Honor yourself first thing in the morning. Why you should...and some ideas to get you started!

The other day, my business partner asked me what I was super excited about these days (outside of business and Crossfit) 😉

Just goes to show how well she knows me.

We had just celebrated the launch party of our 2020 PACK Retreats in my home in the company of 20+ amazing friends, clients, past and future travelers alike, and we were celebrating our efforts.

Anywho, you may roll your eyes at this, but do you know what my response to her question was…

My morning routine!

Let the eye rolls ensue… I know I know.

But here’s the thing – my morning routine is all about me!

I take exquisite care of myself these days.

I gave a talk at the IDB last month, and one of the members of the audience asked me what self-care is. I’m not sure I had as good of a response then as what I’m about to offer you, but for me:

Self-care is the level of taking care of yourself that makes you feel exquisite and full of delight, peace, and self-compassion.

Self-care starts first thing in the morning.

I used to be the coach who began taking calls with clients at 7 am and I’m embarrassed to admit it, but at times as early as 5 am and 6 am to accommodate clients’ schedules in Bangkok and Sydney!

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but wow, have I come a long way, from that version of myself.

Now, I’m the coach who wakes up between 5-6 am and doesn’t get on the phone with clients until 9 am as a hard start time.

It has made a huge difference in my life and impact on my business. Huge enough that when one of my best friends asks me what I’m delighted in most about my life, I share that first.

I used to be the woman who if I couldn’t sleep, I’d just get up and start working. I had learned from the best, after all, having observed my father do this for nearly three decades at this point…

She has been replaced by the boss who knows if she’s not going to be able to stop thinking about something on her Fab Five, she needs to get up and write it down for the next day so that she can enjoy her evening and sleep peacefully and soundly.

She’s been replaced by the boss who if she wakes up early these days (like one recent morning when she naturally just woke up at 4:45 am), was overcome with delight about taking an early-morning bubble bath with her newest candle and a glass of warm lemon water only to be followed by her first cup of coffee.

My morning routine has come a long way, it’s not a hard and fast rule. It’s malleable. If I don’t make time for one of these items every morning, I don’t make a big deal of it. And it makes it that much easier to begin anew on the following day.

Because here’s the thing and this is key: I’m not committed to getting it right.

I’m committed to the experience of my life that it makes available for me. I’m committed to relating to my morning routine as self-care, self-love, and self-compassion, not a check-list with which I measure myself against. (Don’t get me wrong, this is certainly how it used to be. I’ve just won that battle. And you can too!)

Your morning routine is YOUR morning routine.

Sure, there are some practices that are really valuable and are tested to make a big difference in your day. You’ll eventually get there too.

But for now, begin treating yourself exquisitely in the morning.

This is your time.

If you have no time, wake up an hour earlier.

If you have kids: For the love of Nancy, wake up before them so you have some time for yourself before all your time is for them. Nancy agrees.

If you think you need sleep, then you need the time for you even more.

I must admit I’m a bit nervous to share my routine with you because I don’t want you to measure up yours against mine, so please please please, this is not an exam to test yourself against.

This is just what works for me. It’s something I love, these are rituals which are time-tested and delight me. And these are rituals which I’m constantly expanding over time.

Start anywhere, if my list supports you in starting somewhere than great, but start somewhere. Tomorrow. Because today is probably too late.

Here’s my morning routine. (I’ve written more about this here and here if you want to learn more.)

I start with a glass of warm lemon water.

While I’m having my warm lemon water and eventually my coffee, I journal. I write a letter to God, to be honest. I share with the divine part of myself what’s going on for me. What I’m grateful for, what I’m struggling with, what I want, what I need, whatever is true for me.

Then I write a letter back to myself from God. I write back to myself from the intuitive part of myself that already knows the answers. We all have access to intuition, I’ve found this to be a ritual which allows me to connect with my subconscious and divine self.

This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but when I was younger, I only journaled when I was upset or heartbroken about a boy.

I was the girl who entered personal development work, and NEVER journaled. Hated it. Didn’t’ believe in the power of it. Only had a very disempowered relationship to it. You get the idea.

Until one day I just decided to put down the resistance and try it and wow. I can’t emphasize enough how much of a difference this exercise has made for me.

Next, I read. 2020 is the first year since becoming an entrepreneur that I’m on track to read 12 books over the 12 months. I read for 30 minutes or sometimes an hour, but regardless of how much time I can allot, I read. It makes a big difference for me. It fills me with curiosity, and new ideas.

Sometimes I don’t recommend reading for people. Sometimes people use reading to distract them from taking action. But for me, reading is access to the inspiration that I leverage.

Next I typically workout and head to a morning Crossfit class. I used to be the person who hated working out in the morning. This was me not that long ago, but I’ve come to realize that the energy and focus and sense of accomplishment I get post-workout is simply more important to me than the resistance. That’s it. I have resistance, I just don’t listen to it.

From there, I come home and shower. Sometimes twice, if I’ve already taken a bubble bath 😉

Make a green smoothie or green juice.

I head upstairs and finish my Fab Five if I haven’t completed it from the day before.

Then I check social media, email, and what I need to do for others.

But, only after, I’ve gotten my needs met for myself.

This is so big and I truly hope you get for yourself, that by you taking care of you first, you will be able to begin honoring both yourself and everyone else that you serve more powerfully and generously.