develop a daily morning routine

Is that I get up and walk the dogs while it’s still dark, unless it’s raining (I find that in the dark, they’re more timid and less likely to try to pull my arm off) and do a little something around the house so it isn’t so messy.

I think this is worth trying again.

Funny how one thing leads to another. Because I had agreed to write and deliver the Prayers of the People for church last Sunday and needed to meditate on Sunday’s readings in preparation for writing the prayers, I discovered one of the online lectionary sites and ended up getting up early every morning last week to read the daily devotions readings and the Daily Forward meditations. Then Sunday during the inquirer’s class, someone mentioned that there were online resources for praying the daily office which of course I had to check out. One of the best most peaceful times in my life was a week spent in a convent in upstate New York. So this week I am praying the Daily Office and my morning and daily routine is taking shape around the four prayers.

5:00 – meditation followed by morning prayer

6:30 or so – crawl back into bed to awake with my love and sleep or rest while she prepares for work

8:00 – breakfast, dressing, housework (a single task)

9;00 / 9;30 – reading

12:00 Midday Prayer, followed by lunch

Three days into using the morning routine, and so far so good. I’ve moved a few things around and the whole process has gotten heaps quicker even in this short time. I’m definately going to stick with this. A few changes to the routine itself are still needed,and more practice so I can get through the whole thing automatically without reading the list.
I like the morning routine cause I feel like I’ve accomplished something in the day. I’m a bit worried that this proud feeling will only last while the novelty of doing it is still around. I’ll keep working at it and will find out.

1. The snooze button is evil
2. Rinse and fill waterbottle – add dash of lemon juice
3. Read over daily to do list
4. 10 mins easy stationary biking, 20 mins stretching
5. Paleo breakfast; pack lunch if uni day; do dishes
6. Body brush, shower, moisturise, brush + floss teeth
7. Style hair
8. Makeup; tinted moisturiser, curl lashes, mascara, lipgloss
9. Get dressed
10. Write in journal and on with the day!

http://zenhabits.net/2007/03/discipline-is-illusion-motivate/

During transition times, the routines are so easily disrupted, which is necessary and inevitable. The interesting thing to observe is the amount of time it takes to return to them. Perhaps I need to question the inevitability of their being disrupted. Are the routines not there to help us smoothly navigate the transitions in our life? Perhaps I let them go too easily.
My focus is elsewhere. Doing laundry seems of little consequence. Perhaps it is just the need to play. Need I worry that one day of play will lead to another and the routines that I have worked so hard to create will be abandoned and forgotten?

goal 1: wake up before 10 am

routine posted like this has been great. It clarifies for me exactly what is essential each day. I use it constantly for reference and then check things off on my Above and Beyond PIM. The combination is working very well for me. Now I’m going to attempt the same thing with a weekly routine, so that I can go from one to another easily.

let go the computer in your mornings, woman!