I am now well into my 5th week of starting a ‘weekday’ morning routine.
Here’s what I now do every morning – Monday to Friday:
- 0630 Start
- Clean teeth, shave (not every day), shower
- 5 minutes of stretch / mobility routine
- 30 push-ups
- Large glass of water
- Breakfast (usually Greek yoghurt with blueberries or chopped banana on top)
- Black coffee
- Write in online journals (1 fitness journal and 1 morning routine journal)
- Large glass of water
All this takes around 40-45 minutes.
It feels like I’m starting to develop a good habit, that doesn’t take much thinking about.
Just like you would always clean your teeth in the morning, the other tasks are becoming automatic too.
It Doesn’t Always Go To Plan
Not every morning begins at 0630 hrs. Some mornings I’m up way before this time, especially if I get called out on a ‘shout’. (I’m an on-call fire fighter and medical first responder)
If this happens, I may not complete my morning routine. It can’t be helped.
However, I’ve not had any problems getting out of bed and completing my morning routine during my other ‘normal’ mornings.
How I’ve Benefited
It’s not so much getting out of bed a little earlier that has benefited me, it is the little actions/habits/routines I do that set me up for the day.
I feel particularly better for the 5 minutes or so of stretching/mobility exercises.
I’m sooo un-supple, and a few minutes warming up, and gently stretching a few muscles, really helps.
Banging out 30 push-ups straight after, also sets me up for what fitness routine I will be doing for the day.
Perhaps the biggest benefit to this new morning routine is spending 5 minutes at the breakfast table writing in my online journals.
Not only does a journal allow you to track what you’ve done previously, it also holds you accountable for what goals you’ve set yourself.
You can also have more than one journal to help you in different areas of your life. So far I have two, but I may well introduce a third or fourth with the projects I’m contemplating.
They can be updated very quickly with just a few bullet points, and are a great way to document important or fun times in your life.
Lessons Learnt
I need to accept that it is not always possible to complete my morning routine, especially if I have to be at work very early.
If this is the case, I just do what I can, and go again the next day.
The importance of going to bed earlier and getting a good nights sleep. I really suffer if I don’t get a good night’s sleep, and need to make sure I hit the sack before 11pm.
Moving Forward
Although I’ve not struggled to get out of bed at 0630, I’m going to stick with this time for now.
Spring is here and I might find myself starting earlier in the future, but for now I’m going to continue with an 0630 start.
Mindfulness
The only addition I am going to add to my morning routine, is to incorporate 2 to 5 minutes of mindfulness.
It’s an activity that so many successful people advocate, and I’ve always wanted to get into it!
I’m going to start that on Monday.
Everything else stays as it is.
Peter
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