Small Chats: Screw Morning Routines

Hello Peeps,

I got another topic I never got to cover this year to clear up my opinion no one asked for. I think morning routines are going away this next year, slowly but surely people started to say – meh – to the idea. If you are unfamiliar, a Morning Routine is a set of things you do each morning, usually very early. Miracle Morning is a great book and I highly suggest you check it out – as I do love mornings – just not like 5 AM mornings.

So, I think this has been popular, I want to say the last 3 years. Miracle Morning is a great book and I think you should do all of those things – Visualize, Exercise, Journal, Affirmations, Read, Meditate – but they do not have to be done at a specific time. I do all these things, except maybe exercise -cough- and I find them very productive and they make me feel good. I say this, as a morning person, and as a person who likes to get up early even on the weekends to get started on the day. Sometimes I am bored by 11 AM but I just feel like the morning is great.

Having an internal rhythm is nothing new. Everyone has one. There are real night people. There are real whatever people. And it can change over time and if you were a night person in your teens or early 20s you could change at any time. I 100% would have sworn I was a night person. And honestly, I love the nighttime too, as I write this at like 10 PM. I think for me, I am most productive when I can get alone. So for work, that is 9 AM til 11 AM or so and I am alone in the office (I work with Realtors, they work at 10 AM or later in the office) then when I work on home hobbies, that is usually after 8 PM. For me I need that relax time, usually 5 – 7 PM and hangout time, then something clicks and I want to get some more work again. If I could get a nap at noon I would, 10 outta 10 on that. I’ve been asking for a nap pod forever.

So, how does this work with routines? Well, I do a routine every morning. It’s pretty basic and not super in depth, but it keeps me in line with my goals and productive.

When I get in the office at 9 AM – I eat and read the news, cough Reddit, then I review my emails, tag anything I can’t do right now (2-minute rule) and then check my calendar for what is happening that day, where people are, etc – I also time block things when I can, not always (so like, review website at 10 AM kinda block in my calendar)

I usually have my TODOs in my head, however, I do make a list if its terrible long, it can be, ugh but usually I have a good idea of what is getting done that day in my head. Then I review my personal goals, habit tracker, affirmations for the week, make a chore todo list if I need to for home (laundry, dishes, trash, etc) – this helps me clear my head. On Mondays I journal. Every Monday. I have journals going back to 2006, they were not always consistent as I am now, but it’s amazing to go back to my whiny self back in the day. Then by 9:30 typically, I am ready to hit it hard and get shit done. This feels amazing to have all the todo’s and what about that cleared out of my head and I can go be productive for work.

I try to read at noon, I have fallen off this wagon this quarter, but it’s a perfect time for a mental break and just refresh. Also, I don’t each lunch typically – I like to eat small items throughout the day. I find it easier for me, but that may not work for everyone. After lunch, I keep going.

I will say meetings throw me off, and I hate walk-ins, and I know that sounds terrible as 80% of my life is random walk-ins. T_T it just interrupts my mind and really throws me off. I do it, but yeah I am so much more productive if my peeps schedule them ahead of time with me. Then I can plan my time better.

When I am home like I said, I like to relax from time home, usually 5 PM til 7. Then by then, I am bored watching SO play Red Dead 2/whatever game is out at the time or TV, usually, have eaten or done any chores as well, and I hang out in my room. I am not always productive, hell I would say I am hardly ever productive, but it gives me the time if I want. I try to go to bed at 10:30 and I usually lie awake for an hour (ugh) but get there. I am also very lucky to work so close to where I live and it takes me 15 mins to get to work, so I can get up late and get to work on time.

Lately, I have been spending my time studying SEO, goal setting, etc I really love learning and absorbing data. Also, there is SO MUCH TV to watch it’s just sickening. I am always behind on something, no matter the season. And come on Netflix, some of us have lives leave those programs up longer than a month!

So I hope this helps give you an idea of how to make these productive principles work for you. I 100% think everyone has their own clock, mine does not wake at 5 AM. It would honestly prefer 9 AM probably, at least in the Spring (Fall I miss the light!). When I was working shift work in College I remember liking the morning shifts better as well, something about 8 AM til noon just feels more productive.

Have a Happy Week!