Military spouses have so many things to balance. The last thing I want to do is add something to an already daunting to-do list. Take these suggestions on how to perfect your morning routine and do the ones that work best for you. You will find that putting in a little “military spouse me-time” in the morning is like compounding interest to your soul. And you will soon discover that any time you put in will yield you more free time later, and once it becomes a habit it will be one that you cherish.
This everyday practice of perfecting your morning ritual is unique to each military spouse but includes things like developing healthy habits, planning the day’s priorities, meditation, and often, just a little me time. Creating a morning routine can help us have a motivated attitude, and every spouse that does it, swears by it!
There are many examples out there listing the morning routines of wildly successful people, but it is actually a very personal process. Military spouses already have enough stress in their lives, so they should make their routine a simple and doable one. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions, but pay special attention to the benefits. One of my clients said she stopped snapping at her kids in the morning, another felt less tired, and yet another said she felt much more willing to connect with her spouse when she fueled up with morning me time.
I find that developing a successful routine is less about the particulars and more about the elements that set a military spouse’s individual stage for success. It’s important to think about the things that really motivate you.
These are some of the benefits of a great morning routine.
#1 You’re inspired all day
You aren’t going to jump out of bed and do anything new (for long) if you aren’t inspired. We can give you a new recipe or suggest that you pray, write, or meditate, but if you aren’t inspired to strive toward your desired lifestyle, chances are that you won’t stick to your plan.
So, how do you get inspired?
Think about what you want to attract in your life to make it more exciting or fulfilling. What do you want to improve? What transition are you ready to make? Do you want better health, improved relationships, a more fulfilling career, or all of these things? Being clear about what you want makes it so much easier to participate in inspired living. Plus, action steps flow more easily when you’re in a productive mood.
What action can you take first thing in the morning to elevate your mood and set the stage for success?
Suggestions: Pour a cup of tea, read a book by an inspirational author, or write in your journal while listening to an inspiring song.
#2 You attract success effortlessly
Spend some time each morning considering your life vision.
In what way are you going to make this year, season, week, or day better? The morning is a great time to consider your destiny. Your goals are crafted to lead you toward your life’s ambition, so spend some time in the morning touching upon your goals–tweaking, reviewing, writing about, and meditating on them.
This practice will help remind you of the direction in which your life is headed. Dedicating the time to think about your vision will make it more present in your life and set you on your way to fulfilling the destiny that you desire. What you focus on grows, so if you think of your vision each day you will attract success into your life more effortlessly.
Suggestions: Write, meditate, pray, or even plan out your daily big frog action steps.
#3 You see goal progress
Set some time aside for mastering your craft and increasing your performance. It’s good to have both mastery and performance goals and by tackling them first thing, you create momentum.
How are you going to become the best you that you can be? By creating habits that support success as soon as you wake up! Getting into action will energize you instantly, helping you take steps toward your desired lifestyle.
The morning is a great time to start taking daily actions (or at least planning them) so that you see progress in your life and are able to feel motivated throughout the day. Motivation is contagious, so whether you’re working on health, wealth, or wisdom, accomplishing goals in one area will often trickle down into other areas as well.
Suggestions: Take a daily morning walk outside to improve your health, sign up for an online class that will help you develop your career skills, or learn to play a new instrument.
#4 You experience a sense of balance
When you start your day off feeling grounded, you get less frazzled by the inevitable stress of military life. It’s like watching the wind blow a tree but the roots keep it still.
Think about your health, career, and relationships and check to ensure that you are moving forward in each of these areas. The military has a rule of three because a person can only really track three things at once—make sure that your three things include these essential areas!
So, as you set out to think about, write on, and plan out the start to your day, try to mentally check in on each of these three areas. The morning offers a prime opportunity to check in regarding your work, your loved ones, and your health.
Is your calendar filled with work commitments? Maybe you need to plan a date with your spouse. Are you cranking out a work project but haven’t had the chance to exercise all week? Try to fit in a short walk or 10-minute aerobics or yoga session between tasks. Take a moment in the morning to prioritize your day and balance out your planner in terms of these three elements.
Suggestions: Put a leisure activity in your day planner and prioritize it as much as a work commitment, touch base with loved ones and make some plans, go for a walk.
#5 You live optimistically
I often explain that counseling is focused on fixing you, but coaching is moving from good to great. When you start your day off reflecting on gratitude and focusing on the present, you learn to appreciate small things and just enjoy being alive.
How often do we slow down enough to smell the roses? It’s important that we appreciate living in the present and remember to take it all in. When you wake up, can you open a window and breathe in some fresh air, burn a favorite candle, or smell some fresh flowers in a vase? Think about rituals that may elevate your mood as much as my grandfather’s walk did for him.
We are most productive when we are joyful. Therefore, it’s worth taking a few moments each morning to focus on what is going well and appreciate where we are. Think about all that you are grateful for and jot some of these things down. While you’re working on larger goals, remember to keep things in perspective and harness gratitude for where you are and how far you’ve come.
Suggestions: Write in a gratitude journal, post a thank you note from a client, stop and smell the flowers.
By focusing on these five elements and developing a morning routine that considers your own needs as well as your family members, you’ll be able to make progress on your goals. This practice will help you maintain a healthy, loving and productive life.
Craft your perfect morning routine, and all that taking this me time would entail. Then try it for a few weeks; what benefits do you see transpiring in your life? Writing down these benefits will motivate you to keep creating this sacred time each morning.
