I have been blogging daily now for 17 days. I am hopeful that I will keep on blogging. Sometimes though I am not so sure what to write about. I wrote a post about it the other day and even came up with some great ideas for blog posts.
The problem is that to do these posts justice I suspect I need to spend more than the 30 minutes. And that is all I currently aim to spend on my morning blog post. However the more I write the easier it should become. At least that is the theory and as time goes on I will be able to tackle meatier subjects as I master the craft.
What I thought you might find interesting is for me to write about morning routines. Routine used to imply boredom for me. Maybe it does for you. But the fact is that a routine will kickstart and enhance your day.
My Morning Routine
So here is mine, as it has developed so far.
I wake up and feed my rather fat cat.
I then go to my desk, pull out my notebook and write for 2 and a half pages. I do this in an ink pen currently. I keep hoping I will see an improvement in my handwriting. Not yet! I need to concentrate on it more.
I meditate, either sitting in silence or doing a guided meditation. I am currently using the Stop, Breathe and Think app.
Then I try a visualisation exercise. Typically I visualise myself crossing the marathon line in a much faster time than my time this year. And I also visualise myself giving a well received speech at a business conference. Visualisation is my weak point, but I am working on it.
I then take some exercise. Not a lot but some. Most of my exercise I do in the evening. I always do press ups and sometimes do a few other exercises.
I then read something. And aim for at least 2 – 3 chapters in the morning.
This is followed by a cold shower. I find it hugely invigorating. I then shave and brush my teeth.
I then come and write this blog post… and sometimes get distracted. This is why at the end of all my blog posts I record some statistics. These are amount of time I spend writing it, how long from starting writing to finishing and how long editing. Along with my score for it’s quality / value.
I take my inspiration for developing this morning routine from Hal Elrod. He encapsulated it in a book called The Miracle Morning. It is a quick read and one worth doing. Quite possibly the most important book I read last year. Some people criticised it for being repetitive. I didn’t remember thinking that. But I can tell you that for me, my development of a morning routine has made my life significantly better. I started doing this at the beginning of the year and then stopped. My productivity etc nosedived.
Now I am building this back up I am once again seeing huge improvements in my life. Surprisingly fast as well.
If you don’t yet have a morning routine you should seriously consider developing one. Miracle Morning is a great place to start,.
Either way I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to know if you have tried a morning routine in the past. Or if you are doing one now and how it is benefitting you. Or maybe you have a routine without thinking about it being a routine.
Time spent writing: 15 minutes
Time since started: 1 hour – including a 30 minute detour on another blog post
Time spent editing: 5 minutes
Quality: 6
