“Morning Non-Negotiables” And Why You Must Know Yours
M o r n i n g r o u t i n e s..
if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve read other blog posts telling you how to wake up earlier or examples of inspiring morning routines. I have too! And honestly there were times I was jealous of the people that could get up early and spend 2 hours prioritizing themselves before the busyness of the day began. Maybe I’ll get there someday! But, if like me, you have kids that wake up at the crack of dawn (or earlier) OR you’re just not an early morning person- let’s talk about morning “non-negotiables”- because they are important.
In this post I’ll be covering:
• What are morning “non-negotiables” and why are they important
• My “morning non-negotiables”
• How to identify your own “morning non-negotiables”
How I realized I needed morning “non-negotiables”:
Not too long ago I found myself f r u s t r a t e d by feeling like I could not prioritize my own needs in the morning. I wanted the perfect morning routine. You know.. the hot lemon water, work out at 5am, get showered and ready before the rest of the house kind of routine. It took me a while to accept that just was not practical in this phase of life because I needed to prioritize sleep MORE than I needed those things. However, I slowly but surely I began to identify the things that made a good morning or a not so good one. These core activities became my morning “non-negotiables”- the things that I needed to set myself up for a good day.
Morning “non-negotiables” are immensely important for two reasons:
1. You know you’ll be getting your core needs met before diving in to the rest of your day.
2. They are building blocks to which you can add to OR adjust your routine when you want to or need to
My Morning Non-Negotiables:
Hydration and nutrition - I drink a green powder drink that provides vitamins and supplements in about 12 ounces of water. Within minutes I’m getting some hydration and a ton of nutritional value.
High protein breakfast - If I don’t eat breakfast or eat a carb heavy breakfast I simply don’t feel good. And I’m hungry! So a high protein breakfast is also non-negotiable.
Coffee- I drink one cup of coffee per day after eating breakfast. It gives me energy and I love the ritual of it!
Shower and Get Ready- I have to shower in the morning to feel alert and ready for the day. I am simply not a shower at night person. Knowing that about myself helps me make it a priority.
How to identify YOUR Morning “Non-Negotiables”:
Step 1: Write down your current morning routine. What do most mornings look like for you?
Step 2: Over the next few days write a plus sign next to the items on your list that made you feel good or contributed positively to your day and a minus sign next to the things that did the opposite (i.e. maybe after scrolling social media for too long you had to rush like crazy to make it work on time?)
Step 3: Review your list. What obvious “non-negotiables” stand out? What are things that aren’t so crucial? Shorten your list to the most important things
Step 4: Add to the list anything you’ve been really wanting to be able to do in the morning. For example- iff you’ve been having back pain from sitting at a desk most of the day maybe 5 minutes of morning stretching would really improve the quality of your day?
Step 5: Edit list. Put it somewhere you can physically see it each morning. And don’t forget to continue editing! We have different needs in every phase of life. Having this solid foundation for your morning will allow you to add and adjust as needed!