3 Tips for Morning Motivation

Mornings are hard for so many people. It's hard to drag yourself out of bed, get yourself together, and gear up for the day. For me, I've never had a problem with getting out of bed. When I wake up, I hop out of bed and am ready to attack the day. Even on a weekend. This morning (Saturday), I woke up around 6:15 without an alarm and got to work on my day. I had some quiet time with Jesus, and felt so blessed by reading Romans 8. It took me a while to get past even the first verse. God is SO good to us, and we don't even deserve it.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Wow. NO condemnation, even though Lord knows we deserve it. I felt so free after reading that verse this morning, even though I have read it time and time again. Trusting Christ will never disappoint us, for when we are in Him, we find life and peace. I urge you all to read Romans 8 today. It will bless you as it blessed me this morning.

ANYWAYS, back to being a morning person. After my quiet time, I decided to bake some muffins. These turned out delicious!

Gluten free, high in protein, and SO YUM! :)

Then, I did my PiYo workout of the day (my thoughts on my first week are coming soon to the blog!) Next, I decided to go on a nice stroll outside. First, my fiancé and I went to the farmers market and I got the most delicious looking asparagus, red bell peppers, and broccoli! I can't wait to cook with them this week! I then walked around our neighborhood for about 30 minutes and had some time to reflect. God has been SO good to me. I walked through a park by my house and came across the bench that my fiancé first told me that he loved me, over 3 years ago.

I got nostalgic and had my own giddy girly jumping up and down party that I am getting married to this man in less than 2 months! All alone, in the park, I just felt SO incredibly blessed and happy. God has brought us so far, and I am so thankful that we have reached the point that we have in our relationship to soon become husband and wife.

After my walk, I came home, got ready, and started working on some bridal shower and wedding things. And this is all before noon! I just love being productive and getting things done in the morning. Now, I know that, for most people, this seems impossible. But for people who want to wake up early sometimes to have time to reflect, cook, workout, or just to get errands done, here are some tips for how to become a morning person:

1. See it as a challenge that you CAN conquer.

When you start to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone, you begin to grow as a person. I have read so many articles and behavioral papers proving time and time again that morning people are happy and more productive. You get more done in the morning hours than most people get done in the night hours. I'm sure exceptions exist, but I know that for me, I love enjoying my mornings and getting things done! It wasn't too hard for me to get used to being a morning person; it just takes prioritizing yourself and your goals.

2. Sleep, sleep, and SLEEP. If you want to start waking up earlier, you HAVE to start sleeping earlier. You don't have to get into bed at 7 or 8pm, but at least my 10pm, I start winding down and getting ready for bed. I change into my PJ's (but most of the time I do this the minute I get home from work...sooo yea...), do my nighttime routine (taking off make up, putting on face lotions, teeth brushing, etc), and get into bed without any distractions. I used to play with my phone in bed, and that really activated my mind and kept me up. So I've eliminated all distractions, and I've been sleeping way better! This helps me be ready and energetic the next morning.

3. Lastly, and this is especially for those wanting to workout in the mornings, lay out your workout clothes before going to bed. When I wake up, I see what I am going to wear lying on the chair next to my bed. This motivates me to get up, get changed, and get moving. I also look forward to my workouts (you shouldn't do workouts your dread by the way...but that's another post for another time) so the excitement gets me out of bed too! Plan something exciting to do the minute you get out of bed, so you will be ready to jump out of bed with enthusiasm. And even if it isn't your workout clothes, even laying out what you plan on wearing for the day will help you get out of bed and be more productive.

As a disclaimer, there are some days that I just want to stay in bed, and I do. There is nothing wrong with that! But I also do love being able to get things done earlier in the day and having the rest of the day to work without thinking of all the things I have to get done when I get home. Hopefully these tips will motivate and help someone out there who wants to start become more of a "morning person."

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!