The Morning Routine

Early in life, I was one to stay in bed until the last minute, getting up only to get where I needed to go on time.  I would not have described myself as a morning person. However, I did notice that when I would awaken, on rare occasion, to watch the sun rise, I really enjoyed the moment. Later, I learned how valuable the morning can be.

Perhaps the first point to be made about the value of morning is that successful people are productive while others are still in bed. Getting more done leads to a greater sense of accomplishment and greater achievement.

Secondly, getting up a little bit earlier allows the time to organize the day, to think about what is on the To Do List and to schedule those things, or to review what has already been planned.  Starting the day with that organization means that much more will get done.

Another very important reason to value the early morning hours is that the time can be spent alone, contemplating life, working out solutions to problems, praying or meditating or engaging in some light activity, all for the purpose of getting the day off to a good start.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, early morning is a time to create and review goals.  One should have goals in all major areas of life.  Reviewing them on a daily basis keeps them in the forefront of your mind so that your mind will continue to create the paths to success in all of those areas.  Happiness is knowing that your life is moving in the directions that you have chosen and planned, that goals are being achieved, and that your life is what you want it to be.

My morning routine on most days is to awaken around 5:00.  Coffee is ready in the automatic coffee maker that I set the night before as a part of my bedtime routine.  I sit in my recliner drinking coffee and letting my brain wake up.  Within 30 minutes I am feeling alert, and then I begin a review of my To Do List and the goals in each area of my life.  The areas are spiritual, physical, family, financial, recreation, career and personal development.  Those areas plus the To Do List are arranged in Google docs in outline form, constituting 8 files. While I do not review each file in a deeply contemplative way every day, I do it often enough to know that I am well organized and achieving what I have designed my life to do.

Then I go about cleaning myself up and getting ready for the rest of my day according to what I have scheduled for that day. Some days are more structured and some less structured.  Sunday is still a day of rest.  But I really enjoy my morning routine.

How can you build a strong morning routine? Plan time to contemplate your life, allowing your mind to work on solutions to problems or goals to be achieved.  Include prayer or meditation or some form or relaxation to get your day started in a less stressful way.  You will want to make a list (or lists) of what you want to do, putting those tasks on a schedule, and prioritizing the most important things first. Include a joyful attitude, a willingness to work hard, and a choice to stay on schedule. It sounds complicated, but it can be done in less than an hour each day, if you are patient and realize that it does not all have to be done at once.  If fact, while it is a routine, it is also a process that is different from day to day. Think of it as a skill that you are learning, and then build it into whatever works for you. After all, you are the captain of your ship, and you need the time to stay organized and balanced, and to take care of yourself.

Consider waking up earlier than you have been, getting your day started with a much more meaningful and productive routine.  It is what successful people do.