What does your morning look like? Do you start the day at a panicked Warp 9, flying from your bed after hitting the snooze several times? Do you skip the coffee because you’re late, only to reconsider and pull into a drive-thru, then grit your teeth because the line is taking so long?! Do you slink into work, trying to look professional, but barely disguising the fact that you’re panting from running through the parking lot? And then you realize you’re wearing two different shoes…
I know that morning, because it was my daily struggle until I started waking up early. (Like, really early.)
I loved the change in my life. But I still wasn’t optimizing my morning routine. People in the blogosphere kept talking about their “Miracle Mornings”. So, curiosity got the best of me and I bought the book, The Miracle Morning. I was already having a miracle morning, wasn’t I? After all, it was a miracle that a night owl like me could ever transition to becoming an early-bird.
Wrong. Well, not really wrong. Just not optimal. If you haven’t read the book (I highly recommend it if you feel like you need a reboot!), it outlines a framework for beginning your day. And you start with silence.
Silence is hard!
Have you ever tried to tell your brain to stop thinking? It doesn’t work. I tried this unsuccessfully for, oh, a couple of months. Months! Then I switched to prayer. My mind still had a tendency to wander, especially if I prayed for someone with whom I share a long history. Before I realized it, I was taking a tangential trip down memory lane.
Now I do a few short, simple meditation exercises. I think of the past with the wisdom of hindsight, I think of the day ahead and visualize all that I hope to accomplish, then I dream about the future. Finally, I end with a prayer for my family, friends and the dawning day. That’s it. It takes less than ten minutes.
Creating a morning habit of quiet time, reflection, and intention will change the way your day unfolds.
When I slept late and began each day feeling tired, stressed, and already behind, I would have told you I didn’t have room for morning quiet time. When would I squeeze it in? The great irony is that those ten minutes of preparation create exponentially more free time during the day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve remembered a deadline, a missing item from my grocery list, a loved one’s birthday, etc. And by putting out those little fires early, I can prevent the major devastation of disorganization later on.
Those precious ten minutes in the morning keep me feeling calm, peaceful, and grateful. Later in the day, I can be more generous, too, instead of feeling like I have to catch-up. Try creating a little space in your morning hustle. Take a little quiet time, and reclaim your day.
NOW YOU: Have you ever tried to quiet your mind? What helps you focus on reflection?
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Writin’ Early, bright ‘n’ early!
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Diane Tarantini
Oh my gosh!! Quiet my mind? Reflection? After 20+ years, I’m still trying to get a handle on this skill. You give me hope, Cole!
Cole Smith
Ha! It’s my favorite part of the day; anything and everything is possible when the day has barely begun! I’m trying to get a handle on it, too. But I do love the little rabbit paths my mind tends to take at that hour. I have to set a timer or I’ll spin off into outer space from my porch swing…