
I was working with a client recently, and she mentioned that she likes to get up and meditate and then workout, and then begin her day with work. She calls it her “Power Hour”.
I love this name for that time of day. There are a few people I follow that recommend a Power Hour! Mel Robbins, James Altucher, articles in Thrive, and MindBodyGreen, and they all have their own spin on it. The consistent thread throughout is that a routine sets the tone for your day.
Having a morning routine is a great way to start everyday. It has a 100% chance of starting your day with the feeling of accomplishment! What does a routine establish first thing? For starters, you actually accomplish something right away. Take making your bed, for example. This is something that takes discipline and at the end of the day who wants to crawl into an unmade bed? Sheets all messy and uninviting! Moving first thing is another accomplishment of your day. Getting exercise in, and counted, means you don’t have that waiting for you after a long day.
Morning is a time we actually have more control over than most any other time of day. Typically, the phone is not ringing yet, or texts haven’t started. Colleagues have their own things to deal with and aren’t on the ready yet, for business issues that need to be handled. Morning is a time of quiet. As your household stirs, you still have the opportunity to manage that time, perhaps differently than the rest of the day. If you aren’t getting littles ready for distance learning, or out the door to school, you can take this time to fit in your movement for the day. Once it’s done, you don’t have to think about it again. You spent the first part of your day accomplishing a few things and it has a great impact on your mindset for the day.
I sit on my morning porch, when weather permits, most of the year and have coffee and devotions. This is a great time for me to wake up quietly. Anyone that knows me knows I am NOT a morning person! My Mom jokes that she used to throw a piece of raw meat into my room to get me up in the a.m.! At my stage of life, I love my morning time (once the first cup of coffee kicks in)! I watch the morning sky get brighter, the fog lift off the golf course we live across from, and listen to the birds. I enjoy seeing other people out and active first thing and it motivates me for the next phase of my routine. I get my workout clothes on and make the bed, and head out the door with my dog Sydney, for our daily walk on the golf course. It’s fairly peaceful on the course at that time of day, other than the crew mowing and managing the golf course and often there is wildlife to look at. It’s a great reminder of everything I’m grateful for. It’s like a walking meditation for me. After my walk I’m ready to move some more, and take the next 30 minutes to complete whatever workout is scheduled for the day. Once that is done, I can move on to work, or meetings, or whatever else needs attention. But, that time (for me it’s about 90 minutes in total), is my time. It’s my way to come into the world and truly sets the stage for my day. If unexpected things come up, they don’t mess with my schedule or interfere with a workout because it’s already done for the day. At the end of the day I can pour a glass of wine to celebrate that, once again, I stuck to my schedule and accomplished some things because I have a routine.
I’d encourage you to think about what your morning routine consists of. Does it get you going each day? Does it motivate you? Does it make you feel like you’ve accomplished something, even if that’s the only time of a given day you can accomplish something? Consider what your own ‘Power Hour’ looks like and see if you can establish something that works for you that includes some quiet time, some movement, and some good nutrition (think protein shake or some great oatmeal with berries and nuts) to kick start you with energy and enthusiasm!
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