Imagined Reality:
You experience greater CALM in your day and life because you connect with YOU each morning before receiving lots of input from the outside world. And “input from the outside world” means input that comes via the radio, TV, Internet, phone, as well as the people you live with!
Does that Imagined Reality feel . . .
- Challenging?
- Exciting?
- Awful?
- Unrealistic?
- Heavenly?
- Close to what you already do?
What would be your obstacles to embracing this Imagined Reality?
If you have children, especially young ones or really any age who depend on you for something in the morning, this Imagined Reality suggests getting up earlier than the kids or negotiating with another adult in the household to take on those responsibilities a bit.
If your workday begins early with little flexibility on the start time, and work requires professional dress and a commute, this Imagined Reality might seem like a prescription for more stuff to do, more stress, and less sleep.
If your sleep time already falls short of the recommended length, any suggestion to begin the morning earlier feels counterproductive.
So Many Morning Routine Advocates: Why?
Yet Google “morning routine” and marvel at the countless advice available on how to create such an Imagined Reality for yourself.
A plethora of books, videos, articles, and even courses tout the benefits of a morning routine. One such morning routine is The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. If you’re doubtful, you’re beckoned to explore the connection between highly successful people and their morning routines.
If you check out advocates’ urgings to adopt a morning routine, become persuaded, and commit to making this Imagined Reality real, awesome!!!
- Stick with it and you’ll be rewarded.
- Increase your odds of success by getting an accountability partner.
- Remember change evokes resistance and requires consistent action and evaluation of the action.
Morning Routine Resistance: Why?
All this advice might help and inspire, but it is likely to overwhelm, intimidate, stir resistance, and maybe even provoke a bit of self-criticism and guilt. [Those responses are inner chaos!]
If this Imagined Reality isn’t your habit, the FAST system of your brain will quickly generate this inner chaos, along with convincing explanations for why this is a bad idea for you.
If you don’t notice your reaction from the FAST system, you’ll be convinced you need to keep doing what you’re doing. You might know intellectually such an Imagined Reality would be calming, but you’re convinced you don’t have the motivation or willpower to change. If you get stuck here and don’t want to stay stuck, pause to bring some awareness to your reaction. When awareness reveals a new perspective then you’re able to respond differently, able to choose a response instead of having a reaction.
Ease Up: Experiment Gently with Morning Routines
Rather than search for a perfect routine, what if you simply embraced the concept that great value lies in intentionally bookending your day. Just as bookends are sturdy; they anchor and support all the stuff between them, morning and evening routines do the same.
- Experiment with extending the amount of time between waking up and checking in on the rest of the world. Start small. One-to-five minutes won’t likely derail you.
- Try things that inspire, nurture, and center you.
- Discover how you connect with your intentions for the day.
If you have rewarding morning and/or evening routines, share what works for you.
If you haven’t yet introduced this calming experience into your life consistently, consider that the core idea is to create greater calm in your life by connecting with YOU before receiving lots of input from the outside world (including the people you share a roof with)!
WRAP UP!
Consistently holding off connecting with the outside world before connecting with myself each morning through walking, other exercises, meditating, Sudoku, or journaling is a calming experience that grounds me throughout my day. I hope you can find a morning routine that has a similar calming effect for you!
Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash
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