Visualize like there’s no tomorrow (but seriously, don’t forget about tomorrow)
We influence our morning routine. However, we can often hinder progress by holding onto seemingly unavoidable practices. Fortunately, there are five habits we can acquire to bring about a change in routine. Let’s start with the first two.
Keep records of your time expenditure
Along with mornings, the night is another critical time we often dismiss. What we do before bed affects our state after waking up. Noting the things that consume our nighttime can help spot energy thieves. In other words, we need to identify “unavoidable business” that makes us stay late. For example, cleaning the house at 10:30 p.m. seems justifiable when there is no time for it during the day. However, the dishes will be dirty in the morning again; clean windows will not make our life better at this time either. Cleaning can take place on weekends, just like watching our favorite show. Sleep should be a priority.
The morning itself can be a huge frustration if wasted on insignificant things. Older children can cook for themselves and dress for school, as well as our spouses. Responding to emails at 7 a.m. is also impractical when no sender expects the answer this early. Recording all the idle activities will teach us to be more aware of the 168 hours we have in a week.
Visualize your ideal morning
Ideal morning differs for everyone, based on their interests, cares, relationship status, etc. Visualizing our most useful routine will set a productive rhythm for the rest of the day. We should incorporate whatever ignites us regularly – like yoga, painting, reading, and gardening – into our morning routine.
⚡️Picturing our perfect morning brings excitement in advance. Living it out is using that fire to progress.
Laura Vanderkam’s morning starts with a run (unless she wakes up in a romantic mood). Then she spends quality time with her family at the breakfast table. She dedicates the rest of the morning to her career – writing a book and an entry for her blog. Find the middle ground between your needs and your aspirations, and build your morning routine based on it.