For the last 10 years, I’ve been trying to be a “morning person.” I always wanted to be one of those people who pops out of bed at 5:00 a.m., works out, challenges my brain, meditates, and sneaks in a little yoga all before I have to get ready and go to work. Whew, that sounds exhausting. No wonder I would just hit snooze and go back to bed, oversleep, and then run around like a maniac in order to get to work on time.
Success begins with a morning routine
Every successful, motivational person I’ve heard speak over the years attributes one main thing to their success…their morning routine. I had to figure this out!
All of the research I did about cultivating a good morning routine gave the same advice: start small. Just get up and get in the habit of waking up and not hitting snooze twenty one or two times.
The things I wanted to accomplish in the morning were:
- Go for a walk or run if it was a scheduled run day (walk on the other days).
- Journal.
- Read or listen to something that would make me a better person, either personally or professionally.
- Have enough time to do all of the above and get ready for work and out the door without chaos and screaming about being late.
Start small
So, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to do this thing! I started small. At first, I just got up and had coffee. My husband set up the coffee on a timer the night before so it would be brewed by the time I got up. That enticing scent helped a lot. A. LOT. I did that for about a week.
Then I went out and walked. Just around the block. Just to get outside and get some fresh air. I did that for another week or so.
Next, I added in journaling and started with a 24-hour plan. Just writing down what I would eat that day and what my training plan was. It took all of 2 minutes.
Then I added in reading one chapter from the book, 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself, by Steve Chandler. The chapters are only 1–2 pages, making this quick, easy, and totally doable.
As the weeks went on, I made my walks a little longer (now they are up to 30 minutes), and I started running in the morning on my training days.
Then I started journaling more. Doing a Thought Download, 24-hour plan, and writing out my goals and my “whys” and “hows” for achieving those goals. That took all of 10 minutes.
The result
Then, this miraculous thing started to happen. I was calmer and happier every day. I had lovely mornings with my family. I felt more motivated and focused. I got all of my training runs done in the morning during the week, which was always a huge challenge for me in the past. And I felt so accomplished every day because this is something I’ve wanted to conquer for so many years!
The lesson learned here is that you can create any habit you want for yourself. You just have to be reasonable about it. Start small. Don’t expect perfection. Find the joy in doing it and have a great reason why you want to do it. Then just do it. You don’t need a ticker-tape parade every time, just make it non-negotiable like brushing your teeth.
See you on the path,
Jen
