Before 6 am?
I remember reading an article years ago from Harper's Bazaar titled 24 Hours with Tom Ford. Quickly, I fell in love with the idea of making time for myself in the morning, before heading out into the world. I have learned that if you do not fill up your own tank, you will have nothing to give others, so when you rush out of the house in the morning without preparation and input, the rest of the day will follow suit.
I have been trying to become a "morning person" ever since. I have read all of the blogs, watched the Youtube videos, listened to podcasts about successful entrepreneurs and their morning routines, yet still, I hit snooze on my phone.
I had this idea of what my morning should look like - wake up eager to start the day, practice yoga, meditate, cuddle up with a homemade latte to plan my day, read and journal. Of course I would still have enough time to make a healthy breakfast and lunch, walk the dog, shower AND make myself look presentable before beginning my commute. I leave the house at 7:30 am, so I couldn't exactly fit all of that in if I wanted to sleep until 7:00 am.
What did my actual morning look like? Alarm goes off at 5 am, snooze. Alarm goes off at 5:30, snooze. Alarm goes off at 6:00 am, snooze. At this point I might as well have just set my alarm for 6:30; at least I would have enjoyed the extra hour and a half of sleep. However, I continued to set my alarm for 5 am because I wanted to have that ideal morning.
So, what changed? Two things:
1) I physically moved my alarm. If your phone, or old school alarm clock, is next to you on your bedside table, you are not going to get out of bed. Why would you? It is within arms reach and you do not even have to leave the warmth of your bed to hit snooze. MOVE IT. Move it far away. Far enough that you have to get out of bed and cannot jump back in. I recommend moving it out of your room; if you can hear it, move it to the bathroom or kitchen so you can splash your face with water or grab a glass of water right away. Trust me.
2) I read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. I love, love, love this book, and I am not getting paid to recommend it. Hal Elrod has an incredible story of overcoming, you could say he is an expert on just that. In other books, he tells his story about overcoming obstacles in his life, but in The Miracle Morning he helps you to overcome your complacency and own your morning. I combined my ideal morning with Hal's six steps to customize a morning routine that works for me, then all I had to do was practice what he preached. This book will change your life.
Now, I wake up at 5 am, even on weekends! They say consistency is key. I pour a large glass of water and add lemon slices, light an energizing candle and begin to live out my ideal morning. For a complete outline of my morning routine, click here: The Maywood Morning Routine
Now, I wake up at 5 am, even on weekends! They say consistency is key. I pour a large glass of water and add lemon slices, light an energizing candle and begin to live out my ideal morning. For a complete outline of my morning routine, click here: The Maywood Morning Routine
The key is to enjoy your morning. No one can develop your morning routine, because, maybe you do not like yoga or lattes. You have to look forward to your time, designed just for you, and intentionally wake up with gratitude and purpose before starting the day.
By Molly Wood
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a856/24-hours-with-tom-ford-0312/
https://www.miraclemorning.com/
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