For years, this meant the usual, get up, get kids ready, breakfast, shower, get ready, off to work. That kinda was my morning routine. It felt rushed, I felt unprepared and I always felt I was trying to catch up.
I love reading and I love personal development and have done for many years. Like most people, I juggle a million and one things at once, which sometimes can be very overwhelming. So, having time to myself where I can focus, plan and reflect, is important to me.
Trying to “book” this time out for myself, has always seemed a little selfish and I didn’t ever seem to have the time to do this. (That sounds crazy) It amazed me how so many other people seem to achieve so much in the same 24 hours. Unless they have managed to slow down time, I had no idea how they did it. I needed to manage my time more effectively, but didn’t fancy doing another time management course…
I was lucky enough to discover the “5am Club”, an incredible book by Robin Sharma. My initial thoughts when reading the book was ‘I am going to have to get up at 5am every morning, this isn’t going to work…5am! 5am! This is so early and what would I do from 5am? It’s still dark…’
But I can honestly say that this has been a game changer.
How often do you go through the day, reactive… with no real plan or structure. How does that feel? Or is it just a full day, blocked out for “work”?
Have you ever had the luxury of a peaceful morning, with nobody about, no “Mum, Mum, can I have a drink” or “Do you know where my top is?” …no, just total peace and quiet, with a lovely coffee in hand…I love those moments…
I don’t know about you, but from the moment I wake, my mind is like a talking to do list, with a running commentary on what needs to happen throughout the day. I need time to focus on what I wanted to get out of the day. I also love a plan, so goal set regularly. Having the time to review my goals is also important.
I also noticed that my mood in the morning, could and would have, a massive impact on how the rest of my day was set up. So, having a couple of hours of time to myself, just for me, sounded like it could be amazing. It meant that I could get a chance to read, have some headspace, review my goals, and plan my day. All before 7am.
So how does it work? It’s easy…you set your alarm clock for 4.45am and then you get up. Once you get used to this, you can get up earlier. The feeling of getting so much achieved before the world begins is incredible. Sounds easy, until the alarm goes off and your mind tells you it’s too early and then maybe you sleep in… However, when the day is over and you have not managed to read, plan the day or had that truly needed head space, I don’t know about you, but I felt robbed of my time. I also had the feeling that maybe, at some sub-conscious level, I was trying to self-sabotage a successful day.
So, my morning looks like this:
4:30am Alarm goes off (I have now started to set it for 4am)
Everything is quiet. I DON’T check my phone for messages or emails… I get changed into my joggers and top and spend about 20 minutes listening to “Headspace”. I love Andy and the quiet meditation gives me the positive set up for the morning. I have a large glass of water.
Why do I do this?
This gives me some valuable space, just to be. I don’t think about anything during this time (this took practice). I am conscious that the start of my morning is important and I want to start this in a really positive way.
4.55 I pick a book to read or listen to a book via Audible.
I make sure that this is something that inspires or motivates me
Why do I do this?
I love reading. I love learning. For me, moving forward, growing as a person is important. Reading gives you an insight to so many things and there are so many great books!
5.20 I review my goals for the week and month.
I remind myself of what I want out of life and why.
Why do I do this?
Would you get into a Taxi without giving him/her any directions? Why would we do the same with our life? For me, having goals keeps me highly motivated. It keeps me excited about life and reminds me how great the journey is.
5:45 List all the things that I am grateful for.
Why do I do this?
This is where is all starts, being grateful. I am guilty of taking so many things for granted and now I spend a couple of minutes every day, just writing down everything that I am grateful for. This keeps me humble and grounded.
I also like to journal, so will spend 10 minutes or so writing down how things went the day before and what things I have learnt. There is something quite nice about going back over your journals and seeing how much you have progressed through the months or years.
6:15am Plan my day
Why do I do this
I love my daily plan. I will normally have bits that I have planned for the week. However, I like to review my day and ensure that I have listed the things that are important to get done that day. I think it helps to keep me on track.
6:30 Exercise
I like to train. This gives me such a sense of wellbeing and something that I love doing. I spend so many hours sitting on my backside, I NEED the daily exercise. I have never come out of a training session and thought – “I feel horrible now”. I know that I always feel great and strong. Training regularly is such a great stress reliever and I think that if you exercise regularly, you tend to eat healthier too!
Your morning training session could be some simple stretches to get the body going, or you may feel like a full workout at the gym, a jog around the block or maybe a Shaun T DVD!
The rest of my morning then starts….
What have I truly got out of this and how does it make me feel?
For me, I feel this morning routine sets me up for the day. I get time to improve on myself mentally, I get time to just be.
Remember that this is your life and your journey– so you don’t have to stick to my routine, maybe add in bits that work for you.
Give it a try and I would love to hear how you have got on!