Crafting Your Perfect Morning Routine
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[00:00:00] The elusive perfect morning routine is something that so many of us are searching for. Now this will look different for each and every family, so whether you start at 5 a. m. or you don't start till 10 a. m., whether you start before your kids get up or after they come wake you up, the point is just to identify a morning routine that brings you joy and gets your day off to a great start.
Do you want to create peace in your home and be the best parent you possibly can be? Are you ready to feel confident and clear in your decisions? Do you wish you could navigate conflicts and challenges calmly and effectively? Well, there's a way to overcome the roadblocks that are standing between you and the family life you've prayed for, so that you can create consistent routines, find fulfillment and balance, and thrive in your life and family.
Hi friends, I'm Katy Bordeaux, host of Raising Faithful Families, founder of Covenant Collections Christian Parenting Company, [00:01:00] and a certified parenting and family coach. I'm here to help your family be its best for each other so that you can be your best for the kingdom of God. It's time to create a home filled with love, faith, and true joy. Let's thrive together with God at the center every step of the way.
I pray this blesses you. Let's get started.
If I were writing down my positive morning routine, morning routine on paper. It would probably include being up at 5 a. m. and having three hours to do Bible and journal time, do a workout, make breakfast, shower, and get ready before anyone else wakes up. But in reality, I'm super tired and comfy at 5 a. m.
and I never have workout energy first thing in the morning. For the record, that is still my like future goal and I do still plan to get there someday, but for now My perfect morning routine is getting up between six and six 30. I start by making some coffee and some breakfast. I sit down for my Bible and journaling [00:02:00] time and quiet time with God.
If I still have free time before my have to start getting ready for work time, then I do leisurely reading then because I absolutely love to read and it's something I haven't had enough time to do in recent years. I've got so many books that are backed up that I need to get to, and I'm excited to get to, but I wasn't able to find the time to do any leisurely reading until incorporating it into my morning routine.
So from the outside looking in, you might think why in the world would she get up early just to read? But this routine is what gets my day off to a great start. This routine is what brings me joy. I feel accomplished and productive and fulfilled and connected to God as I go into the rest of my day when I achieve this.
So when you determine your perfect routine, remember that that's what you're aiming for. You're not actually aiming for what's perfect for anybody else. Creating a [00:03:00] morning routine that works for you and your family might involve a bit of trial and error, but it's about finding what activities energize you, what helps you feel grounded, and what prepares you for the day ahead.
So here is how to actually get started. Number one, identify your goals and your priorities. Think about what you want to achieve with your morning routine. Is it to have quiet time with God? Is it to exercise? Is it to get a headstart on your work? Or is it simply to enjoy a peaceful start to your day before anybody else is awake?
Just write down your goals and then place them in order of priority. What's most important to you. Knowing what's most important will help you shape a routine that actually feels fulfilling to you. Also consider your long term goals as well as your immediate needs. Do you want to improve your physical health?
Do you want to strengthen your spiritual life? Do you want to increase your productivity? Your morning [00:04:00] routine should align with your goals. Number two is assess whatever your current mornings look like. So maybe before you determine what you want to do, take a week to observe what you're currently doing.
What time do you wake up now? What activities do you typically do first? How do you feel throughout your morning? This self assessment will help you understand what's working and what's not. Keep a morning journal for a week. Note the time that you do these things, how you feel and what obstacles you typically encounter just to give you a more clear picture of your starting point.
And then number three, now it's time to actually design your ideal morning based on your goals, based on your observations, be realistic about what you can accomplish in the amount of time that you have. What activities do you not have time for? How can you gradually make more room for these extra things?
But how can you also stack your priorities [00:05:00] and do this in the order that's going to actually bring you the most joy and actually start your day off in the best way possible. A visual representation such as a written time blocking routine can be very helpful. So, for example, 6 a. m. wake up, 6. 15 coffee and breakfast, 6.
30 Bible and journaling time, 7 a. m. leisurely reading time, 7. 15 start getting ready for work, whatever it is for you. Number four, start small, build gradually. Don't try to overhaul your entire morning at once because then unfortunately you may fall into that all or nothing. Go back to last week where we talked about how to create structure.
This is another place where you can use habit stacking from atomic habits by James clear by attaching new habits to existing habits. So if you already get up and drink coffee in the morning, you could try to just add five more minutes to that routine so that you [00:06:00] can journal while you drink your coffee.
Number five is involving your family. If your morning routine involves others, include them in the planning process. Discuss the benefits of a structured morning routine and how it can make the day run smoother for everyone. Make it a family project to design a morning routine that works for everyone, even if every person has a separate day.
slightly different routine. A family meeting, of course, can be a great idea for brainstorming these ideas and setting these goals. Each family member can share what they think would make the mornings better. And you can create some type of family chart to track progress and celebrate successes and motivate one another.
Number six, as always, you have to be flexible and you have to be willing to adjust because life is just unpredictable. And sometimes routines need to be adjusted. So be willing to tweak this whenever it's necessary. If something isn't working, don't be afraid to change it. you can set a monthly check [00:07:00] in to evaluate your morning routine and say what might need to be changed.
Flexibility will help you stay practical and effective with your goals. And maybe you adjust your routine on the weekends or different seasons. I know that I don't get up at the same time on Saturdays when I'm off as I do on Monday through Friday when I have to go to work or Sundays if I'm getting up for the early church service.
So what are practical tips? For a very successful morning routine. Number one, prepare the night before. A successful morning is largely linked to a successful night. So if you've laid out your clothes, packed your lunches, organized your bags the night before, you can greatly reduce the chaos that you run into in the morning and have a smoother start to your day.
Number two is trying to wake up at the same time every day because consistency will help regulate your body's internal clock and help making getting up, [00:08:00] help make getting up even easier and more natural for your body. This is how I learned that you have to stick to a consistent bedtime routine in order to be able to maintain your A consistent morning routine because good sleep hygiene is going to be crucial in waking up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
And I still, if I have not got to bed by a certain time, I changed the time that my wake up is in the morning because I'm not going to get my day off to a bad start because I didn't have the opportunity to get enough sleep. Number three is limiting screen time. If you can avoid checking your phone or watching TV first thing in the morning, you will do yourself a lot of favors.
Instead, you want to focus on activities that are going to really set a positive tone for the day. That might be reading, that might be going outside, that might be stretching, exercising. Number four, hydrate and nourish your body. Take good care of yourself. Your body is a temple. Start your day with a glass of water.[00:09:00]
Try to start your day with a healthy breakfast. Try to maintain proper nutrition to keep your energy levels high and your concentration high. in a good place. Number five, you want to incorporate some quiet time. Spend a few minutes in prayer, meditation, or journaling to center your mind and your spirit before the day begins, because we know how busy we get and how much life is just going to throw at you.
If you have the time, Or if you can make the time to make yourself spend a few minutes, just, just quiet, just quiet with your mind or just quiet with God. It can really, really, really change the way you go into the day. Number six, it's highly recommended that you move your body in some way, form, shape, or fashion.
Some type of exercise, some type of physical activity, even if it's just stretching for 10 minutes or taking a daily walk, a daily prayer walk, whatever that is, because moving your body will help [00:10:00] give you energy. Sometimes we think I'm too tired to do that, but not realizing that actually being active will give you the energy that you need to be more active.
And it does wonders for your mood as well. So just find something that you can enjoy and that you can realistically hold yourself accountable to, even if it's five minutes, even if it's 10 minutes, because you can always build up from there. Ultimately creating the perfect morning routine is about finding what works best for you.
It's not about waking up at the crack of dawn. It's not about fitting in a workout. If that's not your style, It's just about finding activities that bring you joy, that make you feel accomplished, and that set a positive tone for the day. It's about bringing more fulfillment into your life. You can start small, you can involve your family, you can be flexible, and your perfect morning routine should evolve with your needs as you go.
It should evolve with your priorities. preferences. The goal is to create a [00:11:00] routine that prepares you for the day, starts you off with a sense of peace and a sense of purpose because you deserve that. And I know that you're desiring that in your life for more support, for more strategies. I would love to have you consider joining us in the calm and confident club that can be found at covenant collections.
com slash club. And in there we go so much deeper into different strategies and different routines and different tools and resources that will help you and your family ultimately thrive and achieve the goals that you're looking to achieve.
I hope you found this episode valuable friend and I pray that you're walking away with a new insight perspective or idea to implement Remember that God gives you everything you'll ever need to thrive And I appreciate that you've taken the time to spend here with us today If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe so you never miss an episode And if you wouldn't mind just take 30 seconds to leave a review So that we can continue to reach more parents like us.
I would appreciate that so much [00:12:00] So, so much. Reach out if there's any way I can support you. And I'll talk to you soon. Thanks for listening.
