The Perfect Morning Routine
Yesterday I did a strategy call with a new client and, she asked me a question that reminded me of something that someone like me should never forget: we shouldn’t take for granted things that we think “everybody knows.”
… like, “what’s a morning routine?”
All through 2020, I had an ‘unfuckwithable’ morning routine that was, I swear to you, my absolute savior every single day. If I didn’t have this morning routine, I would not have been nearly as productive, driven, accomplished, or sane as I was by the end of the year.
I initially learned about morning routines, I suppose, from my parents. All during my childhood, there was a hard and fast rule that, before 7am, absolutely no children were allowed out of bed. Why? That was my parent’s quiet time: a time set aside for them, only, to read, talk, drink their coffee, and pray.
I actually don’t know what exactly my parents did during that quiet time, except two things:
It was sacred.
It was… quiet.
During my ‘single years’, I had a very erratic quiet time. It wasn’t until I became a parent that I realized how important a quiet time was. I wish I’d made mine more predictable, stable, and sacred many years ago. It definitely would have made me more successful, secure, self-disciplined, and probably even happier overall.
Many people have a morning routine. Some range from just a few minutes a day set aside for contemplation; others are very specific times set aside for meditation, exercise, prayer, and more. Several years ago, I learned about Hal Elrod’s “Miracle Morning,” and I did it for several weeks and… yeah. It’s a miracle morning routine.
I’ve tweaked it and perfected it for my life, and now I’m going to share it with you. I have two versions of my morning routine: the Perfect Morning Routine and the Move It Along, Sister Morning Routine.
Here we go… the Perfect Morning Routine…
4:45: Alarm goes off, I open my eyes, and sit up in bed. I say, “Thank You Jesus that I am awake and alive today! What is this CEO Mom going to do today? I’m going to live well. I’m going to love deeply. I’m going to make a difference.”
I put my feet on the floor. I Stretch. I stand. (you’ll notice I didn’t take a peek at my phone).
4:45 – 4:50: Wash my face and brush my teeth (I use Vichy Pureté Thermale One Step Facial Cleanser and wipe it off with a warm wash cloth; I spray my face with Evian; and put on a little moisturizer.)
4:50 – 5:00: Put on workout clothes and shoes and do five Sun Salutations in my room.
5:00 – 5:05: Make coffee, refill the humidifier, put on the aromatherapy, start the fireplace. (I drink Nespresso, in case you’re wondering. And, in lieu of creamer or milk, I use the Fairlife Vanilla Protein and I put it in the milk frother. I drink 3 cups of coffee a day, and use 1/3 of the protein shake in each one. This means that, along with the delicious nectar of the gods – coffee – I also get 30 grams of protein and pretty much no sugar. I get my shakes from BJ’s and they’re $16.99 for 12… unless there’s a coupon. I also – when I remember – add in a scoop of Collagen Peptides. Lately, I’ve been forgetting a lot, TBH. But when I remember, my life is better.)
5:05 – 5:15: Drink my first cup of coffee in total silence. I use this time to think about important thoughts… my life. My goals. My dreams. My hopes. My next steps. My worries.
5:15-5:25: Read my Bible and devotional.
5:25 – 5:40: Write in my journal. At the end of my journal session, I write down my top 10 goals as if they’ve already happened…
5:40 – 5:45: Pray.
5:45 – 6:30: Exercise, stretch, and cool down.
6:30 – 6:45: Drink my 2nd cup of coffee and read a book.
6:45 – Joshua Wakes up. That’s the end of the quiet time and the beginning of mommy time!
That’s the tried-and-true quiet time that sets my day up for absolute success. Once Joshua is up, we’ve cuddled, and I’ve set him up with his “coffee,” I then go to my computer(s) and check my schedule. I look for the priorities that I already established on the Sunday when I set up my week. I make sure those are still the most important things for the day, and I’ll usually start on one of them right away and see if I can knock it out fast(ish). I usually work for about an hour and get as much done as I can.
Then I switch back to Joshua, and getting myself ready to be presentable on screen (shower, dress, makeup, hair), and I’m back online by around 9am. And yes, in case you are wondering, I do get dressed with hair and makeup every day. There have been maybe 2 work days all year when I haven’t done this.
Lately, I’ve been a bit lax on my morning routine because… well, that’s another story for another day. But, on those lax mornings, here’s what the Move It Along, Sister Morning Routine looks like…
… the alarm does not go off. Joshua wakes me up. I open my eyes, sit up in bed. I say, “Thank You Jesus that I am awake and alive today! What is this CEO Mom going to do today? I’m going to live well. I’m going to love deeply. I’m going to make a difference.”
I put my feet on the floor. Stretch. I stand...
6:45… Wash my face & brush my teeth (same stuff as above).
6:50: Make coffee, make Joshua’s “coffee”, refill the humidifier, put on the aromatherapy, start the fireplace. (I still use the Nespresso, Fairlife, etc.)
7:00 – 7:10: Drink my first cup of coffee in total silence. Joshua is playing on his Kindle. I use this time to think about important thoughts…
7:10 – 7:40: Read my Bible and devotional, write in my journal for a few min (write down my goals), and pray.
Then I check my schedule for the day, note anything that has to be done right away and I just do it. Then I head upstairs and get ready… come back down and do breakfast with Joshua, get him all set, and sit down at the computer again by 8:30ish.
If I don’t do a morning workout, then when Joshua goes to taekwondo, I do my best to work out in the afternoon. Those days I also end up working a little bit later because, honestly, I’m not as focused as I am when I do my morning routine right.
Other little tid-bits...
-- When I drink my greens, my days are better. And I love these Aunt Betty’s spirulina balls. They’re amazing.
-- After I work out, I wash my face again and I like to spray my face with rosewater or Evian.
-- I use some Vitamin C serum before I put on my makeup!
I’d love to read about your perfect morning routine. Will you write yours out in the comments and tell me what makes it so awesome for you! I can’t wait to read about it!