Why You Don’t Need a Perfect Morning Routine

Have you heard that you “need” a morning routine? It seems every that self-help guru says you need to wake up early if you want to succeed. I have fought this for years, and years. It wasn’t until COVID hit and I was stuck at home that I have finally made this work for me. My routine is far from perfect, and you don’t need a perfect morning routine, but it has helped me in SO many ways that I gotta share with you!

First things first, I don’t wake up early everyday, Monday to Thursday only.

Second, I don’t beat myself up if I don’t hop out of bed when my alarm goes off at 5:30. Some days I wake naturally, raring to go at 5:00, but other days I want to sleep in. My goal is sometime within the 5 o’clock hour. Literally, I am happy if I get my butt out of bed at 5:58– goal achieved! Goodbye guilty feeling- remember, you don’t need a PERFECT morning routine.

Once I am up…here is what I do:

Let’s break it down:

Sweat

It’s no secret that I love home workout videos. We live super rural and there has never been a gym worth driving to in our area. Plus, you save so much time by just doing it at home. Right now I’m loving Barre Blend, on the Beachbody app, it’s low impact, super challenging and lifts my booty 😉 I don’t finish a whole workout, I’ll just do 20 minutes then turn it off, finishing the rest of the workout the following day.

Yoga

Yoga has always been my jam, but sometimes it’s the easiest thing to push aside to another day/time/lifetime….and it doesn’t get done. Not anymore. I do my own special blend of yoga moves that I’ve curated specifically for my body (lots of shoulder, chest and hamstring opening). I’ll do another post someday about specific moves.

Meditation

Again, this is something that gets pushed aside until it just doesn’t happen. And let me tell you, the thing that I look forward to the most in this routine, is meditation. Some days I listen to a guided meditation via Insight Timer, other days I do breathing exercises, or I’ll just sit in silence. When does that ever happen to a mother? Ummm, never.

Writing

Last, I write out my lists: ten goals, daily to-do, and three things that I am grateful for. That’s the most that I will ever journal- I’ve tried, it’s just not my bag. But I do like lists!

Reading

When I say reading, I don’t mean Harry Potter or “fun” reading. I’m constantly reading books that help me grow. Right now I’m re-reading You Are a Badass – one of my favorite books of self-helpery. 

On side note, the book that really helped my morning routine stick is the 5am Club by Robin Sharma.

I will read until my kids wake up, sometimes it’s less than five minutes, other times I am lucky and get a full hour! Sipping tea and reading is pretty much my favorite times of the day.

What about the other days of the week?

Friday’s I am lucky enough to have a yoga class to go to. I’ll wake up around 6:00, meditate, THEN get out of bed (yes, you have full permission to meditate in bed!), breakfast, and head out for yoga.

Weekends are my days off. I tried to stick to the 5 o’clock hour everyday thing but really started to hate it so I gave myself a pass and allow myself to sleep in. And just so you know, my kids are up and at ‘em by 7:00 on a late day! So it’s not like I’m sleeping in till noon 😉

What has improved by waking up early?

Getting up early and doing something for myself before the craziness of the day has turned me into a better wife, more patient mother, and a happier woman. Honestly, once the kids are out of bed life turns into a rollercoaster of making breakfasts, breaking up disagreements, brushing teeth…and I don’t get any self-care in. Allowing myself this moment most mornings lets me know that I am important to myself. 

If you have a 6-month-old (or 2 year old for that matter) that never lets you sleep, this is not for you. Eventually, you will get your nights back- THEN you can jump into the 5 am club! Sleepless nights were what kept me from creating a morning routine for YEARS! But I’m now where I can sleep well and throughout the entire night has given me the space to create this time Just. For. Me. 

So, while you don’t need a PERFECT morning routine, you do need something that makes your day run that much smoother

Do you have a morning routine? I would love to hear what it is. 

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read full privacy policy here.