A person’s morning routine is an incredibly personal choice. There is no “correct” morning routine. No secret that if you just knew it your morning would be as perfect and productive as the millionaire who wrote the latest “best morning routine” book.
The person who wakes up at 4am to go for a 3 mile run, cook a 3 course breakfast and get a jump start on work all before sunrise. And the person who rolls out of bed at 9am and scrolls through social media while nibbling on a cold pop-tart, can very easily be starting their days in the most valuable way for them. While society tells us that one version is better than the other, that’s wrong.
I’m going to tell you the secret to the perfect morning routine… Ready?
What helps you feel ready for the day? What makes you feel happy to be awake? What do wish you had more time for?
Once you answer those questions you are on your way to building your perfect morning routine.
I’m going to walk you through my morning routine and why I built it the way I did. Take what you like and leave the rest. My hope is that this will proved new inspiration for your morning routine.
Exercise!
I wake up at 4:30am (reluctantly I swear! keep reading!), throw on workout clothes and head off to the gym. I used to try to make it to the gym on my lunch break but something always came up. I struggled to prioritize my health over my job… So I committed to getting up insanely early to work out at the gym while my family is still sleeping, before anyone needs me. I leave the gym at 6am and very quietly sneak back into my house without waking my daughter up.
Journaling!
I’ve never been much of a journaler but I truly believe in the benefits of it. I challenged myself to incorporate journaling into my life in some way. After several years of trying and failing to stick with it I finally found the trick! When I get home from the gym I head straight for the kitchen to start the coffee brewing! In the 5 minutes it takes for my coffee to brew I sit at my kitchen table and fill in a daily prompted journal, specifically the happiness planner. This I can stick with!
Reading!
I have always loved to read, it soothes my soul and awakens my mind. When I worked at an office downtown I read on my train ride in every morning but when the pandemic changed my working arrangement to permanently working from home, I lost my opportunity to read every day. It was my husband’s idea to incorporate reading time into my morning routine and I thank him every day for suggesting it! The amount of time I get to read heavily depends on what time my daughter wakes up but every little bit is self-care.
Tidy Up!
Every night if the dishwasher is full I run it as we go to bed so in the morning I put the clean dishes away and tidy up the kitchen and the rest of the main living spaces. I pick up and clutter give it a quick wipe down and we are set for the days messes!
Breakfast!
Every Sunday I meal prep breakfast burritos for myself and my husband. Check out the post about it for the recipe! That makes the weekday mornings as easy as popping one in the microwave for 1 minute, toasting each side in a skillet for a minute and breakfast is served! I add a quick green smoothie along with mine for a little sweet with my savory.
Work!
My morning routine was completely upended with lock down changed our lives. Now after the routine I described above I walk 10 steps from my kitchen to the home office I share with my husband. None of this routine is what I ever expected. It’s better than I could have imaged and I start every work day happy!
Your morning routine should make you feel good and get you excited to start the day.
Factors like your job, significant other’s routine, kids schedules and personal needs are going to drive when and how your morning routine happens. However, I challenge you to have an intentional morning routine. Mindfully analyze, test out and re-analyze what you want your morning routine to look like. The routine took me years to build to this point and will change again as the seasons of my life progress.
To see my morning routine in action and other helpful topics, check out my YouTube channel here!
Fortner Thoughts 
Leave a Reply