Define Your Pefect Morning Ritual

[cultivategreatness]

Hey everyone... thought this might be an interesting topic for Personal Effectiveness... some might say health and wellness might be better, but wuh-eva, right?

Anyway, What would be the most perfect way to start your day?

I wrote a blog tonight, as I thought about the 5am barrier that mentally stands in my way.

I look forward to reading your thoughts!

» What is the Perfect Morning Ritual? Let’s Define Your Morning Ritual.

I think if we all brainstorm, we might come up with and share some really exciting ways to start off our day.

[sadavis00]

Wake up, get ready, then go back to sleep for 1-2 hours. I get awesome vivid dreams this way that I actually remember.

[cultivategreatness]

Really? You get up, and then immediately go back to sleep. I said this in my blog, but I was just joking.

What all do you do, to GET READY? before falling back asleep?

[MarkusL]

Setting up the alarm clock 1-hr early so when it rings I get to check the time and it will be 1-hr too early to get up making me hit the snooze button and go back to sleep for another hour . Stretching and then turning on the Ipod while playing an upbeat music. I've been doing this for the past year and it works better than coffee.

[birger]

Originally Posted by MarkusL

Setting up the alarm clock 1-hr early so when it rings I get to check the time and it will be 1-hr too early to get up making me hit the snooze button and go back to sleep for another hour . Stretching and then turning on the Ipod while playing an upbeat music. I've been doing this for the past year and it works better than coffee.

That sounds like one of the worst morning rituals to me. I used to do a lot of snoozing too before, and my girlfriend loves the snooze button too, but since this summer it's banned, along with coffee.
When I did the "early alarm+snooze button"-trick I'd usually be more awake when the alarm first sounded than after snoozing for 30-60 minutes...

Coffee is even worse, that really messes up the day rhythm.

Now I just let the alarm tune play it's tune and then get up (gives me about a minute). It can be painful there and then, but it's worth it; more quality sleep. After that it's right in the shower, making breakfast and watching the morning news before going to work/school.

The snooze button is evil!

[Trustme]

My perfect morning ritual is the alarm going off and me jumping out of the bed eager to start working on tasks that are important to me and my future. I was one of this "snoozers" in an earlier life - glad it's over. Between 5 and 9 I often get more done than the rest of the day until 6.

It's incredible how much stuff you can get done in the morning before others even leave bed. That's a perfect morning ritual to me.


A perfect morning on the other hand is having an extented breakfast with my girlfriend on a Sunday morning.

[cultivategreatness]

This article just made front page of LifeHacker! Woo Hoo!!

Ask the Readers: Your perfect morning ritual? - Lifehacker

[River]

Well, for a while I used to run in the early AM. Running into the dawn light still sounds like a perfect morning to me. Then a fabulous breakfast!

I'm a true morning person-- I also love to getting started working and finish a big chunk of a project before 9 AM.

[ImOpen]

I try not to have to rigid habits, but follow my body. I am not trying to overcome it. If I'm tired I try to get some more sleep.

[Mitalp]

Open my eyes, thank the Universe for another day in this wonderful life, take a deep breath, smile...and get on my way!

[KittyG]

Thank God for another day, another opportunity and invite him into my day before my feet hit the floor. Also, visualizing where I am at the last few minutes of my (work) day 1st thing in the morning helps me get there faster
In general, I find going to sleep and waking up being thankful via prayer makes for great dreams wheather I'm asleep or awake

Kat

[Tanemon]

I've done a lot of different metaphysical processes and explorations, not to mention healing processes, in my life.

I'd say as a consequence, I've arrived at what for me is a good way to start my day. I get up, wash out my mouth, pee. Clear my head a little. Face toward the sunny part of the sky, and silently say, "May I be a good channel today for harmony, light, joy, love, wisdom, healing, comfort, and the miraculous - for all my relations."

It leaves me open to all positivity in life, sets my course for the day to be a decent member of the human family... and supports my further growth.

[harmonysr]

ooh my perfect morning ritual? Hmm... waking up at 5:00-5:30 and practicing 90 minutes of hot yoga with the sun rising as I practice. Then shower, mindful breakfast, and some positive self-talk to start the day off right.

[Brutha]

30 minutes training salsa steps
30 minutes mnemoics
Breakfast
30 minutes rehearing a speech

[haitianheromg]

i like to start my days off these days with a small meditation session, a ten minute free write, prayer, and a bowl of oatmeal w/ fruits and nuts!

[Curtis2011]

6:00am Every Day:

Wake Up.
Drink Water.
Get Dressed (to go jogging and work out).
Jog to Gym (about 1 mile).
Weight Lifting.
Jog or walk back to my residence hall.
Do EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques - usually while I shower)
Shower.
Get Dressed.
Eat Breakfast.
Read a New Lesson in A Course In Miracles.

Check Email.
Do Whatever.

Notice that it doesn't matter how long each single step takes, merely that it is taken in the correct order and in a similar fashion every day. This way, it becomes a habit. I will be doing this schedule - and modifying it according to my personal preferences - starting August 31.

Also I plan to include some self-affirmations as well as more EFT, in particular EFT for allowing a new relationship into my life, as well as helping me to achieve a current life goal.

[Mogget]

Originally Posted by cultivategreatness

Anyway, What would be the most perfect way to start your day?

Wake up naturally without the alarm and with plenty of time...
Pounce on the fiance for some morning nookie
Jump in the shower
Make the boy his coffee, my tea and feed the cat
Do the dishes or ironing while the brews are on
Hit the gym and walk to work chatting with my man....

[Elfwing]

Originally Posted by MarkusL

Setting up the alarm clock 1-hr early so when it rings I get to check the time and it will be 1-hr too early to get up making me hit the snooze button and go back to sleep for another hour . Stretching and then turning on the Ipod while playing an upbeat music. I've been doing this for the past year and it works better than coffee.

Upbeat music? Hey, that's a really good idea. Just got to make sure I don't wake up the rest of the household - I get up at 5AM.

Right now I tend to sit on the bed for thirty seconds yawning, stumble into the shower, sit at the bottom of the shower cubicle, then head onto the computer to surf the 'net.

Ideally, I'd go for a jog on the beach (don't do this 'cause I don't live near a beach), and/or meditate. Only reason I don't meditate is because I know I'll fall back to sleep 'cause I'm always tired enough as it is when I wake up. Drat.

[Talkofthatown919]

Rise out of bed
Start running through what i'm thankful for
Get breakfast and sit down and read a positive book for at least 30 minutes

[fxtrader]

sex, shower, breakfast + reading the news/checking the markets. in that order.

[LaylaStar]

Great thread!

I definitely want to start a better morning ritual..
Am trying to become a morning person, sort of.. (That's how I heard of Steve Pavlina in the first place! )

Waking up ahead of time, turning on the radio & reading & writing my Morning Pages seems to be a lovely way to start the day, & then go have breakfast.. (if I wake up tired it's good to eat some fruit to wake me up, or use cold water/stretching..)

I'd like to add some sort of walking/jogging/exercise into the routine, haven't figured it out exactly yet..

[Beuford]

Well I can tell you that it is not waking up at 7am to go to a place you do not want to go like 8am Math lessons. And to think, reading through this a lot of people are doing meditation type activities while im sitting in an uncomfortable poorly designed plastic posture chair, at a small rectangular desk, being forced to study things I don't want.

So as for my perfect morning ritual, I'd want to wake up from a polyphasic nap, drink some water, eat some fruit and continue like nothing happened. That's not possible for me right now =(

[aggie]

on a work day it is NOT hitting the snooze.

coffee.

clean up.

out the door and driving to work appreciating the beauty of early morning.

day off.

wake up natrually, still pretty early.

coffee on the patio (live by lake) and appreciating the beauty of early am and giving a little prayer of thanks to be able to do this.