The Need for a Morning Routine

I woke up this morning determined to establish a morning routine, and not just for the weekend.  I feel the need for this and am determined to make it happen.  Last night I had an epiphany of sorts, that when I accomplish anything creative, I tend to get more quality sleep.  So why not endeavor to start a morning routine in this light, to see how much I can improve the rest of the day?

Oh sure, it always sounds good in theory, right? I acknowledge here and now that it will take some effort on my part, however minimal.  

I will say that I still have a daily job where I have to go every day.  And I tend to wake with a lack of motivation to go, even though I am required, so that leads to sleeping in the last possible moment before I have to get up and get ready.  The rest of the day I feel rushed and out of sorts. I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling.

This leads to coming home exhausted and not feeling like doing anything and it's all a vicious spiral into ennui.

And that has to stop.  Seriously.  I'm not getting any younger and I'm too old to feel this miserably unproductive.

On most days I have to be ready and out the door by 8 a.m. or so.  So, here goes:

1) Wake up by 5:30 a.m. Yes, this will be the most difficult.  I think, though, once I get used to it, everything else will fall into place.

2) Shower.  The warm water in the morning brings me around.  I get some of my best writing ideas in the morning shower.  This is second to getting ideas just as I'm falling asleep and then hoping I will remember by the next morning.  It usually never happens. Maybe I should keep a notepad on my bedside table?

3) Make coffee. My usual, at least to start the day, is a double espresso. It is the minimum daily requirement.  Since I will be getting up early, a second cup may be standard operating procedure.

4) Sit my ass down at my desk and allot 30 minutes for writing and 30 minutes for reading.  Reading books, mind you, not the news on the internet or my Facebook feed. I have all day to do that, even when I am at work.

5) By now it's close to 7 in the morning.  Start breakfast for Valerie and myself, and wake Valerie about 20 minutes later.  That gives me 30-40 minutes for us to have breakfast together and, yes, most likely have another cup of coffee.

It sounds so simple, so easy to do, doesn't it?  Like I said, the first one, getting up earlier, will be the most difficult. I can only hope that the morning auto-pilot kicks in.  I mean, I can shower and (most times) make coffee without being completely awake. 

That's it.  I always have more faith in my ideas on a Sunday morning when I didn't have to suffer through an alarm.  I'm always like Yeah! let's get this done!  I rock!

Monday morning might be a completely different story