I know the headline seems lofty, as if I have some clear answer as to how a morning should go. I would imagine, after reading this blog, you probably think this post will be full of references and data, because most of our posts are like that. We tend to write blog posts with actionable data, because as content marketers we’re always trying to say something to drive an action.

This post is different. It’s just my opinion, unabashadly delivered from my own point of view. You may disagree, and that’s ok. Creating a perfect morning for myself has been years in the making, and it’s changed alot since I first started in digital marketing.

Back then, I started my day with RSS feeds, caffeine and email overload. Today, things are much less stressful and I find I enjoy my mornings more. Read on to see my perfect morning routine…

Wake Earlier

This is the one thing I’ve been doing recently that allows me time to reflect. I no longer wake up worried about my first meeting, because we you wake at 6am, you’re hours away from even the early meetings.

Upon waking, I usually roll over and nurse the baby and read emails on my phone. I know alot of experts tell you not to do this, but it allows me to put out any fires and save the rest for later. This takes about 15 minutes and helps me order my day. I use the Mailbox app for my iPhone (and Boomerang in my Gmail at work), so I can swipe emails to come back in my inbox later in the day (or later in the month).

By the time she’s done nursing (15 minutes), I’ve cleared my inbox back to zero and can start the day lazily.

Meandering Outside

I ease out of the bed, throw on a robe and wander outside with something to drink (Diet Coke) and my laptop. I’ll usually spend an hour or better doing thoughtful work on the patio. In this time, I’ll craft a blog post, draw out a content workflow, work through our cash flow for the month or solve some big problem that’s been bugging me (lately it’s been how to brand a small town as a nice place to live).

Sometimes I use this time to bone up on a new piece of software (InDesign, Illustrator, Hubspot) or train on sales or accounting (not my strong suits).

Eat a Great Meal

I come inside around 7:30 or 8am and get the kiddos ready for the day. Some will go with us to breakfast at our local diner, Mrs. Rogers, and some stay behind because they want to sleep in for another half hour. I leisurely enjoy my eggs and grits, not rushing and making sure to talk to my fellow diners.

By enjoying my morning wake up ritual, my outside work and my breakfast, I get into the office around 9, ready to tackle the day. I’m more productive and certainly less stressed. I can move from this mindset, into more creative work before lunch. My ability to continue with the ‘brain’ work for hours is a direct result of this easy morning ritual.

Tips

• Ease out of bed - Find something you can do to gradually wake you up. For me, it’s email. For others it’s journaling or reading their Bible.

• Get ready later - Don’t try to dress and get ready right away. That is boring and no fun, and it makes your morning start off poorly. Throw on a robe and enjoy the leisurely morning.

• Go outside - Being outdoors is so peaceful. Get some good patio furniture,invest in a heater. Go outside! You’ll thank me.

• Don’t waste your time on dull work - Anything you can do in a crowded office in 15 minutes or less is something that doesn’t belong in your morning routine. Choose thoughtful work that allows you to stretch your mind. The things I do in the morning are not things that will get done during the work day. They are too easy to be distracted from and they are also easily pushed aside until things slow down. Take it from me – things never slow down. Mornings are the best time to read, train, write, brainstorm and work out difficult problems.

What I don’t do during this time is rush. My mornings are peaceful, fun even. I look forward to them, and I find myself annoyed when something interrupts them. By the way, this was the trick to getting up earlier. Making mornings awesome (and not all about increased productivity) turned me from a late night/late sleep person into a early to bed (11pm) and early to rise person.