A new year is the perfect time to make small changes to your morning routine. Starting your day off on the right foot is beneficial in so many ways. Not only are you able to get more done by waking up early, there are so many benefits for your mental health wellbeing and more.
I thrive on having a routine and without one I would not be where I am today. Monday through Friday my schedule looks pretty much the same. We get our school/work done during the day, spend some time outside and have our nightly bath/dinner/story/tv time together as a family. Nothing exciting really but I wouldn’t change it any way.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, blogger, work from home, work from an office, or stay at home mom, these tips will help you start your day off for success so you can conquer your to do list and achieve your goals.
1. Wake up early
Monday through Friday I wake up around 6 a.m. I work from home now, but when I used to work in an office, I would wake up at 5 AM – I just can’t do that anymore it’s a little too early for me BUT if you can manage it, do it!! Even though we are in home school and work from home, I like to get an early start to the day.
Waking up early is refreshing and allows you to conquer more in your day. I’d much rather wake up early and work with a fresh mind than stay up late working half asleep. That first hour of the day I respond to all of my e-mails, write out my to-do list and lay out what my day is going to look like.
2. Wash your face
This is the reason I get out of bed every morning lol. Having a good beauty routine both in the morning and evening is so important and I truly look forward to washing my face every morning. Not only does it help wake me up, but my skin feels refreshed and it really helps start my day!
3. Make your bed & tidy up
I can’t start my day without making my bed or putting away all of the dishes. I neverrr leave dishes in the sink to wash at night but I do leave them out to dry over night. After I make my bed every morning, I put away all the dishes and do a little bit of tidying up so the house feels clean and refreshed- nothing crazy just fold blankets, throw toys in bins, etc. Never takes more than 15 minutes or so and it’s nice to have a clean home every morning.
4. Listen to podcasts
I start off every morning listening to an audio book or a podcast. I love learning and hearing stories from entrepreneurs. It’s motivating and encouraging as you gear up to take on your own day. Some of my favorites include: How I built this, Stuff You Should Know and Rachel Hollis’ old interviews (scroll through the Rise podcast archives) & The Influencer Podcast.
5. Write/re-write your to-do list
I keep a running planner and to-do list going on a weekly basis but it also helps me when I re-write everything that absolutely needs to get done that day in my daily planner. It’s rewarding checking off your to-do list and helps better plan your week.
6. Eat a healthy breakfast
I have to admit, I am not the best at this and a bit of a hypocrite because I don’t eat breakfast but hear me out here. I stopped drinking coffee a year ago when my anxiety kicked in but I love to drink chai tea in the morning. I drink two cups every morning and it’s pretty filling so that’s usually what I have until lunch time. Like I said, not the best, but it’s what works for me and I 100% recommend a healthy breakfast if that works for you, it’s what I did when I used to work in an office but somehow it slipped out of my schedule.
7. Catch up on the news
Every morning I skim the news to see what’s going on in the world. I read CNN’s 5 Things You Should Know and the Skimm’d is also a good one. You can subscribe to both of these newsletters and they’ll come straight to your inbox every morning. I do a quick scroll on social media and make sure I am current with all of the happenings.
8. Revisit your goals
We all have something that motivates us and I like to remind myself of my goals every single morning by revisiting my vision board and dreaming a bit of the possibilities. This motivation reminds me why I do the things I do and helps me kick-start my day. I keep my “vision board” in my planner and you can find out how to make one here.
