Morning Power Hour Routine.

February 20, 2018

Posted 09/12

I used to be a morning person. Emphasis on used to be. I would wake up and practically leap out of bed. What on earth. Who leaps out of bed?! What is morning energy? Those days are long gone. Is it even possible to still have an effective morning routine despite the groggy head starts these days? After trying this power hour for a few months now, I am convinced it makes a night and day difference on my day.

On the two days a week our kids go to school, they are getting up at 6:30, so those days I am lucky to get everyone out the door in a timely manner. There are days I get to bed way too late, and others where I have no motivation to get up in the morning, but I am fighting for this power hour more than ever because ultimately a much better version of me is the result. Breaking it down below.

POWER HOUR:

6:30 – Rise. Get dressed. Skin care routine. (This just helps me shake the sluggish feeling, and ready to face the day.)

6:45 – Coffee + Prayer/ meditation. I grab my planner and prayer book, and find a good spot in my room or living room to have reflection time. This really helps me adjust my attitude for the day as well as re-focus on things that matter most.

7:00 – Planner + daily goals. This is where I do general time blocking and try to go over things I need to remember for the day. I do this by week on Sundays, and then take a few minutes in the mornings to go over and adjust where needed during this hour. I try to set weekly and daily goals for not only business related things, but personal and family goals. Erin Condren and Start Planner are some great options!

7:15 – Connect with Gabe. Gabe and I often try to get up together so we can have a few moments of quite together or go over the day. Since we work together, it’s so important for us to have time in our day when we are connecting in a personal way.

7:30 – Make and serve breakfast for everyone!

I make a point not to check emails or social media for the first hour of my day. It makes a big difference for me to stay away from mental clutter and allow the quiet to be a starting point for reflection. If this is a struggle point for you, charge your phone on the other side of the room so you aren’t checking your phone for the time and getting distracted by all of the notifications. Use a watch on your nightstand instead!

Of course, I am at a time where I am not waking up multiple times a night with little ones, so if you are there, your power hour should be a power nap! If mornings are just a huge struggle to function, maybe you can aim for an hour before bed instead to prepare for your next day.

What are some of the tricks that make your days flow better? I’d love to hear!

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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says:

February 20, 2018 at 2:27 pm

I wish I was a morning person too! I’m just so bad at going to bed early. I wish you good luck in becoming a morning person again – you can do it! 🙂

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

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Carrie
says:

February 20, 2018 at 2:44 pm

I’ve been trying to do this but we’ve got a cuddle-bug co-sleeping arrangement going on and nearly every time I wake up early to get things done Lucas comes and finds me. It has been a point of frustration but when it happened Thursday I reflected on Parkland and realized I’ll take the cuddles and forego the quiet time when I need to. That said, I have started journaling to remove myself from the computer more (I do it for work or I’d love a complete shut down) and my husband and I have been doing yoga together at home. I’d been encouraging him to do it for years (he’s a gym rat) and now he loves it.

Also the color tones in that pictures <3

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K
says:

February 20, 2018 at 3:13 pm

This year I’ve tried my Power Hour before the kids wake up. I set an alarm for 5:30 and sit in dim lighting in quiet until the kids wake up, which they do between 6-6:30.

My attitude is much more positive in the day if I get that quiet time. Unfortunately, we live in an old house with squeaky floors so it’s like Mission Impossible getting past the kids bedrooms and downstairs without them hearing me, but I’m getting pretty good avoiding the creaky spots.

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Paige Flamm says:

February 20, 2018 at 4:22 pm

I need to be better about adding toning to my routine on days when I know I’m not going to be able to get a run or a bike ride in!

Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com

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Kathleen says:

February 20, 2018 at 5:10 pm

Nice post! I don’t know why, but with Baby #5 I have been able to get up before everyone else to pray and plan and have that cup of coffee.. I think it’s because I know how much more I need these recharging quiet moments then the extra 20 minutes of sleep to power thhrough our crazy days.

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Sheila
says:

February 20, 2018 at 5:28 pm

Thanks for sharing your mourning routine, it’s always inspiring hearing how others manage their busy mornings! I need to implement the toning and getting out of bed at a regular time, my babies 6 months and it’s time again. Do shower at night? That seems to be the hardest part of my day to schedule, lol!

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Cal
says:

February 20, 2018 at 7:17 pm

My morning is similar but instead of toning I do a power walk with inspiring music to get my body moving and my mind awake. Also I started a thing with my planner where the first two sections are reserved for the most important things. Section 1 is for God and my heart. So here I keep favorite prayers etc. Section 2 is for my husband and each child. Each has a page and I jot down thoughts about them and skills I want my children to learn. Also I write down their individual strengths so I can remember to praise them for their identity and unique gifts. It helps me remember to put them first before my work to dos of the day and reminds me to schedule in things like “take a walk with my oldest son” so that I don’t forget the important stuff that is definitely not urgent but in the long run matters immensely. But I won’t make it happen unless I look through my planner very intentionally during my morning. I am loving this section of your business Anna. Keep up the good work!

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Ina Miller
says:

February 21, 2018 at 2:54 am

I try so hard to wake up for some morning peace and quiet but rarely do, this post is my new motivation! I love when I do get a head start, my days are always so much better. Thanks for the inspiration!

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Emily Farina says:

February 21, 2018 at 11:52 am

I just read “The Miracle Morning” and have begun revisiting my morning routine as an opportunity to set myself up for a positive productive day. It’s great to hear how others get their days started and what works for them to shake off the sleep and set the right intentions. I may have to steal some of your routine! Thanks for sharing!

http://www.fizzandfade.com

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Molly
says:

February 22, 2018 at 4:35 pm

Thank you so much for sharing this! My Mom has always told me that once I became a mother I would have to ‘use your minutes’ instead of waiting for big blocks of time but I somehow have a mental block with that. It always feels so hurried if it is 10 minutes here and 5 minutes there. Your routine sounds so manageable though and actually restful! I admire your time management so much! One question, what are your kiddos doing while you are doing this routine on they days they are at home? If your husband has them how do you balance him having time like this as well? (whoops, guess I had two questions).

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AnneMarie says:

February 25, 2018 at 10:05 pm

Thanks for sharing about this! Oh man, I used to be a morning person as well, but then I had a kid and am now pregnant with our second. I still love mornings, but getting out of bed is a struggle! Recently, my husband and I attended this retreat that focused on the importance of praying together as a couple, so we’ve FINALLY gotten into a good morning routine of Scripture reading, silent prayer alone, and prayer out loud together before starting our day. That’s all fine and good, but usually after this point, I lose that momentum rather quickly. These are some great ideas and I think I’ll try to add some of this structure to my mornings to help me keep going after prayer time 🙂

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Christina
says:

March 3, 2018 at 2:15 am

Hey Anna- I love this post and was so inspired! I don’t know how early I can get up but I’m thinking of ways to sneak in some quiet time. I wanted to ask if you had ever taken the collagen while pregnant? Thanks for all your great posts!!!

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Corinna
says:

March 16, 2018 at 6:08 am

Yes! My power hour includes some cleaning as well, otherwise I feel behind all day. It’s hard to get up so early, but definitely worth it. I have to ask: where are your pink flats from? Love them!

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