Best Self Morning Routine (Detailed Description)

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Morning.  Routine.  😫

Morning.  Routine.  The most restrictive, uncreative, unnatural thing someone could do to themselves.  Your body is at rest and you forcibly interrupt that state and then fumble through several things that you don’t really want to do. 

That’s how I felt when I’d hear people talk about having a thing, they did on a schedule around the sun coming up.  If I wasn’t going bass fishing or meeting my brothers to bow hunt, I really didn’t see the point in getting up earlier than I needed to.  Fast forward several years and a few kids later, I’m now one of those sadist types that encourage others to get a morning routine.  But this article isn’t about the philosophy behind morning routines, it’s to give you a detailed example.

Here it is, a non-morning person’s morning routine.  Take what you like from this, leave what you don’t. 

 

Last Night:

  • 8:40 pm
    • Prop iPad up next to the sink, put dishes away & load dishwasher from dinner
  • 8:55ish pm
    • Make lunches for 3 older kids and a kind of lunch for the youngest
      • He loves to feel included with the big kids
    • Put lunches in the fridge
    • Turn off iPad
  • 9:25ish pm
    • Put out 4 cups with ½ water, ½ juice for kids (and an apple sauce for 6-year-old)
  • 9:30 pm
    • Fill 16oz glass with filtered water, put 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in it
    • Put glass next to the stove
  • 9:33 pm
    • Fill a tea kettle with water from sink for coffee in the morning
  • 9:35 pm
    • Put Aeropress together with filter, placed on a coffee cup
    • Put out 2nd cup for Beth
  • 9:40pm
    • Running shoes, Air Pods, watch, shorts/shirt, shoes, socks all by the back door
    • Put work clothes out
  • 9:50 pm
    • Fill 32oz jug with water
  • 10ish pm
    • Let Knox out (our dog)
      • Rhodesian Ridgeback in case you’re a dog person, he’s the best
  • 10:15-10:30pm ish
    • Check on all the kids
    • Check the schedule for tomorrow
    • Pray with Beth
    • Bed

 

This Morning

  • Wake up at 5:39 am (ish)
    • Because I think it’s funny to wake up at weird times
    • Hate everything then quickly remember—“you’ve never regretted getting up early”
  • Bathroom pitstop
  • 5:41 am shuffle to cup of water with ACV, drink the whole thing
  • 5:43 am get dressed, turn on watch
    • Then get ticked that it takes forever for my old as heck Apple watch to turn on
  • 5:47ish am
    • Phone on a sermon, podcast, book, and headphones in
    • Out the door to run 6ish miles
  • 6:30ish am
    • Back, fired up and so glad I went
    • Grab a jug of water and hammer some more
  • 6:40ish am
    • Cold shower, change, start the coffee
  • 6: 55 am
    • Read 2 chapters of the Bible (if I didn’t listen to them on my run)
  • 7:10ish am
    • Make breakfast for kids, Beth, and myself
    • Hang out with family while we eat and whatnot
  • 7:40ish am
    • Clean up the kitchen just a bit
    • Get dressed for work
    • Beth reminds me of kids' stuff after work, small group tonight...etc.
  • 7:52 am
    • Hug/kiss everyone
    • Out the door with
      • Coffee, water, kombucha (yeah, I’m that guy)
  • 7:58 am                
    • At work
    • Or kicking on my laptop at home

 

There you have it, my morning routine that starts the night before.  I need to say a few other things about this:

  • I shoot for hitting 75%
    • Kids being in school helps me a lot to be disciplined, Summertime is when things get off
  • I switch up my workout stuff
    • When I’m not going to run or if it’s an off day, I still shoot for up 30 min before kids
  • Saturday I hardly ever use an alarm unless I have a long run to do
  • Sunday we’re on a different schedule with Church

 

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned over the past few years of doing this. 

  1. I still hate waking up early, but I love what the morning produces. 
  2. I’ve never regretted waking up early, but I have regretted sleeping in.
  3. It’s a different kind of tiredness when you start your day right.
  4. It’ll never be easy to do this, so either does it or don’t but either way, don’t complain.
  5. The day might go crazy but at least the morning didn’t.

I hope this gives you a thing or two as you take a step toward exercising control over how you start your day. 

 

Need more? 

Listen to episode #68, Your Growth is Your Responsibility with Alex Judd.

Check out our YouTube and LinkedIn pages for more encouraging content.  

If you’re looking to take your growth as a leader to the next level, we’ve got you covered.  Join the Impact of Leadership Community today!

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