A Morning Routine for Normal People

With the new year fast approaching, many people are examining their lives and making resolutions to improve themselves.

If you're like me, your goals likely involve making better use of your mornings. With titles like "5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM," self-help articles abound in ways to supercharge your day. They generally sound something like this:

1. Get up at 5:00 AM. Schedule time to sleep when you're dead.
2. Listen to an audiobook while doing yoga. On the treadmill.
3. Bathe in ice water. Visualize all the unsuccessful peasants you'll step on today.
4. Eat a protein-rich breakfast of condor eggs and avocado toast.
5. Write in a journal. Use terms like paradigm shift and thought leader.

I've tried some of the ideas in these articles. They're not bad. And, as a millennial, I have to love avocado toast.

But freezing showers? 5:00 AM? Not my thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they're not yours, either.

Image credit: Giphy

For those of us who don't find paradigm shifts or thought leadership particularly exciting, I propose a different morning routine--one that doesn't require a certain amount of protein in your breakfast or an eagerness to die.

And it's incredibly simple:

Just get ready for your day . . . but also give yourself time to do at least one thing you love.

Love to read? Make time for a good book before you head to work.

Have a garden? Breathe some fresh air and enjoy your flowers in the morning.

Play an instrument? You may want to check with your roommates, but start your day with a song or two.

And if your ideal morning still involves a treadmill or a frozen bath, those are great ideas, too. The whole idea is to start your day the best way possible--for you.

Image credit: Giphy

As for me, I set aside some writing time each morning, and I can tell the difference when I miss it. I love going to work knowing I've already gotten to express myself creatively, and my customers and my company benefit from that positive energy, too.

The bottom line is, take care of yourself. Make your health--physical and mental--a priority. We all define success in different ways. But good things follow happiness.

Here's to a happy and successful new year, friends. I can't wait to see what you do with it!