I love the idea of a good morning routine. In my perfect world, I’d wake up around 6:00, have a cup of coffee, read some poetry, maybe write out a few thoughts longhand. If we’re really dreaming, I’d have time for a quick devotional or reading. Maybe a chapter in a book? This sounds like the perfect way to enter the day. I won’t go into the details of my reality but I will say, my reality is pretty far from my ideal scenario.
In her book, Hello Mornings, Kat Lee recognizes that a good morning routine starts the day out right. She also recognizes the difficulty in setting a good morning routine. It’s the rare person who has the time and space to get up, mentally prepare for the day, get in a solid workout routine, and make it into the office at a decent time. So, she suggests starting with three minutes. Even the parents of the fussiest newborn can squeeze in three minutes, right? Lee suggests creating three categories: God Time, Plan Time, and Move Time. In the beginning, each part should take one minute: Read one verse, quickly look at your calendar, drink a glass of water.
This seems simple. I mean, I start my mornings with a glass of water. Surely I could add a verse and a look at the calendar. In the weeks since I’ve started reading this book, all I’ve added is an alarm set to (hopefully) wake me up before Elle. This is fairly hit-or-miss. It’s not Kat; it’s me.
I do appreciate her guidance to starting a routine with baby steps. If I can’t carve out three minutes, why would I be able to carve out a half hour? My problem is that three minutes is such a small goal that it seems too insignificant. And so I don’t do anything. What she’s challenged me to do is reshift my thinking. Maybe I need to diligently start a three-minute morning routine. If it’s so easy, why not? Admittedly, any new routine takes willpower and discipline and I just haven’t taken the steps to do this.
The strength of Hello Mornings is that it is a very clear and easy-to-follow guide to establishing a good morning routine. Lee takes research from other well-known habit books and incorporates the methodology into her own brand. I think it works, as she’s built an incredible community through her website, hellomornings.org. My criticism is that the website is so well run and successful, the book seemed a bit superfluous.
If you’re struggling to establish the first steps in a morning routine, Hello Mornings may be the exact formula you need to get going.
Are you a morning person? What helped you establish your routine?
GIVEAWAY! I’m giving away my copy of Hello Mornings through my newsletter, The Compost Heap. This goes out on the last Thursday of the month so if you’re interested in winning a copy, sign up for the newsletter before February 21!
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
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Annie Rim 
Not a morning person though I’ve tried hard for years. My husband and I do have a routine though, as we both thrive on structure. Coffee and reading in bed for the first hour of waking. This is time when I read a devotion, snuggle our dog, catch up on blog comments or sometimes just read a book. We’re both slow to wake up; this hour of intentional quiet time really helps.
Um, can I come live with you guys? That sounds like the ideal way to start a day!
Haha! We’ll save you mug 😉
I am definitely a morning person Annie and am able to do my best thinking in the early hours before the rest of the family gets up 🙂
When it works out, I totally agree! There’s something so wonderful about starting the day in quiet and alone. 😉