Why Your Morning Routine Might be Failing You

Feeling like a failure because your morning routine does nothing for you? You are not alone!

Everyone is talking about “morning routines” these days… especially with the start of a New Year.  Hal Enrod even wrote an entire book about it called The Miracle Morning.  I like the book, but I have some serious problems with it, too. I strongly believe everyone should have a morning routine that really sets you up for the day….but I also firmly believe that every individual has different needs for their routine..and those needs will change over time.

I’ve talked with dozens of people about their morning routine (or lack thereof) and found an underlying common thread.  The vast majority of people are struggling to find a morning routine that fits their personal needs. And…even more interesting is the fact that women struggle with this far more than men do.  Women that are working moms have the hardest time of all.  Most of the “experts” publishing books and articles telling you what your morning routine should look like are not moms….and most of them are men.  See the disconnect?

Years ago, I struggled for months to find the right morning routine that would serve me.  A morning routine should accomplish one critical thing and it is this: your morning routine should be 100% selfish.  It should be all about serving yourself before you serve others. And guess what? Serving ourselves is really hard for women.  It is even harder as a mom.

I recently talked with 8 women that all told me they had a morning routine but said their morning routine does not make them feel rested and ready for the day.  After chatting with them, I discovered what they had was a morning task list, not a morning routine.  There’s a difference. If your morning “routine” consists of cooking breakfast for others, packing lunches for others, getting kids ready for school, or just hopping in the shower to head to work, that is a task list.  Unless, of course, cooking for others fills your energy reserves and lights you up.  

A morning routine should consist of activities that refuel and energize you.  A morning routine should ground you.  There is no set amount of time needed for a morning routine, either.

The more I talked with people about their routines, the more I wanted to learn.  So I dug further. And what I found was eye opening!  

Bottom line is this:  your personality type (think Myers-Briggs) has a direct impact on the type of morning routine you should craft for yourself.  Introverts and extroverts do NOT have the same needs in the morning.

Why?  

Well, when you dig down to one of the fundamental differences between introverts and extroverts, it boils down to how you refuel.  What gives you energy? Do you prefer to be alone in a quiet space or does being around people fill your tank and give you an energy boost?  How you refuel is a key driver to creating the right morning routine that serves you!

Last year I ran a 5 day “Master Your Morning” challenge to test this…and the results were fabulous!  Over the course of 5 days, the participants analyzed their personality type and then developed routines to fit their unique needs and circumstances.  No two routines looked the same…and some people needed an evening routine instead. We even covered what to do with infants and young children at home. They throw non-stop curve balls into our mornings!

We had such fun that I have turned this 5 day challenge into a DIY mini-course that will guide you through the process to create the RIGHT routine for you!  CLICK HERE for info!