Most of my life, I didn’t give much thought to having a morning routine – I simply went along with the rhythm of the day. When I was younger, I got up for school. A little older, I got up for work. When I had kids of my own – routine was a lifesaver that brought order to chaos. Now, as I find myself in between writing projects – not sure where to start but knowing that I should at least get some ideas and words down on paper - a thoughtful morning routine is something I consider a necessity.
Photo Credit: Bruno Cervera via Unsplash
I know, it seems regimented for a creative person, right? I recently listened to a podcast, where a popular author didn’t like committing to a routine because she thought that it would give her an excuse not to write if things didn’t go according to plan. I get that, I do, but for me – someone who gets overwhelmed with the amount of choices I have in a day, not to mention the enormity of writing a novel – a morning routine is something that helps me focus on what it is I want to accomplish.
My morning routine is rarely perfect. Sometimes I hit the snooze alarm. Other times when I should be meditating, my mind gets caught in a thought loop. Or some days just as I’m about to sit down to work, my dog wants to go out. Or my computer wants to install the latest update. At one point in time, this might have set me back, but I’ve learned to just go with it.
So, without further ado, here’s my latest aspirational morning routine!
7:00AM – alarm. Wake-up!
Make my bed. (if nothing else goes right, at least I’ve accomplished that!)
7:05AM-7:40AM – I usually pop in the shower. It helps me wake-up and at certain times of the year, to warm up. After, I brush my teeth, and do my skincare routine. Then, I get dressed. My “uniform” consists of a super soft t-shirt, and either shorts or yoga pants.
7:40AM-8:00AM – Meditate. I used the word “aspirational” for a reason. This is the part of my morning routine that I sometimes skip, especially if my dog needs to go out. When I don’t skip it – I like to use the Headspace app because I find a guided meditation works best for me. Depending on how I’m feeling, I do anywhere from a five-minute meditation to a twenty-minute mediation. It really helps me settle down if I’m feeling anxious.
8:00AM-8:15AM – Take my dog for a morning walk.
8:15AM-8:30AM - Make a smoothie.
Fill up my water bottle for the morning.
“Do not disturb” gets turned on across all my devices.
8:30AM-9:00AM – I use a planner to plot out the goals for my day. This helps break down something daunting – like writing a novel – into small steps. I’ve also been working on promoting my new book, and I like to write down what plans I have for the week to remind myself what needs to get done. When I’ve written down my goals for the day – I clean up, grab a coffee and sit down at my desk.
9:00AM – 12:00PM – Write! First, I light a candle. That might seem a little extra, but it’s part of a routine that makes my brain go, “Oh, okay, here we are, let’s write!” (and it also smells nice) I open up Word, pop in my ear buds, then listen to white noise in twenty-minute increments (aka The Pomodoro Technique, at least the twenty-minute part) so I can focus on the task at hand. After the first twenty-minute session, I take a quick break, either to grab another cup of coffee or get some fresh air. Then I get back to it. Once I’ve had three twenty-minute sessions, I take a longer break of fifteen, before heading back in.
I know that sounds about as inspired as tar in a flower bed, but it really works for me. Before I started working this way, I would stare into space, write a sentence, check Twitter, write a sentence, check email, write a sentence, think about what I saw on Twitter, write a sentence, pop back onto the internet, then fall down a rabbit hole investigating who said what to whom on Twitter, edit a sentence and then...oops, wait, it’s time to make dinner? There were days I’d literally be sitting at my computer for hours and have nothing to show for it. Having this sort of regimented way to write, actually frees me up to be creative, because I know I need to focus for only twenty minutes.
And that’s my morning!
Why morning? I’m most productive and “fresh” in the earlier part of the day. If I’m on deadline, I usually get up even earlier, so I can get in a few solid hours of writing before lunch. Afternoons are for social media, email, editing, and/or doing promotional work. Does this routine happen perfectly every day? Of course not. Sometimes I’ll have to run an errand, or post something on Insta, or have an appointment. Or I’m traveling. Then, I do my best to get my work done and move the needle in the right direction toward my goals! My routine is simply a tool that helps me accomplish what I need to do.