So how do you start each day? Are you the kind who jumps out of bed before the alarm rings? Or do you hit the snooze button over and over again? Whichever type you are, once you are up and at it, do you have a morning routine? Not being a morning person myself, the whole idea of a morning routine has been a long-time coming for me. But I see the validity of so much and untold numbers of books expound upon this strategy.
Foundations
As a building’s foundation is the basis for the whole structure, so your morning routine is to the rest of your day. We’ve all had those mornings where something didn’t go right and it threw us off the remainder of the day. Sometimes it is bound to happen as we can’t control everything, right?
One of those books that has helped me the most is “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. If you need inspiration to develop a morning routine, I highly recommend you buy it and get started right away! One of his comments is:
“When we fail to make time for personal development
we are forced to make time for pain and struggle.”
~ Hal Elrod, “The Miracle Morning”
Hal’s book explains his method of “S-A-V-E-R-S” that he does each morning ahead of starting his day. If you enjoy self-improvement and personal development books, this is a great one to read!
Now Matters
One of my favorite phrases from Hal’s book is this:
“Now matters more than any other time,
because it is who you are becoming each day based on
the choices you are making and actions you are taking
that is determining who you are going to be
for the rest of your life.” ~ Hal Elrod, “The Miracle Morning”
I find that so very powerful!
Morning Focus is a journal I write in each morning for the “scribing” portion of the SAVERS process. It’s been tweaked as time goes by, but here’s some information if you want to start a similar journal.
Format Options
There are endless options for how you do your morning routine. When I first started, I had a separate page for each of the SAVERS topics where I wrote out the description of each. I also found a really pretty floral date stamp that I use on each page. Originally, I wrote whatever came to me that morning of the current thoughts and situations in my life. Putting those thoughts out on paper – the good, the bad, and the ugly – was a good start for me. Sometimes it was positive things, or thankfulness for a special event, or sadness over a disappointment.
Then last year, @Amy Hale on InstaGram shared her morning routine. I liked her format so much, that I it’s the one I use currently. For me, it gives a little more consistency in what I write each day. It also gets my thoughts started in a broader sense since there are specific categories to write about. Obviously, you can choose whatever fits your personal needs and preferences.
Praise
My Morning Focus starts with two short phrases of praise. As a cancer survivor, my first “praise the Lord” is always for another day, because each day is truly a gift. The second is something as simple as rain, or sunshine, etc.
Thanks
The next block is “Thanks”. This is where I write out specific things from the previous day that I am thankful for. That can be thanks for a person, something I accomplished, an event I went to, or all of those things.
Confess
Third is “Confess”. Sometimes this is very personal and other times it’s about things going on in someone else’s life I care about. Basically, anything that is heavy on my heart and I feel the need to express it. That can be very cathartic to write out those details.
Pray
The next topic is “Pray”. This is a great reminder to think of others and their needs. Sometimes writing these out can spark a thought of what I can do to help or reach out to someone.
Today
The last item is “Today” where I write out in short summary what my plans are for the day. Obviously, I use my weekly bullet journal for the specific details, so this is simply an overview of the day.
I keep this journal very simple and basic – there’s not even any washi tape – ha! However, I do add color to the flowers on my date stamp and then highlight each of the topic names. Then I go back and read/pray through each item just to allow everything to sink in a bit more.
That’s It
So that’s it! The scribing part of my morning process takes about ten minutes each day. I’ve found it’s such a great start to my day to get me focused on blessings, along with challenges. Taking time to think of others and their needs provides perspective before I start on the tasks of my day.
How about you – do you have a morning routine that gets your day started right? If not, I challenge you to read Hal’s book “The Miracle Morning” and then start your own morning journal. And just a little footnote, after you read that, be sure to get his newest book called “The Miracle Equation”. If you’re anything like me, it will be life-changing and I just finished reading it one week ago!
And speaking of new, be sure to read the next post: https://yourlifeinjournals.com/planning-for-new-growth