How to Welcome the Day

Have you ever heard that the tone for the day is set before you ever leave the house?  It gives me pause to think about how impactful those first sixty minutes after waking up really are when I frame it as the starting point of what I want the next fifteen HOURS to be like! What I have discovered is that when I kindly open the door to a new day, I approach my day with more peace, motivation, productivity, and clear thinking.

I love that phrase- kindly opening a new day.  Isn't that just a breath of fresh air? It is directly opposite of my former ways of waiting until the last possible minute and doing everything at warp speed to get myself and everyone else out the door on time in the morning. That way was filled with turmoil and angst, with no room for margin in case of "emergencies". That means when I got to work, I was already battling uphill trying to get over the frustration of the morning...and it wasn't even 7:30 am yet! Not setting a good tone for the day at all.

 And then I was introduced to the life-giving concept of an intentional personal morning routine. I'll be honest. I am not a big fan of the word routine. I kind of equate it with the idea of being in a boring rut. It's really not. It helps me to think of routine in terms of getting in a rhythm.  Now that is an idea I can get on board with! Who doesn't like to feel that they are in a rhythm?

My source responsible for convincing me that a morning routine is THE way to welcome the day with a peaceful mindset was a podcast The Lazy Genius Morning Routine. It was a true awakening. Kendra (The Lazy Genius) explained how empowering "kindly opening the day" (her phrase, btw) could be and I instantly knew I had to do this. I was even more energized after reading her blog, The Universal Path to Life-Giving Routine. After embracing the daily small step and starting ridiculously small, I have found myself building on my routine and enjoying the rhythm that centers around who I really want to be.

Starting small was very foreign to me at first. I am more of a go-big-or-go-home type of girl, but what happened when I tried to make and sustain the sudden "big change"? I crashed and burned after three days and felt like a failure. Example - I wanted more time to myself in the morning to meditate and have devotions, enjoy breakfast and drink my first cup (don't judge) of coffee. So big-or-go-home tells me to wake up a half an hour earlier, journal, make a fresh breakfast and coffee, and sit down by myself to eat, drink, and meditate until it is time to make sure the kids are up. Why in the world did I set myself up to fail like that? It was like magically expecting that I am going to need thirty minutes less of sleep every night just because I want to eat/drink/be merry by myself in the morning. The idea is awesome, but the instant execution was unrealistic.

However, starting ridiculously small gave me a way to succeed and build from there. My daily small step was setting out my coffee cup on the kitchen counter with the K pod the night before. As Kendra would say, "Start with something so small, you can't NOT do it." So instead of changing my schedule for thirty minutes earlier in the morning, I actually just started with something that took less that thirty SECONDS the night before. The next morning it was RIGHT THERE, and so I added the water, and pressed the button. So easy, I couldn't NOT do it, right? Each day I could progress a little further toward my goal. That lead to actually sitting down for a few sips. Then I traded checking Facebook right away, to checking my inbox for my daily Christine Caine devo and reading that for one minute while drinking my coffee. I moved to making an egg with my coffee and finishing the cup. Within two weeks I had a sustainable new habit that centered my thoughts and helped me start the day in a peaceful manner. I love the domino effect of routines!

You guys, the key is the ridiculously small step, I'm telling you! Having a morning routine helped me determine what my evening routine needed to be. I am currently on the path to having a healthier body. So I started thinking...How can I build on my morning rhythm to take better care of my body? I am basically allergic to exercise (don't laugh), so I am going major baby steps on this one. Get this - I started with laying a soft pillow on top of the stationary bike seat. I sound like a diva, but, I swear, that bike seat practically cuts me in half and I am NOT adding a bruised booty to my morning rhythm! 😃 It doesn't get any smaller or more ridiculous than that! I get so bored riding that thing, so my time is only up to three minutes right now. Because that is how long it takes to watch a Jimmy Fallon hashtags clip while I go at it - NOT KIDDING. At least I can laugh while I pedal! Pro tip: Laughing primes you to feel more positive about whatever is coming next in your day. So it's win-win, even if it is a small step. I feel good about my chances of building on this because I have been successful in my new way of welcoming the day with daily small steps. But I finally feel like I am winning at mornings.

Is every morning my perfect ideal?  NO. Because I am a normal person that has to stay up late sometimes... and sometimes that is going to bite me in the butt the next day. Since those times are the exception and not the rule, I know my morning routine is a secure habit. If you need to find a positive rhythm, start with the tiniest step that is so easy, you can't skip it. Don't make excuses about why you can't possibly have a peaceful morning. It comes down to this. It really is up to you and me to create the joy in our mornings.  No one else is responsible for my attitude, my motivation, my productivity, or my peace. I know what helps me set the tone. I bet you can already think of a place to start a new habit, too. I am looking forward to learning more ways I can adapt, execute, and enjoy a rhythm that makes me come alive, embrace my identity, and be who I need to be for the people in my life.