Although at times, 2020 often resembled an ugly and smelly dumpster fire that never seemed to stop burning, I think we can all agree that there were positive things that happened, too. 2020 will forever be known as the year we were all sent to our rooms, forced to slow down and evaluate what was and what was not working for us.
Besides dramatically increasing the KMs on my road bike, one of the best things that happened for me was rediscovering and truly owning the early morning hours.
Prior to COVID and working from home, I can honestly say that no matter how much I prepared the night before, my mornings perpetually felt rushed and time elusively hard to catch. It always felt like there was never enough time to fit it all in: wake up and down a coffee, rush to a gym class, get in a good sweat, travel home, shower and get dressed, eat breakfast, pack my lunch and commute into work. I could only successfully stick to this exhausting routine for a few weeks before my mornings left me discouraged and energetically bankrupt. Why was it so hard to establish an ownable and lasting morning routine that set me up for a prosperous day?
Because I wasn’t asking myself the right question.
I recently discovered the podcast, Working it Out with Julie Voris, where she launched a five part series called, Mastering Your Morning Routine. Voris, a Fitness CEO, shares the tools she uses for mastering her morning and helps listeners get clear on their own intentions. Go on and check it out, here.
My aha moment came while I was listening to Julie talk. I realized that I was so focused on what I wanted to achieve that I wasn’t asking myself the most important, yet simple question: How do I want to feel?
“If you get up and intentionally create a morning routine [it will] feed into an intentional day. And when you string together intentional days, you get to create an intentional life” – Julie Voris
For me, I want to feel accomplished and soothed. I want to feel energized before I get into the heart of the day and most importantly, I want it to feel easy. Because how you feel first thing in the morning will stay with you long into the day, helping you to achieve your goals and the vision that you have for your life.
I’m in the season of my life where my mornings start around 6:15 am. I take my coffee and head outside while the sun is just starting to come up. I go for an hour walk on the nature path by my house, listening to personal development books or podcasts that allow me to be more cerebral. I always end my mornings journaling and writing out my goals for the day before I jump into my workout. Leaving me feeling accomplished, soothed and energized.
Do you have a morning routine? If so, I’d love to hear it.
Stay well,
S.
Well Loved 