Morning Routine – 12 Tips to a Great Morning

12 daily habits & tips to change your life through small daily actions over time.

Do you have a morning routine?

Over the years the only two constants with my morning routine is that I have one and that it changes, haha!

Although I’ve adapted it many times to meet my needs and situation, I’ve noticed that there are 12 things that I also keep in one way or another.

Cultivating a morning routine has changed my life. It has helped me through anxiety, navigating trials, moves and job changes. I have been so surprised to find that routine keeps me centered and balanced, ready to win my day.

  1. Wake up earlier. Over the years, wake up time has been different for me. It has changed depending on babies, teenagers, work and seminary. However, no matter what time I need to be up, I wake up an hour before I need to in order to fit in my favorite morning habits. 
  2. Soul Time. For me this currently looks like prayer, a gratitude journal, a daily reflection journal, Come Follow Me study, a conference talk and listening to Jesus the Christ. I have tried adding meditation a few times and so far it hasn’t stuck but I love the idea of calming my mind. For others this can look like affirmation, meditation, anything that keeps your soul centered and happy. 
  3. Make Bed. This one is so important for me. I love to walk into my bedroom to a tidy, clean room and my bed takes up a huge part of it! I don’t make my bed on Sundays. That day’s routine looks different for me. Intentionally.
  4. Hydrate. This one took a while to figure out. The minute I walk downstairs I see all the things that need to be done during the day and it instantly shifts my focus. I now keep 4 water bottles filled and next to my bed. I grab one and drink it. I also keep a 5th small water bottle that I fill up at night with 8 oz of lemon water. It wakes me up, I love morning lemon water.
  5. Learn. This changes all the time and I love it. I thrive on learning new things. Currently each morning I listen to a self-development book or podcast, and part of whatever Skillshare I am working on. I also memorize a quote, I enjoy having positive sayings that my mind can pull up.
  6. Tidy. Each morning I set my time for a 10 minute tidy. Part of my nightly routine is to shine my sink (any other fly lady fans out there?) so my kitchen is typically clean when I wake up. I like to walk through my house and tidy each room, I never go longer than 10 minutes but I keep from really ever needing to do a big cleaning day. I bring a load of laundry and start it. I swish one toilet and sweep or vacuum one of my rooms. This usually doesn’t take 20 minutes total.
  7. Move your body. Every morning, I do a handful of yoga stretches, 50 jump squats, 50 lunges and a minute plank. Then a dog walk. There are days I don’t make it to the gym so getting these in makes sure I have done something.
  8. Get ready for the day. This includes face yoga, a shower and sometime makeup, haha!
  9. Fuel your body. I typically have a protein shake because I am heading to the gym after my morning routine is done.
  10. Review your goals. This is a new one this year and I love it, I pull out my goal timeline and look through it. I am shocked how well this helps me stay on track.
  11. Choose your ‘one thing’. If you haven’t read the ‘ONE Thing’ by Gary Keller, I highly recommend it. It will shift your goal making and to-do mindset. Essentially I choose one thing that will make the most impact on my life goals.
  12. Serve. I like ending on this one. After focusing on my growth, I love turning my heart outward. I enjoy quiet reflection on who I can serve today and how.

February 2022 Calendar with Holidays Digital Printable

Everyday is a special day and it’s fun to find something to celebrate. February is full of lots of fun, silly and even important days that give excuses to indulge in things like comfy day and eat ice cream for breakfast day. You can appreciate others with random acts of kindness day and make a friend day.  Print your own calendar and choose a few days to commemorate with your family throughout the month!

Print your 8.5″x11″ February 2022 Calendar here!

 

Lemon Wars

This was one of our favorite socially distanced activity we did as a young women group.

I found the idea on a YW Facebook group and was so grateful for the idea!

We gave each girl 2 lemons and asked them to turn them into something amazing such as cookies, lemonade, cake or a craft. We also asked them to share their favorite scripture.
The girls came up with amazing creations and had so much fun!

 

Click Here to Download

Young Women Individual Worth Valentine’s Activity

​Looking for a February activity for your Young Women? Our older class presidency had heard that many of their young women were struggling with their intrinsic worth and wanted to do an activity about positive self worth. We worked together to come up with an activity.
The greatest take away they wanted was for the girls to realize they are Children of God and nothing can change that no matter what they experience or do. They used this talk and this talk. The class presidency also wanted the girls to do the ‘I Am’ activity that Life’s Journey to Perfection shared which was wonderful!
The girls brought Valentines to exchange with each other and decorated cookies from the cookie kits we put together. The Young Women got the most excited when we told them that their parents had written them a Valentines that they could find in their.
We also shared President Thomas S. Monson’s quote:
“Your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there”
(“We Never Walk Alone,” September 2013 general Relief Society meeting).
You can print your own HERE

February 2019 Edition  – Top 5 Podcasts for Goals Setting

1.  Life Coach with Brooke Castillo

Podcast:  https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcast/253/

2.  Jenna Kutcher – Goal Digger

Podcast: #10 Goal Setting For People Who Hate Goal Setting

3.  The School of Greatness – Lewis Howes

Podcast:  https://lewishowes.com/podcast/discipline-yourself-for-greatness-with-eric-thomas/

4.  Achieving Your Goals with Hal Elrod.

Podcast:  #244 The 4 Questions That Will Change Our Lives [#1 Most Popular Episode]

5.  Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn  

Podcast: https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/podcasts/best-year-ever/

Start Now

My goodness, but this is true!  I love learning new things but you learn pretty quick that you have a lot of growth to make.  Just never give up.  I have also learned that.

About 6 years ago, I decided to start an Etsy shop.  I had always loved art, had taken so many art classes at college, had been a professional photographer for 5 years but was so ready to start something new that stretched me.  I was sitting at my parents dining room table the day after Christmas and pushed the button to open my shop.  For 6 months I had one item in my shop.  I made a sale here and there but in June I set to work setting up shop.  My shop grew, I met amazing people around the world, and have LOVED every minute (even the times of painful growth has been beautiful!) but that didn’t mean I knew the answer to every thing that came my way.  Lots of reading, learning, support and mistakes later and I am still learning, haha!  It has been so much fun though.

Last week I started something new and it is exciting and scary all at the same time, but love the opportunity!

Try that something new you’ve been saying you were going to do!  Go ahead, scare yourself a little, you will be amazed at who you are this time next year if you stick with it.  I promise!

Want your own copy of this print?  Download and print yours here!

xo,
Annaka

Free for personal use only. These file may not be altered, sold or used commercially.

©398dot2. All rights reserved.