During the last half of 2022, I am embarrassed to say that let go of my self-care a bit. I began to slip on the consistency of my training, nutrition and morning routine.
I used to be so good at mornings. At one point my routine included walking outside, reading, journaling, a skin-care routine, AND even a 4 minute cold shower!
Then life (aka a puppy and more demanding work schedule) happened. Little by little, I had less control over my mornings. Some days, I wouldn’t even have the chance to change out of my pajamas before having to take the pup out to do his business. Before I knew it, my morning routine no longer existed. I was staying in bed until Axel woke me up. Or until a few minutes before I started my work day.
Mornings once were enjoyable and relaxing but became stressful and chaotic.
Instead of owning my mornings, my mornings were owning me. Maybe you can relate?
I found that the lack of structure in the morning was setting the tone for the rest of my day. That tone meant that I was unproductive, unfocused, and unmotivated.
A couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to do something about it. I started by identifying a list of long-term and short-term goals I wanted to work on. I shared those goals in a previous email so ICYMI, you can read that here.
Also Read: Use Your Core Motivation Style to Set Goals
Now that I knew which direction I was heading in with my goals, the next step was to tackle my daily actions. Pulling inspiration from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, I completed a “habit audit” (he calls this a habit scorecard, but same difference). To do this, I made a list of every repeated action I take as soon as I wake up in the morning.
Then identified how those actions are serving me by assigning the following ratings:
- a "+" if it contributes to achieving one of my goals,
- a "-" if it impedes the achievement of one of my goals, or
- a "=" if it did neither.
Once I had this list, I was able to come up with an upgraded routine that I’d like to stick to each day. I kept the actions with a “+” (like taking the dog for a walk) or a “=” (like going to the bathroom). Eliminated the ones with a “-” (like checking my phone or turning on my work computer earlier than I needed to). Then decided which other actions I’d like to add. Actions that would serve me by supporting my goals.
I chose simple, achievable actions that would contribute to achieving my February goals. Then I decided that if I did this routine for at least 17 out of the next 21 days, then I’d reward myself with a $50 spend at my favorite store (TJMaxx/HomeGoods).
Based on those goals, here’s the morning routine that I came up with:
- Wake up and change out of my PJs before 7am.
- Drink 24 ounces of water with electrolytes before drinking coffee. (1 cup of black coffee if I'm fasting, or my morning latte if I'm not)
And in no particular order but before starting work, I will complete the following:
- Walk Axel for at least 20 minutes and work on at least one skill with him during that time.
- Listen to an episode of The Daily Boost (which I highly recommend, btw)
- Complete one small chore (empty dishwasher, take out the trash, start a load of laundry, tidy up an area of the house, etc.)
- Write in my journal for at least 10 minutes
And lastly, I decided that all of these actions must be done before I start work (between 8:00am and 8:30am).
Today is day 19, and I’ve completed my full morning routine 17 times. The two times I didn’t was because I had volleyball things which both began before 8am. We goin’ to HomeGoods, y’all!!
Since I very much enjoy every part of my routine, I’m pretty confident that I’ll keep up with it. Until it continues to serve me, of course. Once my goals change or I find my routine no longer works for me, then I’ll repeat this process. I’ll revisit my goals and do another habit audit to come up with a routine that serves me.
Do you need to tweak your morning routine so that it serves you?
If so, I present to you the Healthy Green Habit Challenge. This 3 step challenge will guide you through the process that I used. You’ll identify your goals, do a habit audit and establish an upgraded routine.
You can download that here at no cost to you and no strings attached!
In this free challenge you will:
- Identify your long-term goals
- Complete a habit audit
- Establish an upgraded daily routine
Let me know if any of this was helpful! Or if you need help coming up with a list of actions that support your goals, I can do that too. Check out my coaching services here.
