Get up, Get up , Get your body in Motion

I was inspired this morning on a Facebook Live with fellow blogger Ryan Biddulph. He is a blogger who blogs about . . . blogging, and how you can create a great life . . . blogging. He is a successful writer, blogger, author of many books dedicated to living a traveling lifestyle by his own rules.

The Facebook Live event asked the question, What do you do in the morning to get motivated?

BUT

It did not sound exactly like that. The actual topic was:

“1 way to get a competitive edge as a new blogger that has absolutely nothing and everything to do with blogging.”

And the answer led to the topic for this post. What do you do in the morning? And is it setting you up for success or failure?

Your Morning Ritual

Every day has to start. Do you have a morning ritual. And how does this morning ritual start you for the day? So I will go through my own ritual and ask some of the questions you may want to ask yourself.

First Question: When do you wake up? This may or may not matter you you. For me, it is essential. We must start early to get the juggernaut of our family moving. My wife is the early riser – usually waking between 4:45 and 5:15. I alarm myself for 5:06 – with an expected 2 snooze hits to make sure I am up by 5:30.  On weekends, I allow myself to sleep in until 7.

First Question of the Day: For me, what day is it? Each day has a little different schedule, so remember what day it is is important. This is how I have to start out or else who knows where I will get to. And there are days I am so out of it that I cannot even figure it out. Memory kicks in at some point.

Run to the bathroom: you figure it out, but essentials and teeth brushing are a must for me. Part of this is my morning stretches – including leg stretches, back and arm. I have been stretching out my legs since my first knee injury and surgery. The doctor noted that it was essential to keep my legs strong so bracing would not be needed for life.

Turn on the House: As I noted, my wife is the early riser. I come down and turn on the rest of the lights , start the coffee pot before my shower.

Shower time: I pick out my clothes the night before. This is mostly because we have a baby in our room and I do not want to turn on the lights and wake him up. Wash hair and body and then shave in the shower.

Meditation: I spend time centering myself under the hot water. There is usually music playing in my head. Often I recite the Medicine Wheel of Protection.

Get Out Get Dressed and Get Going: This is usually the end of the ritualistic stuff for me. I must shower in the morning more than anything. My eyes will not work properly without the water running over them. And I have tried splashing my face. Its just not the same. A quick brush through the hair and I am ready to go.

Coffee: I hate to say it, but I drink at least a cup of coffee every morning. I do not know if I would fall apart without it. I haven’t tried skipping it in more years than I can remember. And I have yet to hear a compelling argument as to why I should try it. After the second cup I am wired and ready to go.

Not a Morning Person

I would not consider myself a morning person. I prefer to get myself in position and ready to go through rituals. I tend to be grouchy. Or better described as anti social. However, I am extremely productive in the morning. If not for all the rest of the people in my life, I would prefer to wake up and lock myself in a room and write for 3-4 hours. But I have yet to figure out how to make that work. But following a morning ritual also helps to get me in the right mindset to face the day.

But is there more that I might be able to do? Does this ritual prepare me for being able to get the kids up and off to school, write a blog post, connect with followers, weed my garden, take out the trash . . . ?

For myself, I see 2 places that I can improve:

Diet: There are a lot of improvements and healthier choices I can make.

Exercise: Though I am only 51, I often wake up feeling like I am 80. My stretching helps, but I need to add a little more structure. Will it be pushups and calisthenics? Maybe adding a walk or a run? I would love to start bike riding again.

So . . . What is your morning ritual?

Step 1: Write it down.

Step 2: Analyze it.

Step 3: Consider what you may want to change.