3 Simple Swaps to Amp Up Your Morning, and Crush Your Day

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How do you start your morning each day?

Do you reach for your phone before your eyes fully open?

Do you throw on your make up while chugging coffee and running through your to-do list for the day?

Do you absently kiss your spouse on the way out the door? 

Do you run through the drive-through because you didn’t have time to make your breakfast, again?

I’ll be honest, I used to not give much thought to my morning routine either. The morning was just a necessary pit stop between sleep and work.

But our mornings hold a lot more power than we realize. They set the pace, the mood, and the energy for the day. They determine whether we’re going to spend another day going through the motions or if we’re going to change our trajectory.

Our mornings are our daily choice, who are we going to be today? Rushed? Absent? Stressed? Or calm, intentional, and balanced?

Let’s choose the latter together.

Truthfully, it still is a struggle for me. I am a night owl, not a morning lark, so it’s easy for me to slip into bad habits. But life is a work-in-progress for all of us, so let’s try this one, you and me, starting now.

1. Trade checking your phone for checking your intentions.

I know, better than anyone, how tempting it is to immediately reach for the phone upon waking.

Scroll through Facebook, check. Scroll through Instagram, check. Scroll through email, check. Scroll through any missed texts, check.

But this is a terrible habit we have got to get out of. It immediately puts us into a place of reactivity and comparison. It immediately takes us out of our own routine, and into the routine of others – Oh no, I need to respond to that email right this second to answer her question. And it immediately takes us out of the present moment.

So, here’s what we’re going to do instead. Take 10 minutes when you wake up to set your intentions for the day. You can write them down or simply meditate. But either way, walk yourself through your day and imagine how your best self would approach each task, each interaction.

For example: I’m going to be confident and enthusiastic during my presentation at work today. I will choose poise and class when dealing with that annoying co-worker. I’m going to call on my willpower at lunch and pass the donut shop, opting for a healthy wrap instead. And when I get home, I’m going to put down work and be present for my family.

When you walk through your day this way, when those stressful moments do come up, you’ll have already practiced approaching them as your best self in your mind which will make it ten times easier to choose your response instead of falling back on your knee jerk reaction.

2. Trade your carb-filled breakfast for an easy, balanced shake.

If you have followed me for any period of time, you know how much I value fueling the body and life you want.

You want to have consistent energy throughout your day? Stop expecting your body to function well on crap food.

You want to feel fit and happy? Give your body the fighting chance to be that, by honoring it with foods that don’t weigh it down.

So, instead of grabbing your standard bowl of cereal, bagel and cream cheese, or cup of black coffee that you’re trying to pass off as “breakfast,” try starting your day by giving your body the balanced nutrition that’s actually going to make you feel good.

My personal favorite is a shake. I can prep the ingredients ahead of time so all I have to do in the morning is toss it in the blender with some water and be on my merry way.

Here’s an easy recipe you can try tomorrow:

1 cup water

1 cup frozen berries

1 cup frozen spinach

½ banana

2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Powder (no flavor, boost of filling protein, and great for your hair, skin, nails, and gut health)

1 tsp flax oil (adding in a touch of healthy fat will help you stay fuller longer)

3. Trade the morning radio show for an inspiring podcast.

Last but not least, instead of mindlessly listening to the chatter of the radio while getting mad at the guy who cut you off in traffic, use your commute to get your mind right.

This is one of my favorite parts of my morning. Even though I don’t commute, I always get ready while listening to my favorite podcasts.

This is a great opportunity, if you struggle with motivation in any area of your life, to really amp up your drive to get things done.

If I’m working on a goal, you can bet your ass I’m listening to a podcast on how to achieve it.

Why? Because when you consistently have experts talking in your ear about how to accomplish your dreams, not only are you getting pro insight into exactly how to get from A to B, you’re getting reminded that it is possible, it has been done, and you can succeed too.

Want some suggestions for some amp-yourself-up podcasts??

I love The Brendon Show, The Rise Podcast with Rachel Hollis, Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher, and Broken Brain with Dhru Purohit.

Now, those are my 3 favorite swaps to start mastering your morning, so you can master your day, so you can master your life 

But I would love to hear from you, what are some of your favorite ways to start your morning that leave you feeling energized and amped up to start your day? Put them in the comments below!

p.s. (I know this wasn’t a letter, but it feels like the p.s. is appropriate… or maybe I should have said “side note.” Either way, I digress.) If you want to dive deeper into not just tackling your morning habits, but your routine in general so you can begin to feel more in control of your time, you definitely want to consider joining my 30-Day Abundant Time & Energy Course.

One of the very first things we work on is taking back your calendar and fitting you and your goals back into your daily practices.

If that’s something you need in your life, let’s hop on a call and make sure the Abundant Time & Energy Course is the right fit for you. Click here to schedule :)