My Morning Routine
Good morning people!
I hope you’ve rested enough today, and that you’re ready to attack your day. This post is just my way of sharing how I figured out what works best for me, so it might help you figure out the same. It’s important to say that you need to create your own perfect morning routine, the one that best suits your needs and goals. Make sure you only choose a few things and be proud of yourself when you do them. This is about you, not about comparing yourself to anyone else.
The reason I enjoy having a morning routine is that it holds me accountable, and it helps with accomplishing my goals. Mornings for me are sacred and they ensure that I take small steps towards my goals each day.
Without further ado;
This is my current morning routine, what works best for me, and is not considered to be a recipe for everybody. But if you find motivation or meaning in the things I do, please take them and rock your mornings with them.
My Morning Routine
Simplified version of my morning routine
I start my morning at 5:00am.
Prayer and daily affirmations – 5 minutes
Stretching – 5 minutes
Meditation – 20 minutes
Writing – 60 minutes
Editing – 60 minutes
Reading – 60 minutes
This is my morning routine for 90% of the year.
Longer, more detailed version
4:45 - 5:00am
I have an alarm set to 5:00am every morning, but I usually wake up 5 to 15 minutes before, and then just lay in the bed, check daily quote, and do the praying and daily affirmations. (If I stay asleep, and the alarm wakes me up, I never, ever use the Snooze button).
After the alarm does the job it is supposed to do, I go to the bathroom and weigh myself. (Tip: if you want the most accurate weight and other body measurements such as body fat, muscle mass, water percentage, etc., it’s best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after you do ‘the business’). Then it’s time to drink warm water. I always drink 500 – 750ml.
5:10 - 5:30am
Bathroom routine, stretching, listening to music, and breathing exercises.
5:30 - 5:50am
20 minutes of meditation. I use the Oak meditation app and love its clean interface.
On weekends, or when I feel extremely overwhelmed, I do 40 minutes.
Meditation is an amazing way to start the day with a clear head. I try to perfect the practice of mindfulness, but I fail constantly, and many thoughts travel through my mind when I meditate.
Since both my wife and I are heavily influenced by Asian culture, we’re both avid tea drinkers, so before I start writing, I always prepare a cup of green tea for me, and some fruit or herbal tea for her. I try to surprise her with the different flavor each day 😊
6:00 - 7:00am
This time is reserved for writing. The best rule to be focused is to turn off everything else and just sit in the chair. Sometimes is easy, but most of the time is hard. However, after the initial few sentences, words just start flowing. I use the program OmmWriter and am super satisfied with it. A minimal, unobtrusive place that allows you to put on relaxing music and focus on only one thing that matters at the moment – writing.
7:00 - 8:00am
Time to re-read the piece I’ve been working on, correct mistakes, get rid of unnecessary parts, leaving only the most important message. This part is harder than the actual writing, and I’m still getting used to doing it. With every passing day, I am improving, and I am confident that after some time, I can become a better writer. Reductions and limitations breed creativity, and thanks to them, many people create gorgeous work.
8:00 - 9:00am
Time for reading. I have the rule to read at least for an hour per day, but sometimes I read longer. In order to constantly challenge my mind, and to grow, I read non-fiction. I believe that fiction is an amazing way to relax, but I use different methods for that (meditation and exercise).
Reading is the last part of my morning routine.
Between 11:30am and 1:30pm I prepare something to eat. I fast 16 to 20h most days during the year. I find this beneficial, not only for my health but also for the focus to work on important things the first few hours of the day.
…
This routine is prone to changes, but important pieces in it like meditation, stretching, reading, and writing remain consistent. They are the pillars of my morning routine, so I don’t intend on changing them.
My routine was very different when I was working at my day job. Stricter and more intense. I was waking up at 4:00am to squeeze in everything I wanted to do before I went to work. But nowadays it’s easier and more relaxing because I work for myself and I do something I truly enjoy.
This routine will probably change again if I decide to go back to a regular job, but for now, I have no intentions to do that. I’ve always wanted to try something for myself, and after a few failures, here I am doing it again. And if I fail, I will get up and try again. And again, and again until I succeed.
My morning routine is constantly evolving and changing, as I do, but for me, it always serves as an important reminder to start the day on the right foot.
I am interested in your morning routine and would love for you to share it with the rest of the readers and me in the comments down below.
Cheers!
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