morning routine – Photo credit: elev8.com

Happy Monday! Yes, it’s Monday morning, again…
And if you’ve just had a frazzled, running after the clock (and the kids), “where did I put my keys” (or my head) kinda morning, you may want to continue reading… (and if you haven’t, you can always get a good laugh)…
I happen to be a certified, family-accredited, professional specialist of frazzled mornings. If it ain’t frazzled, it ain’t right…

After all, doesn’t it make more sense to maximize sleep, hit the “snooze” button as many times as we can afford, skip breakfast and shuttle sleepy-eyed kids to school solely on adrenaline? Why honor our mornings and use them to get mentally, spiritually and physically ready for the day? Why not just treat our mornings as we treat everything else these days, as an “instant fix”?

According to researchers at the University of Nottingham and the National Institute of Education in Singapore, willpower is highest in the morning.The further into the day we get, the less motivated we are to accomplish important tasks. So much for that training you’ve been planning to take, or the career blog you’ve been dreaming of writing (ahem)! Besides, as much as we may want to think we can magically catch up on all our to-do’s, “wish-I-had-done’s”, and “will-do-someday’s”, truth remains the one proven way to jump-start our days is to treat our mornings with the respect they deserve…

1. Get fueled spiritually! My pastor always asks us as a congregation how we can afford to get prepared in all ways to face the day, except mentally and spiritually. No wonder so many of us start the day in a grouchy mood, speed on the highway, and use colorful language in the morning…Whatever your faith or spiritual practice, carve out some time in the morning to get still, replenish your spiritual reserves before stepping into this crazy world (or traffic)…

2. Do one thing you love! I do my best writing in the morning hours. That’s also when I enjoy it the most…With two toddlers, a packed schedule and big dreams, putting myself first requires quite some dexterity. Choose the beginning of your day to put yourself first and take care of your own internal engine. Whether it’s exercising, meditating, reading or writing, make the time to treat yourself first! Selfish? Nope, it’s called self-preservation.

3. Start BIG! I believe in tackling big tasks first. One, because that’s when the caffeine rush first hits my system. Second, because getting one big thing done by lunch time gives me permission to treat myself to some form of chocolate-filled snack. Alright, there are other healthier (and more logical) incentives, but my point is, the bigger you start, the saner you might end up after 8 hours or more….Just sayin’…

The Corporate Sis.