Let’s talk MORNINGS! I’ve been working since October to perfect my morning routine. It’s been a huge deal, actually. If my mornings are ‘right’ my whole day is more productive and what is better than a productive day?

My day begins when Nate’s alarm goes off, which could be any time between 6:00 to 7:15 depending on where he is working (he’s an auditor, so he goes where they need him.) He gets up and I stay in bed and peruse Instagram and Twitter for a while (yeah I’m one of those people. I should really stop doing that. Oh well.) I am physically out of bed by 7:45 or 8:00. I drink a big glass of water and eat a banana or a Lara bar. Then I get dressed for a run or Crossfit. Working out in the morning is CRUCIAL to my daily routine, because otherwise I’ll put it off until 2025.

Once I’m home from my work out I shower and immediately make my precious coffee. French press is my go-to, which you can read all about here. I make a bigger breakfast and read either my Bible or a book while I eat. I make it a point not to check my email or do any “work-y” things until at least 10, but usually 11 am. That gives me enough time to do my routine without feeling rushed. If I don’t do those “me” things each morning, the rest of my day seems stressful or just a little off.

Working from home makes my mornings a little more flexible than those of you who have a 9-5. But, for those of you who also work from home and get to pick your own schedule, here are a few variables that determined how I set my morning routine. The most helpful thought I can give you is this:

What is most important to you?
Do you like to work out, read, meditate, eat a healthy breakfast? You probably already know the things that will make your day the best it can be, so write them down and then plan your routine around how long those things will take.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Length of snoozing (or checking socials)
Do you want to snooze (or read, or be on Twitter) for 30 minutes? Ok, well, set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than your ultimate BE OUT OF BED time. And then when that time comes, wake up! Or get off your phone 😉

Work out / fitness class schedule
My morning routine is very, very dependent on my workouts. If you are the type who works out early in the day, a set class time is super helpful to planning out the rest of your morning.

Preferred breakfast type
Are you a simple breakfast person or an elaborate breakfast person? This trait will determine how much time you should allot to the best meal of the day. I prefer fried eggs or oatmeal, but on the lazier days, oatmeal is the better option.

You time
I make a point to read my Bible and journal or read a few pages of a good book for at least 20 minutes every day. It helps me find focus in my day. What recharges you? Do that for a while before you start working on the hard stuff.

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Once you factor in all this stuff, it’s easy to see how much time you need to allot to your routine!
STICKING TO IT: Once you come up with your perfect morning routine, try it for one week. If it’s working well for you, awesome! Keep doing it! But if you notice that maybe you didn’t give yourself enough time to snooze, or too much time to eat, you can always adjust it to make it better!
REMEMBER: It’s not the end of the world if your morning routine doesn’t happen perfectly every single morning. Sometimes a friend needs to talk so you grab a spontaneous coffee with her. Sometimes you really need to get those 4 important emails out as early as possible. It’s ok to tweak your routine some days, but it is also wise to try and stick with it as much as possible, so your important things become habits in the long run!

Was this blog post helpful to you guys? What is your current morning routine? I’d love to hear how other small biz owners are spending their mornings!

<3 Stephanie

photo by kris atomic ( i wish my mornings looked that gorgeous! )