Rise And Shine!

Welcome to The Sunday Starter, a weekly email of tools and techniques, that help you navigate your journey to just get started and keep moving forward.

People have been shouting at the rooftops, “You need to have a morning routine!” but we’ve been over overhyped by the gurus and influences to think it has to be some long, drawn out 2 hour mindfulness practice.

→ It’s not doing a cold plunge.

→ It’s not doing meditation.

→ It’s not doing yoga.

→ It’s not working out.

It can be but it doesn’t have to be.

However, I believe everyone should have a routine in the morning. It should also be filled with positive actions and things that start your day off right.

Why?

Because it sets the intention for our day.

Not only do we get some mojo flowing early but we start to build habits that can spill over into other areas of our life (remember the Bedtime Routine from the prior newsletter!)

So let’s take a cold plunge into the world of Morning Routines and help you fine-tune yours.

Before we dive into creating a morning routine, it's essential to take a moment for introspection. We need to understand our unique circumstances because everyone's situation is different.

Let's begin by asking yourself a few questions:

1. What is your current personal situation like?

   • Are you married with children?

   • Are you a single parent?

   • Are you single and working remotely?

→ These three scenarios alone can lead to entirely different morning routines.

Identifying your specific situation lays the foundation for crafting a morning routine that not only looks good on paper but is also practical and sustainable in your daily life.

For instance, if you have three kids at home who wake up at 6:30 am, and your mornings involve getting them ready, fed, and off to school, it might be quite ambitious to schedule a 60-minute yoga class at 7 am, right?

Let's keep it real.

Grab a piece of paper and map out your typical morning:

1. What time do you usually wake up?

2. What are your usual morning activities?

   • Do you go to the bathroom?

   • Brush your teeth?

   • Spend some time scrolling TikTok or doing something else?

3. When is your work start time?

4. When do you truly feel like your day "gets started"?

Remember, the aim of a morning routine is to inject balance and energy into the start of your day. By being aware of your unique reality, you can begin to set yourself up for a more successful and fulfilling beginning to each day.

So, let's take a moment to explore your situation and build a morning routine that suits you just right. 🌅✨

Getting started with anything new can be tough, especially when it feels like a long and difficult journey that might make us want to give up. But we won't let that happen.

Instead of trying to map out our entire morning, which can be awfully challenging, let’s take a much shorter amount of time to focus on.

Think of it like this: Imagine a head football coach planning the first set of plays for a game. We're going to do something similar by scripting the first 15 minutes of our day.

First, take a look at the actions you wrote down for how you usually start your day. Now, I have two important questions for you:

1. Are you happy with the things you do in the first part of your day?

2. If you could remove one or more of those actions to make yourself feel better, what would you choose?

If the goal of your morning routine is to start the day off right, then "removing" could even be removing one positive thing (brushing teeth or making the bed) with an even more positive action (a 5-minute breathing exercise or a short walk outside).

It’s not that those other things won’t get done but it’s in prioritizing the essential elements before your day starts getting away from you.

Let your imagination run wild here.

Remember, this isn't just about checking off tasks. It's about intentionally making your day better, boosting your health, and improving your overall well-being.

Starting with just 15 minutes is a short enough time so you don't lose focus. Over time, I'd suggest trying to stretch it to 20 or even 30 minutes if your schedule allows.

The more days we can stick to this plan, the better chance we have of creating a fantastic routine!

So, let's "Script the First 15" and set ourselves up for success from the very beginning, keeping that positive momentum going strong all day long! 🚀🌞

It's challenge time once again!

You're probably familiar with how your typical day starts. But now, it's time to make a change for the better. Take those notes you've prepared, outlining potential improvements to your morning routine.

Step 1: Write down your revised morning routine, whether it's two steps, five, or even seven. The number doesn't matter; what does matter is your commitment to sticking with it.

Step 2: Post it onto your bathroom mirror.

Step 3: Let's give this a shot for one week.

Start each day with renewed vigor by embracing your new routine and make it a goal to complete it every single day.

But here's the key: Stay open to adjusting it, keeping it interesting, and doing whatever it takes to make it a lasting habit.

Remember, it's not so much about the specific actions you take in the morning, but rather about adding positive elements to your life.

It's like a chain reaction – one positive action leads to another. You'll notice an increase in your energy levels, more frequent moments of happiness, and a growing anticipation for the start of each day, rather than dreading it.

Keep the positivity flowing! 🌟💪

What’s Coming Next:

Next week, it’s another Sunday Starter Silhouette. This person may have a direct tie into all we’ve been talking about lately; routines, productivity, optimizing life, etc. But who could it be? 🤔 Check back in next week to find out!

Thanks again for your support with this newsletter.

❓What did you think? I’d love feedback in order to continue to make this a superb resource for everyone. It can be positive or negative. Nothing is off limits so reply to this email and I’d love to hear from you.

✅ When you complete the challenge, I’d love to hear what your list consisted of and how you felt after the writing it down and trying it out. Reply directly to this email and please share.

How can I support your journey?

One of the coolest things about building the Just Get Started community over the last several years is the amount of interactions with new and interesting people that are on the cusp of getting started or early in their journey.

If I can support you in any way, please let me know. You can reply to this email and let me know what’s going on in your world. I’ll try to help where I can!