Morning Routines: Trending Ideas Every Woman Should Try

My mornings used to be a mess. I would hit snooze multiple times, lay in bed, and then piddle on my phone. Then when I’d finally drag myself to get up and on my feet, I’d wonder why I already felt behind for my day.

Annnnd….every single morning started the same way. Alarm goes off. Snooze. Piddle. Rinse and repeat.

Then I'd come across some influencer’s 5am morning routine video. Perfectly done hair, matching workout clothes, sipping something green, and brightly smiling into the camera.

C’mon now! That video was clearly scripted and NOT filmed at 5am.

I’m a realist.

And the reality that I’ve found is...that you don't need a perfect morning to have a impactful one. You need something that suits you, not someone else's highlight reel.

Because I promise you, that there are tons of women who are creating real change and growth. And they aren't waking up at 5am. They're not meditating for an hour every morning. They're not doing “all the things.”

They're doing a few right things. Over and over again. And it's working!

So even if you’ve only got 10 minutes or even an hour, what I'm about to walk you through might surprise you.

No matching activewear required!

I tried the cold shower thing. I’ve also tried smoothies that made me question my life decisions.

Ugh, no thanks!

You know what happened any time I’d try to do something crazy and drastic? I'd do it for a few days, give up, and then feel guilty about it for the rest of the month.

But then I'd find a NEW routine to try, go super hard for a few days, flame out again, and the cycle would repeat.

I made the mistake of thinking a morning routine had to be ridiculously aggressive for it to work.

And I’m telling you that the guilt spiral is oh so sneaky. Because every time you “fail” at a routine (that was never designed for you anyways), you start believing you're the problem.

You're not disciplined enough. You're not a morning person. You're not cut out for this.

But the routine was the problem. It was never right for YOU!

Soooo...after lots and lots of trial and error (and shame and embarrassment), I stumbled onto something embarrassingly simple.

Count backwards with me. Here we go!

3...2…1

That’s it! One. 

Doing ONE focused thing.

One thing. Before your emails start coming in. Before the kids need breakfast. Before your boss pings you. Before the list of to-dos fill your brain. Simply one thing that moves you forward.

You can call it the First 15. Fifteen minutes (or 10 minutes…you get the idea) of something that's for you. For your goals, your future, anything!

And it looks different for everyone. Maybe it's…

Pulling out your vision board and reviewing it while your coffee’s brewing

Spending 15 minutes on your side income project before the house wakes up

Writing down 3 things you want to be true 6 months from now

Reviewing your monthly goals on your phone (takes less time than checking scrolling social media…and it’s way more productive)

Mapping out the ONE thing you're going to do today that’s totally doable

Fifteen minutes. That's nothing... and everything.

If you want to try this, here's how I'd recommend you start.

Once again, Pick ONE thing

I know it's really tempting to want to establish a rigorous routine right out of the gate. But in my opinion, that just makes you more likely to end up quitting. Good news, you can always add more later!

If a close friend asked you to meet them for an important conversation at 6am, what would you do? You'd be there of course! So be there for you too in the same way. This is your time. So protect it.

Here's what I know for sure after years of trying every routine under the sun. The best morning routine is the one you'll actually do. Over and over again. Even when you’ve got a lot going on in your life.

I believe that fifteen minutes of intention is far better than two hours of someone else's perfect morning that you can't (and won’t) maintain.

Ready? I hope so! Because here’s your homework.

So tomorrow, try it. Set your alarm 15 minutes early. Pick your one thing and see what happens.

I think you might surprise yourself.

I’m not sure where you are in your journey right now, but if you're growing something on the side and trying to carve out time for yourself in the middle of a full life... just know that you're already ahead of most people.

Most never even start. But here you are here, reading this, thinking about your mornings differently.

Keep going, I’m cheering you on!