How to Build an Exceptional Morning Routine

How you start your day is so important. Having an exceptional morning routine can set you up for a great day! Compounded over time it can have an awesome impact on your overall life. I’m serious! Especially if you are a busy woman. Starting your day off on the right foot sets you up for success throughout the rest of your day.

I’d like to encourage you to give the morning routine below a try for the next 30 days, because I know that you will see a positive change within your life!

#1 Get Up An Hour Earlier: 

I hear you groaning. I know it’s hard. But getting up an hour earlier will give you plenty of time to check off the following practices. I think creating this time for yourself is especially important if you are someone who is busy with all the things. This gives you time and space to be alone. And solitude is so important.

You may find that you need or actually want more time for your morning routine, and you can adjust your wake up time however you see fit. During the summer I get up at 5:10am every morning, except Saturday. It gives me plenty of time to check off all the things I need to start my day successfully. I have a solid hour to myself, alone, without any distractions.

Need help developing this habit? The key to habit development is setting a cue, having a set action, and then a reward.

For me it looks like this:

Cue= Alarm clock going off

Action= Rolling out of bed looking gorgeous and ready to tackle my day (haha, I wish! I look scary and I’m basically sleep walking)

Reward=Coffee. Praise God! I will get out of bed for coffee. I love coffee. Sipping on a cup of strong black coffee, while I slowly move through the other parts of my morning routine is a reward for me. It’s incredaibly basic and simple. BUT it works for me.

Your cue and reward need to be tailored to you individually to work. Our action is the same, get out of bed! Think of a reward that will get you up and moving. Something special!

#2 Pray:

It’s so important that we connect with God early in our day. He is our source. He is our strength and our power. The ideal time to pray is when you are alone and sitting in peace. We all have something worth praying for. Pray for your husband, pray for your children, pray for the people you love, pray for your home, pray for your career, pray for your finances, pray for your hearts desires, and your future dreams. Don’t leave anything untouched! Pour everything out, give it all to God. Bring Him into your life at the very beginning of your day, let Him stand beside you as you tackle EVERYTHING else. Prayer is so very powerful, and when you have time to pray without distractions or interuptions it can be an amazing opportunity to feel the presence of God within your life.

“Prayer is the key that unlocks the resources of heaven, so they can be unleashed on planet earth” -Priscilla Shirer

Think about this, you have the key to unlock all the resources of heaven into your day. You just have to pray.

#3 Read Your Bible:

The Scriptures are the Word of God, which the Spirit of God thrives in. -Jentezen Franklin

And you will thrive in your own life if you start your day off with the Word of God. We need to connect with the Spirit through God’s Word, in order to live out the life God truly has planned for us. Connecting with God through scripture early in the morning when distractions are limited is key. You need to be able to focus and absorb everything God wants to share with you. If you prefer a devotional that’s okay too. The goal is to get our hearts aligned and inclined towards God, refreashing our minds and souls. His Word truly is a light unto our paths.

#4: Gratitude

Write down or think about a few things you are grateful for today. It can be five things or it can be 20 things. It’s up to you. The key here is to focus on your blessings and all the things that you have in your life to be grateful for. I actually do this twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. It helps me see more of God in my day when I intentionally sit down to focus on the blessings within my life. It also helps my prayer life, because I can lift these blessings up in thanksgiving.

There is a saying that goes something like, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. Sis, don’t wait until something is missing from your life to notice it, start being more aware of all the positive things in your life now.

#5: Focus On Yourself:

YEP! Yourself. Review your schedule for the day, so you feel prepared and in control. Plan for a workout or some self care later in the day. Plan out what you’re going to eat for the day, so you’re fueling your body correctly and not eating soggy left-over chicken strips off your kiddo’s plate in a moment of pure starvation. Ya, I’ve been there. Maybe plan out time to listen to your favorite podcast. I don’t know what your thing is. But I do think you should focus on yourself while you have a minute without any distractions or interruptions.

I personally use this time to reflect on the person I want to be today and how I plan to show up for my life. I know that I want to eat healthy, so I plan out my meals. I know I want to start running 3 miles a day, so I schedule 30 minutes for a workout that day. I know I want to be an exceptional wife, mother, and homemaker, so I pick one thing I can do today to help me claim that identity. I know I want to encourage and inspire others, so I schedule time to write these blog post and manage social media platforms. If I don’t plan this stuff out, it’s not going to happen.

By including these five practices into your morning routine, you’re creating the ultimate morning, which will set you up for an amazing day. You’ve heard it over and over again, starting your day off with God front and center is always going to be a win. Connecting with God daily should be the highest priority on your list. He shouldn’t be an after thought, He shouldn’t be an I hope I get to that. Sis, you need to start your day off right! Connecting with the source, renewing your mind, feeding your spirit, aligning your heart correctly, and cultivating gratitude will not only have a huge impact on your day, but your life.

And you absolutely deserve a little time to reflect and plan for how you want to show up in your day. Hear me friend, you are worthy of making goals and plans. Of choosing who you want to be and moving towards those goals. But sis, if you never find the time to hear your own thoughts in solitude, you will go through life on auto-piolet. Never truly moving forward.

Bonus Tip:

I love an environment that is set for success. My morning routine takes place in a certain room within our home each day. It’s our sitting room, and it hardly ever gets used by our family. I place everything I need within this room. My Bible and supplies I like for studying, my journal, and my daily schedule are all located on the end table next to a small couch. I bought a super soft blanket, throw pillows, a fantastic smelling candle, and a fluffy throw rug just for this room. I often times have fresh flowers sitting on the tables as well. My reward for getting out of bed is coffee- but it’s also spending time within this room, because I’ve created a space just for myself and my morning routine. In this room the presence of God is incredibly strong. I’d like to think it’s all the prayers I’ve prayed, scriptures I’ve recited, and the moments I’ve spent just being in His presence, sharing my hopes and my dreams.

If you can, I highly recommend that you create a special space for this time. It doesn’t have to be a whole room, but somewhere special just for you. AND if you can’t, well that’s no excuse, these practices can be completed anywhere!

If you have a morning routine already and it looks different from the one above, drop it in the comments below. I’m all about trying new things! Maybe I’ll pick up a new practice from you!

Do you know someone who would be encouraged by this Blog Post? Please share! By doing so you are helping spread His Light to others 🙂

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As always your thoughts and comments are welcome!! Connecting is so important in forming Godly relationships!