The book that started it all
I started working as a remote employee about a two years ago. At first, the transition from going to the office to working at home full time took a while getting used to. I needed to perform my tasks and get all my projects done by the appointed deadline. I needed to create a structure for myself.
I watching a YouTuber named Anna from “Anna Edits” when she recommended the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod in one of her Favorites videos. I listened to the book on Audible and instantly knew this was something I needed to implement in my daily routine.
It took several iterations until I finally got the perfect routine for me. I have to admit, there were multiple times when I needed to stop having a morning routine because the routine wasn’t working for me.
A few of the reasons it didn’t work out multiple times:
- The set time for each task was too long. I spent 30 minutes reading but I felt anxious because of all the other tasks I have to do.
- I was too rigid. I set the timer for each category and I didn’t allow any wiggle room.
- The routine itself was too long. I dedicated 2 hours to finish my morning routine, which was way too long for me.
- Too many categories in short amount of time. I tried completing 10 tasks in an hour, which was totally ridiculous!
- The time I set was too early. I was waking up at 5:30 am, which simply wasn’t sustainable for me.
How I made it work for me:
- I shortened the time dedicated to each task. I spent 15 mins reading instead of 30 minutes.
- I allowed flexibility. If I felt I needed more time to read, I allowed 5-10 mins to dedicate to that task. I would then have to shorten my other tasks.
- I set a time range to complete my routine. I gave myself the liberty to do my morning routine within an hour to an hour and a half instead of 2 hours.
- I designate which tasks were top priorities and others “not-as-important” tasks. If I get to the not-so-important categories, great. If not, I do them later in the day instead.
- I shifted my time an hour later. I start my morning routine at 6:30 am instead of 5:30 am. This time change made it more sustainable for me.
After making the proper adjustments, I saw a big difference in my life! I was more productive thus felt more accomplished and my mind was at ease. This increase in productivity made me want to do it more. The more I did my morning routine, the more I saw improvement my life.
Here is my current morning routine:
Top Priorities
- Read
- Pray/meditate
- Visualization
- Listen to a short podcast
- Workout
“Not-as-important”
- Watch a Skillshare video
- Affirmations
- Organize my space
Final note
If your morning routine hasn’t been working for you, I would suggest trying it in the evening. If it hasn’t worked for you in the past, try doing each task for just 5 minutes and see what happens. If you don’t have a morning routine, you should try it and see if it works for you.
Related blog posts:
- How to Change Your Habit with a Morning (or Evening) Routine
- How Creating a Morning Routine Changed my Life
- 20 Ways to Always Have a Productive Morning
