I've tried many variations of giving myself reason to wake up, and none of them stuck. But, for 2017, I set some goals for myself. No, none of the goals were to wake up early. BUT, when I realized that many of my goals could be accomplished simply by changing my morning routine, it was a no-brainer! The cost-benefit analysis is undeniable!
3 Tips for Jump-Starting your Morning Routine:
1. Have a Plan - For me, I'm a lot better at waking up if I have a plan or schedule of what I'm going to be doing; essentially WHY I need to wake up early. I keep my goals in mind and remember that waking up early helps accomplish, not just one, but many of my goals. Figure out what your goals are and work to accomplish those goals when you first wake up!
Meditate on What is Important: As a Christian, my relationship with Jesus Christ is very important. But learning more about Him through studying, reading, and praying is also important. I designate 30 minutes in the morning for reading my Bible. This gives me time to think and pray about his promises, grace, and mercy he has for us. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to and end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23. So, maybe you aren't a Christian, or you don't care about reading the Bible. Find something that is important to you and focus on that. Whether you're a Christian or not, everyone has something to be grateful for. Journaling is a great option. Thinking about these things helps to clear my mind and restart for this day.
Be Productive: One thing we have been trying to get better at is keeping our house continually tidy. The first step for me was getting rid of some stuff, but the second step is keeping the stuff we have in an orderly fashion. I have said for most of my life that everything I own has a place and when everything is in it's place, my house is clean. Well....Nathan does not share this philosophy, and I have let myself morph into his ways. Anyway, the point is, I have time set aside to do some chores before work. For some people "being productive" could mean exercising, or working on a home project.
Remember your Family and/or Housemates: We don't have children, but we do have pets, of which all are needy.... Koba and Yuki are pretty low maintenance in the morning (they just need to be fed), but Justice needs to be let out to go to the bathroom, fed, and taken for a walk. I also make Nathan's lunch (and sometimes even his breakfast). Remembering that people/animals are relying on you to take care of them, can be a real motivation.
2. Prep at Night - I've been doing this for quite a long time, mainly because I always knew I hated getting up, so might as well do as much as possible the night before so that I could sleep longer!
Set out Clothes: Every night, I pick out my clothes, and lay everything out. This includes EVERYTHING, even socks, long johns, undershirts, etc. Anything I'm going to wear the next day is in a pile just waiting for me to put it on.
Prep Coffee and Breakfast: Every morning, all I have to do is push a few buttons and my coffee is made. I've already scooped the grounds and refilled the water the night before. This can be applicable if you drink smoothies for breakfast also. The night before, make sure your blender is clean, and set out the ingredients if possible.
Round up Supplies: Justice normally eats in his kennel and his food bowl sometimes winds up in the VERY back of his "room." When its in the back, I have to get on my hands and knees and stick my head into the kennel to be able to reach it! Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have to do that when I first wake up! So I do it at night. I also make sure the cat's bowls are found as well. We keep all of the pet supplies all together, so I never have to hunt for Justice's leash, harness, or sweater for his walk. Gather any supplies you will need for the next day; pet supplies or other supplies.
Note: I also take my showers right after I get home from work in the afternoons. This gives me more time in the mornings to do other things, and allows for my hair to air dry before I have to go to bed. This won't work for everyone, but that's what I do.
3. Avoid Time-Suckers - Time-suckers are things that don't add any substance to your life. They're just something to pass the time. Sometimes, I think time-suckers are OK, if you need a break or some time to do something that requires almost zero brown power. But wasting your life away doing [essentially] nothing is a bad habit to start or to continue. Instead, I've chosen to fill my time reading, which still could be considered a pointless activity to some people. But trust me, you'll feel like less of a lazy bum if you read.
Binge-Watching: Binge-watching Netflix or some other TV source is a bad idea on a weekday. Sure, I love a good binge watch, and there's no denying that. But watching 3 hours of TV on a day before you are trying to wake up early wastes a lot of time AND does nothing to accomplish any goals! (Unless one of your goals, is to spend as much time watching TV as possible....) Additionally, its a bad idea to watch TV right before bed, especially certain types of shows. They could cause unsettled sleep or it might give you nightmares (cue inside joke with my childhood best friend.... you know who you are).
Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Vine, Pinterest. Those are just the apps on my phone. I know for sure that more exist, and more are to come in the future. Honestly, its crazy how much time and energy we devote to staring down at our phones and/or tablets. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but I decided for myself that I am not going to look at any social media in the morning, until I am sitting in my work parking lot. I don't even look at my phone at all except to turn of the alarm, and to check my text messages right before I leave for work.
I started my new morning routine at the beginning of the new year, and I waited to publish this post to ensure my methods would work. 5 1/2 months in, I can confidently say that Having a Plan, Prepping at Night, and Avoiding Time-Suckers are key ingredients to Jump-Starting your Morning Routine. It worked for me, and hopefully it will work for you!
