A Mom Morning Routine for Productivity

I read an article over at Affording Motherhood by Shannon several years ago that was so inspirational to me. Once, Shannon’s mornings were hectic and crazed too, but the morning she described in detail really struck me.

Relaxing with a cup of coffee, a calm toddler listening to a story, a clear counter and laundry already going?!

Sign me up! How do I get on this train?!

The key to a calm mom morning routine is also one that is productive, and of course, happens without really thinking about it. Once you get into the groove of doing the same thing every day, you will find your mornings running smoother and you can start your day with your best foot forward.

My Morning Routine as a Working Mom

Last year, I was pregnant, working as a teacher, and had a toddler that needed to go to daycare every morning.

I would hurry around, throwing clothes on M, chucking items into my bag… making sure I had everything for the day (which, inevitably, I didn’t) and rushing out the door. My husband wasn’t there to help because he commuted to work about 2 hour earlier than I did.

At this point last year, I was already working on overhauling my life. I was writing affirmations every day and had started a routine. But I knew that once baby #2 was here in April and I quit my teaching job to stay at home, things were going to change even more drastically.

What did I have to lose by giving Shannon’s suggestions a chance?

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Building a Mom Morning Routine for Productivity

I was struggling because I knew that things needed done, but I didn’t have a plan for them.

YOU NEED A PLAN!

As I go through life year by year, I realize that if I intend for my life to be of my own making, I need to prioritize, plan, set goals, and execute.

My ideal life won’t just happen on its own, and neither will yours!

Here are my morning routine life hacks to make my mornings a little slower, more productive, and a little more balanced!

Make sure you also read: 23 Calm Evening Routine Ideas for Moms

Step 1: Write an list of things that you do or would like to do every day

I’m a pretty thorough person, and heaven forbid anything be simple. I make everything more complicated than it needs to be. BUT it helps me focus on my priorities and helps maintain awareness about the things that I’m doing that are NOT serving me.

So begin by making your list. Mine looked like this:

• Big glass of water with lemon
• Breakfast (absolutely most important and happens the moment I get out of bed)
• Shower & get ready (minimal make-up)
• Floss teeth
• Make bed
• Write affirmations in my journal
• Check calendar for the day
• Pinterest (for blogging purposes)
• Yoga
• Lift Weights
• Vitamins
• M breakfast
• Change diaper
• M clothes
• M’s teeth brushed
• Dishes & wipe the counter and stove
• Load of laundry (probably diapers)

I want my mornings to be productive and healthy. I want to get my day off to a good start!

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Step 2: Prioritize & figure out which ones are NEW habits to form.

Let’s be honest. That’s a lot of stuff. I can’t possibly do it ALL before leaving for work. I don’t want a morning routine to boost productivity that is going to stress me out. I want something that will help me stay productive and calm.

No matter how much you want to be able to do all of the things in your list in 20 minutes or less, it’s not going to happen.

Breakfast is #1 for me. If I don’t eat, I get super cranky and, believe me, NO ONE wants that. Drinking water is not only healthy, it only takes a few seconds.

The other big hitters were self-care items, like shower and get ready (even on weekends or stay-at-home days), brush and floss my teeth, and make my bed.

Of these, the only new habits that I wanted to build were flossing and making the bed. That’s only 2 new habits that take less than a minute each, so let’s add a few more.

Affirmations were new, as were pinterest, and yoga or work out.

That’s a total of 5 new habits.

You can do fewer, but I don’t suggest doing more than 5! You want to make your life easier, not more complicated, especially if you have limited time in the mornings.

(If you’re a stay-at-home mom like I am now, then you may be able to accomplish your entire list, but I’ll touch on that later.)

Here’s what my list looks like. The ones in bold are my NEW habits:

Morning List:

• Glass of Water & Glance at Calendar
• Breakfast
• Shower/Get Ready
• Get M ready
• Pack M’s bag
• Floss my teeth
• Make my Bed
• Affirmations
• Pinterest
• Yoga/Work Out

Try Affirmation cards if you want to add some positivity into your mornings.

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Step 3: How much time do you need, and what order should you complete them?

Add up all your time. I’m not going to break down every single item on my list, but basically, these things would take me about an hour and 45 minutes.

If I leave for work at 7:00am, I need to be up by at least 5:15, yes, that’s super early.

Here’s what my best morning routine for productivity looks like when I put them into order:

1. Glass of water
2. Yoga/Work Out
3. Pinterest
4. Affirmations
5. Wake up M / Eat Breakfast together
6. Shower / Get Ready
7. Floss Teeth
8. Make Bed
9. Get M Ready
10. Pack M’s bag

I could really try to get M up after my shower, but he doesn’t really sleep past 6am, so he’ll have to play on the floor while I’m showering.

Why Should You Make Your Bed Every Day? Check out this video for some hard-core motivation!
It all starts with making your bed!

Step 4: Write your new habits down in a habit-tracker, planner, or daily journal and watch your world change!

Since I have been keeping track of my new habits, here is how my life has changed.

I have less stress when I go to bed at night because life is a little more organized and tidy. (This means more quality sleep! Win-win!)

I am healthier. When I saw the dentist, she was surprised at how much cleaner my teeth were, and how much healthier my gums were. All because I added flossing every day!

Affirmations have made my life filled with so much more gratitude. This honestly could also account for sleeping easier. I still do plenty of worrying… just not nearly as much as before.

As far as Pinterest, I’ve gained a huge new following.

I started building these new habits for my morning routine, but I know I’m far from being done. Scientists say that forming new habits takes 3 weeks. I couldn’t disagree more. For me, building a new habit so that it’s mindless and easy… takes more like 3 months! Do what’s comfortable for you, but keep in mind that if you REALLY want to establish those new habits, you may have to keep tracking them for quite a while.

Part of my problem, I think, is that I have no willpower. Keeping track of my habits has enabled me to see these plans through!

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Reflections on My Best Morning Routine for Productivity

When I started this morning routine life hack, this is what my habit tracker/to-do list combo looked like:

Here’s what my planner looks like now:

This is something that has helped my morning routine to boost productivity IMMENSELY!

I have been keeping track of my habits and to-do list (by category) and writing my affirmations EVERY DAY for a year!

I made it for myself, but I loved it so much I wanted to share! You can find it here!

Learn how to Use the Goal Planner:
Goal Planner With Affirmations for Productivity

Want a freebie that can help you with your morning goals?!

Here’s a daily habit tracker, available in 2 different forms, every month of the year!

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In March of last year, I became a stay/work-at-home mom, so my mornings look a little different now.

Don’t give up—it’s completely worth it. My mornings are already slower and more satisfying with my new morning routine for productivity!

What kinds of habits can you instill in your life to make it a little more joyful and balanced?!

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