I am and have always been a morning person. A lark through and through, I get up insanely early and going to bed at, ahem, 9pm. This needs to be brought up before I share my routine because I am one of those people who truly LIVES for mornings. It’s just how I’m wired. The fact that morning routines are now a thing excites me because more and more people are seeing the great benefits of having some morning time to themselves before the day begins!
Since I’m not a night owl at all (I basically want to put on pajamas the second I come home from work!), my mornings must be optimized to full capacity. Without further ado, I present to you my morning routine.
4:30-4:45 am: (Yes, that’s 4:30am. It’s not a typo.) I change into workout gear, take my dog out on a quick walk around the apartment complex, and do some other boring things like feed him, make me coffee, throw some dishes in the dishwasher.
4:45am-5:15 am: Workout. Right now it’s Piyo from BeachBody, but some days I’ll switch to a yoga video or Country Heat (turns out line dancing is great exercise!).
5:15am-5:45 am: Quiet time. I grab my coffee and read my Bible and pray. I’m normally going through some sort of Bible study so it tends to set the direction of this time.
5:45 -5:55 am: I plan my day ahead with my Full Focus Planner, where I set my top 3 goals, write any other to-dos and notes. Then I read over my goals for the year and month to remember what’s important to me that day. I try to end with one minute of visualizing what a successful day ahead looks like.
5:55am-6:10am: This is actually split into two 7-minute sections, where I read for 7 minutes and then write for 7 minutes. It’s said that people who read are more successful and I like to spend that time reading something non-fiction that goes towards my goals. Then I journal for the rest of the time about whatever is top of mind, whether that’s what I need to do, or feelings I just need to get out on paper.
6:10am-7:10am: I get ready for my day, including anything needed for work, like making extra coffee, throwing my lunch in my bag, etc.
7:10-8am: Now we’re at the real reason I get up so early. These 50 minutes are my side hustle time. I work with coaches during this time, or write more articles, post blogs or videos, etc. Since I’m really good for nothing after work, my mental energy towards my business gets put in the morning…. And sometimes my lunch break.
Okay, so that’s it. Yes, it’s a lot, but I love having my goals getting checked off before heading out the door to work. I love the time for me to work on my priorities. And while I don’t think everyone needs a morning routine that’s this intense, I do think everyone should have a morning routine.
Want to learn how to create your own morning routine? Stay tuned! I’ve put a guide together to help you do just that.
Cassandra Thompson is a career consultant and speaker with a strong passion for building relationships both off and online. You can find her at www.cassthompson.com and youtube.com/cassthompsoncareeradvice. She also will drink iced coffee in any kind of weather so please share with her your favorite iced coffee in your city.
