Your life is full. You have many demands in your household, relationships, work, and more.
Mornings can often be chaotic between getting the animals (two-legged and four-legged) fed, the kids to school, and yourself fed, dressed, and prepped for your day. The idea of adding a morning routine that nourishes you can feel daunting and like one more item on your to-do list.
{If you already have a morning routine in place—stay with me. You may want to incorporate what I share at the end.}
There is much conversation and evidence on the benefit of morning routines. So much so it can feel overwhelming. Is it best to meditate (if so what kind?)? Exercise (if so what kind)? Journal? Cold plunge? Drink green juice? Get sun exposure?
The options are endless and there is no one best answer—only what is right for you.
THE “RIGHT” WAY
For a long time, I thought my morning routine needed to be elaborate…and long. I thought doing it “right” looked like: following a daily spiritual program (like A Course in Miracles), journaling, practicing gratitude, reading, meditating, exercising, and more.
The routine got so complicated I stopped doing it. Then I’d beat myself up and try to use self-judgment and criticism as motivation to begin again, only to have the cycle repeat.
I was more interested in doing what I perceived was the “right” way—what the “experts” recommended—than I was in actually receiving the benefit of the practice.
If your morning routine has become a to-do list, I offer to you that it’s time for a change.
The point of a morning routine is to connect to yourself. To nourish you. And, to remind yourself that you are more than what the world tells you you are.
I recommend taking the time to answer this question, especially if you’ve been buying into the idea that there’s a right way to do a morning practice.
When I gave myself permission to start fresh—to let go of what I wasn’t enjoying—my morning routine came alive!
Last year I followed a daily devotional, A Year of Miracles by Marianne Williamson. I also prayed and journaled—that included intention setting, gratitude and space for Wisdom to talk to me.
On average, this practice took a total of 15 minutes.
SUPERCHARGING ROUTINE
This year I’ve changed it again and I’ve added something so simple, yet incredibly impactful. I’m still in awe of what I’m experiencing.
This year my morning routine includes: Meditation (20 minutes a la Ziva Meditation) and Journaling. Inside the journaling process I:
- set an intention for the day
- write at least three things I’m grateful for (focusing on feeling the gratitude)
- live my day ahead of time in my mind
That last one is the practice that’s blowing my mind.
At 6am I pretend it’s 8pm and I write down what I want to have happened in my day. The important part here is I write in the past tense—as if it’s already occurred. I include everything from how I felt about myself, others, and my work. {Note: Your inner experience is the one thing you have power over. So focusing here in this process is really important.} I also include external things I’d like to happen. And then I let go and live my day.
The next day I review the day before to see if reality matched my vision. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t—and that’s perfectly ok. Because I’m finding that when I get intentional about what I want to create in my day, I’ve already won. I’ve primed my mindset for possibility. I’ve opened my heart to an experience I want to have. I’ve shown up as an active participant to play alongside Life.
This live your day ahead of time practice only takes 5 minutes. You can see a sample from my journal in the ps below.
If you decide to test this out and find yourself experiencing more disappointment and frustration—this likely means you have an attachment to having what you want. My last blog talks about this and offers other ways to relate to your dreams. Read here.
If you don’t have a morning practice, you may want to create one. If you do, maybe it’s time to shift it up a bit. And, why not run the experiment of living your day ahead of time in your mind?!
If you do, let me know what you discover.
With Fierce Loving,
Amber
PS: Excerpt from my journal—January 4, 2023:
PPS: For transparency, the bolded items above did NOT occur that day, and I didn’t care. Some items (like clarity on my next steps in my work) I’ve continued to include daily—and I’m just starting to get insight into that. I believe that everything unfolds in its own divine timing…and I’m learning to trust that more and more every day.
Photo by Carli Jeen.
