Your Morning Matters: Harnessing the Power of a Morning Routine
Imagine waking up and effortlessly auto-piloting into a morning that sets the rest of your day up for success. Imagine in just a few moments of your morning being able to...
Invest in your personal growth
Grow your mental, emotional, and spiritual well being
Prioritize you physical health
What happens in the morning often sets the tone for most of the day ahead. A morning routine is best kept simple and achievable which allows it to be a catalyst for you day. Being that it's the first thing you'll be doing, a good morning routine is one that ignites your mind, body, and soul.
MIND - INVESTING IN YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH
The "mind" portion of your morning routine is the time to invest in your personal growth.
Here are the steps you need to do that:
Choose your Media: What is your favorite way to learn? Is it a podcast, video, a book? Identify the most enjoyable way you like to learn. This will help you stay consistent when it comes to growing yourself personally.
Choose your Mentor: We live in an age where you can find resources on ANYTHING! Not only are resources available, but we can access the wisdom of experts in any field. Identify a few experts that you trust to "mentor" you.
Choose your Map: Now that you have identified what platform you'll be growing and who you'll be learning from, you should map out a personal growth plan. This can be as simple as identifying the first couple of books you want to read, or a podcast that you'll be listening to. Once you identify the resources you'll be using, simply implement them into the whole of your morning routine (See example in my "Morning Flow" template at the end of the article).
"If you're not willing to invest in yourself why would you expect anyone else to." – John C. Maxwell
BODY - PRIORITIZING YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
Life is simply better when we physically feel better. When we can start our day by synchronizing our entire being. It super charges us for the rest of the day. Challenging the body in the morning, even with some simple but intentional movement, is key to doing that. Let's look at the nuts and bolts of making this happen.
The Goal: The first step is simply identifying what your goal is physically. You might already be consistently working out. If so I'd encourage you to see how you can incorporate a moment of your morning to practicing something that might be neglected (for me its working on mobility). Maybe you're not working out at all so simply moving would be a great first step. No matter your fitness level, physically picking a clear goal will be important to this step's effectiveness.
The Game Plan: Now that you know your goal. Pick a plan. There is an insane amount of free resources out there as far as workout programs go. I've shared some of my picks below
The Gains: From here, you simply work your game plan. There are going to be moments when you don't want to follow through, just do it. Literally don't think about it in those moments, just tell yourself "just do it". There are an overwhelming number of people who would tell you they never regretted getting a workout done, no matter how basic.
Health and Fitness Resources
DAREBEE - DAREBEE is an amazing community of fitness professionals that have been providing the world with free fitness resources for years. They have programs for all levels of fitness. I'm a very big fan of their work!
Eric Champ - Eric Champ has a very encouraging success that goes deeper than just fitness. I encourage you to check out his Instagram where he often demonstrates full workouts. You can grab plenty of exercises from him.
Body Project - Body Project Channel on YouTube health and fitness resource that provides great content for anyone looking for full workouts to follow along with.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." – Socrates
SOUL - BUILDING YOUR WELL-BEING
This is clearly a very personal topic for each of us. I'm not here to force the topic. At the same time I would feel that I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't encourage this. This moment in your morning routine can look however it needs to in order to work. Whatever it is you decide to do it will help you tremendously to have a plan. A plan might be a Bible in a Year reading plan. Maybe its a meditation app that you'll use consistently. Another option is a prayer or mediation journal. Plan to have this moment and have a plan for what to do in this moment.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Developing a Morning Routine
(I personally call it my Morning Flow)
The following doesn't have to be in any specific order. The main goal is to answer these questions and formulate a routine that will actually work for you. I've made this template available to you. I hope this has added value to you! As always if you have found this helpful please subscribe and share to the Strong and Steady! You can also follow me on Instagram at @raymillsap
Proud of You!
Taking steps towards personal growth can be uncomfortable. It's worth! I'm Cheering you on! Here's a free blank "Morning Flow" template. Use it as a summary guide to this blog post. If this has added value to you please make sure to spread the word and subscribe!
Morning Flow Template
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