Create a Flexible Morning Routine that Makes Every Day Better

Do ever feel like your morning is conspiring against you?

Recently, I found myself pressed for time to make an early appointment, the car keys were missing, my sense of direction failed me once I got on the road, and the parking lot was full when I arrived at my destination. I felt the familiar creep of anxiety. It should be noted that I am often lost, even when not pressed for time.

In contrast, my ideal day starts with a long walk in the sun and quiet time on my couch with my iced latte, Bible, and the Daily Practice. I have had zero days that looked like that in the last week.

I used to live perpetually frustrated by these ordinary inconveniences. I created schedules and strived to make them stick in order to wrestle a measure of control over my days. I thought that would help me feel more at peace. When it didn’t work, I felt defeated and ashamed. The peace eluded me.

I didn’t need a new schedule or a better planner. What I needed was a flexible routine, a series of habits that didn't have to look exactly the same each day in order to bless my life. I needed to let go of something I thought would be perfect and focus instead on small, doable actions that would breathe life into my whole day.

Does your morning routine need to be updated so that it helps you feel better instead of worse? Let’s tackle those mornings together.

Get rid of comparison.

This is step one and it’s important. You are not your friend, neighbor, or spouse, and your needs are different. The only one you need to please is God, and He’s crazy about you. Your friend’s 5-mile run at 5:00am might be the equivalent to your 5-minute snooze on the alarm. Start with a clean slate, free of your past ideas of what you were supposed to do each day to be good or holy. It’s a new day and a new season, so new routines apply. 

Brainstorm all of the good things.

Step two is to take a blank piece of paper or go for a walk and think about what activities bring you life in the morning. What brings a smile to your face? What helps you feel energized? What nourishes your soul the most? If you’re not sure do a little experimenting for the next week and take note of the results.

Shorten that list.

A morning routine needs to be short because it needs to be doable even when you wake up late or don’t feel your best. It needs to be flexible, so that the times can be adjusted as needed to serve you. I would guess that most of us can do about three things consistently each morning, even though some mornings you will do much more than that. The only criteria is that these few items make your day better.

For example, your top three might include a healthy breakfast, reading a book for 15 minutes, and praying over your prayer list. For another person it might be watering the plants, taking a walk, and completing a Daily Practice in the Dawn app. ;)

In some ways this is a make-under. Your routine doesn’t have to happen in a certain order or even in the morning. But completing it consistently will help you feel encouraged and accomplished.

Make room for grace and creativity.

The last step is to consider how you will creatively make these few morning routine activities happen when your morning is less than ideal. Because those are the mornings that you need your routine the most. You may only get one thing done, but the routine will bring order to chaos and help you stay focused on what matters and respond to your circumstances in healthy ways.

Maybe your backup to a long morning walk is a 10-minute pedal on a stationary bike. Maybe your backup to your typical Bible study is an audio Daily Practice in the car. You get the idea. Have a loose plan in place so that you can take care of you, no matter what. Instead of getting frustrated and doing nothing, pick one small thing that you can do for yourself to get the day started well.

Remember that a routine is just for a season. As your circumstances change (job, children, activity level), the routine should change accordingly.

Some questions to get you started.

What seems to be missing from your morning that would help you feel better and more focused for your day?

What is extra that can be moved off the routine, or to the weekend, or to once a week?

How can you remove the striving for perfection out of each task? For example, could you change expectations for yourself to make an activity more doable?

How can you prepare yourself to regroup when your morning routine gets pushed aside by life's twists and turns? What will you say to yourself to keep from losing your joy and feeling defeated?

What reminders can you put in place to help you remember what's really important for you each morning?