Hello my friend,

What did you do this morning? Before your real day began? When it was just you, your choices, your time? Was it enriching? Life fulfilling? Energizing? Healthy? Productive? Peaceful?

I have not always been great at mornings. I would start the day scrolling negative things on my phone, like the news or social media. Or check emails and see what kind of work emergencies awaited me. Before water, I would drink coffee.

Mornings were a slog and my days were a slog. If you told me that the way I started my day was the reason, I would’ve said you were crazy. I was certain that my mind was strong enough to handle the news and the scatterbrain-causing social media.

It’s one of those things that only becomes crystal clear after we change — mornings are important. When we’re in the slog, we lack the awareness to see it. It’s like we’re in a daze of groggy stress that puts blinders on us.

We don’t know what peace and happiness are until we’ve experienced them. And we don’t know what kind of natural energy and vibrancy are possible until we have them. Only by expanding our awareness, which comes from inner stillness, can we recognize how much we’ve been lacking peace and true joy.

Today, my mornings start with lemon water or tea with lemon. I do a little yoga. I go for a little run. I meditate. And then have breakfast. I cannot tell you what a gamechanger this has been for me.

I used to prize myself on waking up 20 minutes before work and rushing like crazy to get there. Today, I love waking up before everyone else and getting in my perfect morning to start the day.

Mornings matter a lot. They set up our day for success or failure. Nowadays, I don’t even need a morning coffee. 

Those transitions between sleep and awake — right before we fall asleep and right as we’re waking up — program us for sleep and program how our state of consciousness will be throughout the day.

So, what small changes in the morning can make your whole day feel lighter? What could you wake up 10 minutes earlier to get done that would give you more energy for your day? 

Make a little change. Keep it up for a month. Then consider adding another little change. Repeat as necessary.

Don’t stress if you miss a day or even a week. Don’t let this be another thing to feel pressure about. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good. Don’t feel you have to start out waking up at 4am and meditating for 2 hours. Do it for fun. Play with it. Enjoy the process of growth and transformation. Small sustainable changes add up to big transformation.

Creating a morning routine that brings joy isn’t just good for you. It’s good for your loved ones, your work and responsibilities, and the world could use more joy too.

Much Love,

Todd