My Weekday Morning Routine
I have a little nerdy interest in the morning routines of successful people. There's even an entire website dedicated to sharing the morning routines of successful people in all areas of life and different career fields. It's interesting to me the things successful people do whether they are or are not morning people. I am a morning person. I love getting everything out-of-the-way and I make better decisions. It's a fact morning people make better decisions in the morning rather than the afternoon or early evening. This is likely why going shopping at night is my absolute downfall.
That said, I am a normal every day person. I'm not running my own business (well not really) nor am I some executive or lifestyle expert. I am a student (a bit older than most I'll admit) and I freelance off and on so I work from home a lot. I've carefully crafted a weekday morning routine that gets the most out of my day and allows me to not feel guilty if I can sneak in a midday nap. #blessed
There are 5 specific things I never skip in the morning during the week. Of course I shower, get dressed, put on makeup, etc just like everyone else but that's a given so I left it out.
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Set Daily Intentions - Right when I wake up, before even looking at my phone (difficult I know), I take a second to set my intention for the day. What do I intend to accomplish and be the most mindful of? Is there a particular task I need to accomplish that will require more energy or am I in a bad moon I shouldn't spread? It takes only a bit of time to get into a habit of being mindful.
Go to the Gym - Going to the gym early in the morning is hard. If I've had a rough night of sleep or just don't feel motivated it's difficult to get up and go work out. Sometimes I'll supplement a trip to the gym with an at home work out, but it just doesn't feel the same. One perk of heading to the gym early in the AM? It's mostly elderly people! So when I don't feel my best, I don't have to pretend I do. Heading to the gym early also creates a surge of energy for the day.
Have a Cup of Coffee - Okay, cup of coffee is used loosely. Many...cups of coffee surely is more accurate. I typically brew coffee at home and sit quietly while consuming it. That's not always possible and I'll find myself checking my email or Twitter feed, and that's okay. I'm also an advocate of shower coffee when I'm running low on time.
"Breakfast" - I don't actually eat a regular breakfast and most breakfast foods actually make me want to take a nap. They are too hearty (waffles are just that delicious). Instead, the Nicole Breakfast is eating cereal whilst staring into the closet to find something to wear or packing my bag for the day. #reallife
Prioritize Tasks In My Planner - Sunday night I usually create my schedule for the week, so daily I take a second to look at what I have ahead of me for the day. One thing I learned from successful women is how to prioritize my to-do list for the day. It is often easier to answer emails or begin with easier tasks, but I learned to start with the difficult or time-consuming ones. Unless the email or task has a deadline, working on harder tasks earlier allows for more time and effort rather than rushing or having to work on it again tomorrow.