Why I Don't Have a Morning Routine
The amount of material out there about the things that you can (and should) do in the morning to maximize your routine is insurmountable. I’ve read books focused on how to be most productive in the morning, I’ve read blog posts about how to be most creative in the morning, and I’ve watched YouTube videos about how to just GET YOURSELF OUT OF BED.
In college, I had a pretty strict morning routine. Even when I moved out, for the first couple of months, I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing every minute before I left the house to head into the office. The morning was filled with things that were both productive and that make me happy. But I never left myself transition time and would often find myself watching the clock - deciding if I had enough time to make it through another paragraph or watch another short TED talk. But then I had a realization - I don't have to live like that.
I decided I needed grace for myself and my mornings. There are plenty of nights (probably more than I should admit to as a 20-year-old) where I climb into bed at 9 or 9:30. When that happens, I am able to jump out of bed at 6 ready to conquer my to-do list. But there are also nights where we have company over or I watch a few too many episodes of Gilmore Girls (which still doesn’t put me in bed much later than 11:30 if we are being honest). On the morning after such nights, sleep is a bit more crucial to my health and sanity than reading a few chapters of a book. I know research says that it is important to get a consistent amount of sleep and to go to bed at the same time every night - I’m just not at a point in my life where that is very feasible, and that is where grace comes in.
So I've decided to embrace not having a routine for this season of my life. Some mornings I might wake up dying to delve into website development, marketing, or research on behalf of my business. Others, find me wanting nothing more than to stay in bed and read. Some mornings I just need to tidy my apartment so I can find calm when I get home from work. I think that those are all great ways to spend the time I have before work - and often I still incorporate bits of all of those activities into my morning. Right now, I find great calm in knowing that I have the freedom to do whatever I want and to be prepared for the day throws at me.
There will definitely be times in my life when I have a strict morning routine. And I am inspired by the people who have done the exact same things every morning for years. I have no doubt that I will end up as one of those people myself. But I know that even those days will be considerably easier if I can master the art of showing myself grace now.
Until next time,