I have s-l-o-w-l-y become more of a morning person. I don’t have to be at work in Williamsburg until 10 am, so I have some time in the morning. I either go to a spin class or barre class, breakfast with my mom or a friend, or breakfast meetings for Elana Lyn or my Forbes interviews. Here are a few components of my ideal morning routine!
Make my bed:
I always make my bed right after procrastinating getting out of bed in the morning. (In part because I like coming home to a clean, organized room and in part because it makes me less likely to go back to sleep…) Christy’s Linens sent me beautiful white bedding that I love.
Go to a gym class:
I either workout in the morning or during my lunch break. I’ll go to a spin class or barre class in the morning because I have more time. I do BBG during lunch.
Eat breakfast:
I always eat breakfast. If I’m home, I’ll make coffee, rice crackers with peanut butter, a bowl of Cheerios (they are gluten-free now!), or eggs. When I go out, I’ll get an almond milk latte and an omelet or gluten-free pancakes.
Bando Tumbler // The Regulars(c/o) // Anthropologie Pillows // Remodo Blanket and Duvet c/o // Christy’s Linens Sheet Set c/o
15-minute morning routine:
I was inspired by The Muse’s article, The 15-Minute Morning Routine That’s Already Changing My Life. (Talk about a great headline!) The first part of the routine is to write down what you’re grateful for every day because studies show that it will increase your physical and mental health. The second is to write freely and generate ten ideas a day. They can be ideas in your personal or professional life.
Read the news:
I read my favorite newsletters on the way to work so I stay informed. My daily reads are The Broadstreet, The New York Times Daily Digest, Buzzfeed News, and The Skimm.
Check my email:
Productivity experts recommend that you not spend your morning reading and answering emails (as I learned first-hand, it can totally derail your good AM intentions). Focus your morning on what you need to get done—not the little things people need from you. Quickly scan your emails to see if there is anything high-priority that will affect your goals for the day, then keep the trains moving. As Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check Email in the Morning, told The Huffington Post, “Those requests and those interruptions and those unexpected surprises and those reminders and problems are endless…there is very little that cannot wait a minimum of 59 minutes.” So, if you want to be more productive throughout your day, step away from your inbox in the morning. Seriously.
Make my to-do list:
Organizing your to-do list might sound like yet another thing to add to your to-do list, but doing so is like creating a compass to get you to that golden “closing time” hour. How do you decide which task is “more important” than another? Use time management and productivity expert Laura Vanderkam’s advice and quickly ask yourself five questions: Does it take a step toward a big professional goal? Does your boss say it’s a top priority? Does it make you money? Does it lighten your mental load? Can it only be done today? Once you have your list organized, break down any big tasks into specific actions you’ll take to accomplish them.
Eat a frog:
Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the rest of the day knowing it can’t get any worse. That doesn’t mean you have to go and switch your soy latte for a frog—it simply means you should do your most important assignment first. Studies have shown that you have the most willpower in the morning, so harness your motivation mojo and master your most important task bright and early.
This post is sponsored by Christy’s Linens.
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