Good morning!

It happens every day. Every, single day we get up in the morning. And usually it looks something like this: alarm-hit snooze-shower-blow dry-coffee-let dog out-choose outfit-make up-let dog in-feed dog-find clothes-dress-make lunch-coffee-make toast-eat toast-pat hubby-kiss dog-commute-buy coffee-work. Right? Until the weekend and then you can skip the get ready for work bits. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to cut back a little on that morning frenzy? Let a little sunshine in. Create a quiet, gentle morning routine, just for you.

Routine? Something rigid? Don’t believe in routines? Girl, you already have a routine. Hectic, though it may be, it is a routine. And you created it. Uh-huh, it’s the truth, you created it. What you didn’t do, though, is design it. You did not think it through. No planning, you just do what you gotta do to get out the door.

So why not think about it and design your mornings to suit you? Imagine what it could be like. How would you love your morning to go? Ten minutes to just sit and enjoy the quiet with a cup of coffee? A long, early morning walk with the dog? Not having to put makeup on in the car? What a beautiful way to start your day, no?

Hate the idea of “routine”? Don’t think of it as a routine, think of it as a pleasure, bliss or your Morning Delight.

But, I barely make it out the door as it is, you say, and now you want me to add more stuff? It’s not so much more stuff, it’s different stuff. Reorganizing. Planning it out. Thinking through how you really want your day to start and setting yourself up to get there. Sure, you’ll probably need to wake up a little earlier. Start with just ten minutes. What could you do, just for you, with an extra ten minutes in the morning? Read? Think? Breathe?

Not a morning person? No problem. Work with your inner night owl and get stuff done the night before – make lunch, lay out clothes, exercise, shower, take the long walk with your dog in the evening. Planning your day the night before, is a big boon for everyone, not just night owls. At the end of your work day, write out on a sticky note the three most important things you need to get done tomorrow. Put that sticky note on your computer, right front and centre. Magic. Half your work is done for you. No deciding; just do.

Need some inspiration?  Here’s a website full of ideas.

Try to make it adaptable so that it works for you on weekends or when travelling. But most of all make it just for you.  Be mindful. What would set you up to be the best you could possibly be for the rest of the day? Plan it out. Try it for a week. Tweak it, ‘til you get it just right. Then enjoy your good morning!

Have you got a sweet morning routine already? What’s your secret? Or what would you change in your morning madness? Share your thoughts in the comments below. We’d love to hear.

Photo via Free Nature Stock