way is the best way. It is just what works for me. The purpose of my routine is to give me moments to slowly wake up and relax before getting ready to work. I don’t love feeling rushed so I give myself time.
Intentional Morning Routine Ideas
- Reading
- Journaling
- Bible Time
- Workout
- Coffee/Tea
- Gratitude
- Breakfast
- Cleaning
These are all just things you can do- but don’t have to. It all depends on your purpose behind choosing each one. For me a warm cup of coffee in the morning fills me up, a daily gratitude practice sets me up for the day, and journaling gives me time for myself and allows my mind to wake up. I value routines that are cozy and start me off on the right foot mentally.
What do you like to have in your morning routine? Let me know in the comments!
You can see my strategy in action over on Instagram.
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