My Morning Routine: The Essentials
Photo by Lauren Mancke on Unsplash
In the spirit of the holiday this week, I've tasked participants of Seven60 to think about what and who they are thankful for as their CREATE assignment this week. And I decided to follow along. So here goes: four things I couldn't live without.
Many years ago, I figured out that the best time for an introvert mom (me!) to get time to herself with young kids is to wake up before them. That was what drove me to become a morning person. Now that they are teenagers, I could sleep in every day and still have plenty of alone time in the morning. But, I've grown to love my mornings to myself and feel out of balance when I don't get my routine in.
#1 My Alarm Clock
My son got me this alarm clock for my birthday a few weeks ago, and it's already one of my favorite presents ever! It mimics the sunrise and trains you to wake up naturally at the same time every morning. Since I've been using it, I'm naturally waking up just a few minutes before my alarm each morning.
#2 My Coffee Pot
Same son, different gift giving occasion, also made sure I had access to the perfect pot of coffee each morning. I love that the thermal style carafe keeps the coffee piping hot without it having a chance to burn. I grab a cup as soon as I wake up and head straight to my dining room table.
#3 My Favorite Pen
I've never looked back since I discovered my favorite pen. It's not expensive, but is heavy enough to feel substantial in my hands. I love the way this pen glides across my journal and my planner each morning.
#4 Morning Pages
Around the same time that I established my routine as a morning person, I began a practice that I've had for a decade now: morning pages. I learned about them in Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. Since the beginning, I've learned so much about myself and my business. I love reflecting in older versions to see where the big dreams I mapped out years ago have come true and been replace with bigger and brighter versions.
I'm wondering, what are you grateful for this week as we move into Thanksgiving?
Do you have a favorite routine, a tool you couldn't live without, or a person who always has your back? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.