Create a Morning Routine that Sticks

Routines are key when your life tends to be on the busy side or just plain insane as mine seems destined to be. As my kids have grown, my routines have changed. However, keeping a morning routine has proven a life saver. One I haven’t always thrown to myself.

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I have tried and failed many times in keeping a morning routine.

Even though I know the importance of having a morning routine in place, when life gets the busiest is when I seem to have the hardest time keeping it going. I have been working hard at taking my mornings back and have come up with a few key components.

When life seems to take control, how do we get that control back?

Look at what you are already doing.
Look at where you fail.
Think about what additions would be helpful.
Figure out what is sabotaging your morning.
Look backwards.
Put it all together.
Take it one step at a time.

Look at what you are already doing.

We really do have the beginnings of our routine already in place. We have created a routine, even without realizing it. What is the first thing you do when you get out of bed? Do you go straight for the coffee or get in the shower? Do you make your bed or pick up a baby? Do you get dressed or live in your pajamas for most of the day?

For me, I typically get dressed, put away my pajamas, and make our bed before heading down to the kitchen for breakfast. These are things I do mostly without thinking about them.

Look at where you fail.

In the winter time, I love staying in my pajama pants and just throwing on a sweatshirt. However, I know from experience that if I do not get dressed before going downstairs, I will be sitting at the end of day thinking about all the things I should have done.

Think about what happens in your day when you do or don’t do particular things. Do you do better if you get dressed first or do you do better when you approach the morning slowly? Only you can figure this one out. Just remember to be honest with yourself.

Think about what to add.

What should you be doing in the morning to make your life run a little smoother throughout the day? Do you need some quiet time to get focused? Would it be a good time to start a load of laundry or make preparations for supper? Are you working from home and this is the best time to review your calendar?

I needed to add some study and reflection time. Time to read and learn more about God, but also time to spend talking to him. I’m not quite awake enough to read the Bible and comprehend what I’ve read, but I can focus enough on a devotion. I have found when I don’t take time before my day gets going, it just doesn’t happen later.

Right now I have been slowly working my way through Wait and See: Finding Peace in God’s Pauses and Plans by Wendy Pope. This one has been so timely with our journey of waiting for our house to sell and now waiting to find our new house.

I have also been reading through One Thousand Gifts Devotional: Reflections on Finding Everyday Graces by Ann Voskamp. This book has been sitting on my shelf for a couple years and I just now pulled it off to read.

I usually spend time doing these readings while I’m eating breakfast. I have noticed that if I don’t have this time before my husband and daughter are moving around, I can not focus as well. I still need to tweak this area of my morning routine.

Figure out what is sabotaging your morning routine

Take time to think about where you end up sabotaging yourself and your day. For me, it is staying in my pajamas and turning on the TV. These two things tempt me to just be lazy. Now, there are times when we all just need a day to veg. However, too many of those days are not good for our productivity and lead to extra chaos in the end.

Look backwards.

Believe it or not, but your evening routine is crucial to having a successful morning routine. When your mornings run smoothly, what happened the night before? When your mornings are extra chaotic, what didn’t happen the night before?

I try to make sure the kitchen is cleaned and the living room tidy before I go to bed. When I don’t (and believe me, there are times when it doesn’t), I tend to be behind all day long. Not only does it affect my mindset as I walk down the stairs for the first time that morning, but it also means extra work for me to do instead of getting ready for our school day or whatever else may be going on that day.

Put it all together.

You have figured out what you are already automatically doing, what you do or don’t do that helps the morning flow better, what you could be doing to make the morning even better, and what you need to have accomplished the night before to get you started in the morning. It is now time to put it all together.

Write down what you have determined is a workable and effective morning routine. Does it feel like something you can accomplish on a daily basis? Does it feel daunting? Have you created something you feel is attainable or do you think you have bitten off more than you can chew?

Think about it. Pray about it. Make some changes if you feel like you need to. However, you now have a starting point. You have a plan!

Take it one step at a time.

If you are making some major changes, you are most likely going to get overwhelmed and quit almost before you get started. Take it one step at a time. Decide what you want to add in first and go from there. What would make the most impact on your day? Or maybe, what would be the easiest and most comfortable to begin with?

Your goal is not to reach the finish line in one morning, but to ultimately cross that finish line. A marathon runner does not sprint from the starting line to reach the finish line as fast as possible, they focus on the what is coming up next while keeping the finish line in their “sight”. They know what the goal is and where it is, but they know they will get there one section at a time.

Work on each next step, until you have a routine in place that works for you. Celebrate the achievements and tweak what is not working.

You know you have crossed that finish line when you realize you are doing it without thinking about it or crossing it off a list.