Your Key to a Successful Day: The Morning Routine You Need!

BZZZZ- BZZZ- BZZZ!!! Without opening your eyes you fling your arm over to your obnoxious alarm clock, fumbling to hit the “snooze” button for the third time that morning. As your mind begins to clear from your groggy fog, you begin to run through your mental list of everything you need to accomplish throughout the day before you can once again rest your head on your cloud of a pillow later that evening. Grocery shopping, laundry, make a snack for your child’s school party, wash the floors, reply to emails, make the kiddos breakfast, lunch, dinner, work… the list just goes on and on. With what seems like incredible force, you pull yourself up and glance at your clock, “Shoot! I should have been up 30 minutes ago! I have so much to get done before the kids wake up for the day.” Then, like a cruel joke, you hear the sound you were praying would not come for at least another hour… “Moooom!! Can I get up now?! I have to go to the bathroom!” And so begins your day, flustered before it even truly started. This was me. This was ALL me; until I found the key to make my days as a mom successful… the morning routine I so desperately needed and you will too (hint: this includes 1850 Brand Coffee)!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #1850Coffee #1850CoffeeatTarget http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV  

The “Advice”

I had heard it a million times, “you just need to get up earlier!“. The advice appeared simple enough, but as a mom of two young children (one of whom was still waking up 1-2 times a night to nurse), the “advice” was more comical than anything. I was sleep-deprived, short-tempered, and overwhelmed… the last thing I needed was a solution that resulted in LESS sleep. As a result, morning after morning my day began looking identical to the situation above. I was setting myself up for failure before I truly ever gave myself a chance for success. By 9:00am I was deflated, run down, and ready for bed. Instead, I had an entire day ahead of me, full of endless duties and responsibilities (including raising two little human beings)… responsibilities that I considered myself beyond blessed to have, but yet I struggled to keep up with.

The Solution

After months of dreading my morning routines, I knew something needed to change. I needed to figure out once and for all a solution. With my days only getting busier, and with more items only stockpiling on my mental to-do list… I knew there HAD to be an easier way. Unsure of where to best start, I began to examine exactly what caused me to be flustered in the first place. As obvious as the answers may be it helped me to break them down.

1. I felt rushed.
2. I lacked any “me time” to clear my mind and debrief.
3. I went into the day without a solid plan (only endless duties swimming around in my brain).
4. I lacked caffeine.

1.) Feeling rushed. I knew that I needed to wake earlier, perhaps hitting snooze just one time less. I knew that waking up at the same time as the kiddos was simply no longer an option (hey, maybe there WAS something to that “advice” after all ;)). However, I also knew that I couldn’t bring myself to miss out on too much of my coveted sleep.

2.) Lacking any “me time” to clear my mind and debrief. I decided to take a lesson out of my own book (or own blog post should I say;)… “Finding the “Me Time” You Deserve and Need as a Mom of Young Children“, by truly pinpointing what morning “me time” would look like in my world. While this varies for every person, for me it included a magazine/or book, time to reflect, getting fresh air, and overall having quiet time.

3.) Without a solid plan. I believe more than any of the above, the endless duties with no solid plan for attack was what resulted in me becoming my most flustered self. I needed a plan, a solid plan that I could stick to (when feasible) throughout the day. I needed a checklist and schedule that allowed me to tackle each duty most effectively and gave me the satisfaction of crossing items off my list.

4.) Lacking caffeine. I needed it, I craved it. If I couldn’t magically add hours on to my nightly sleep schedule, I knew I could count on coffee to give me the energy boost I desperately needed. Yet, with an abrupt and flustered start to my day, I was hours in before I could drink that coveted drink.

My Morning Routine

And so was born my morning routine, and my key to having a successful day as a mom!

Determined to not lose too much sleep (after all, not much can beat the power of a good night’s rest), I decided to wake 30 minutes earlier… or in other words… refrain from pushing the “snooze” button two more times. Surprisingly enough, it was far easier to get up in the morning when I knew I would have some quality “me time”. Meandering to the kitchen, I grabbed my favorite coffee mug and started brewing my daily dose of caffeine. I then settled into my comfortable chair, and started to begin writing out my daily to-do list. Grouping together tasks when possible, once down on paper the list always appeared far less daunting then it seemed in my mind. Once my list was complete, I kicked back, cracked open my desired book or magazine and sipped away on my favorite 1850 Brand Coffee.

With the mindset that every bold day has a bold morning routine behind it, I love starting my day with 1850 Brand Coffee. A new premium coffee from Folgers, 1850 Brand Coffee was created with history in mind. With the desire to help prospectors that sought their fortunes back in 1850, J.A Folger created a bold-yet-smooth cup of coffee. Continuing with this legacy, 1850 Brand Coffee is the official coffee of bold people tackling the hustle of everyday life. A hustle that moms, if anyone, know all too well!

1850 Brand Coffee’s bold-yet-smooth taste helps inspire me to make bold decisions and plans for my day ahead. Dependent on my daily dose of caffeine to start my day right, I love knowing that I can switch up flavoring when desired. Available in four signature blends of Ground and K-Cup coffee, 1850 Brand Coffee will also soon be available in 3 Ready-to-Drink flavors.

After only one day implementing my new morning routine, I was not only beyond shocked, but also beyond thrilled to realize just how much more ready I felt to tackle each and every day. My stress was down, my mood was elevated, I was becoming a better mom, and my days quickly became more and more successful. All because of implementing a very basic, yet very crucial, morning routine!

Perfecting YOUR Morning Routine

Ready to perfect YOUR morning routine? Perhaps you’ll wake an hour earlier, perhaps just 15 minutes. Maybe you will incorporate physical activity, or opt for extra time snuggled in bed. Maybe you’ll skim social media on your phone, or turn on the morning news. Regardless of your preferred “me time” selection and morning schedule, the key is customizing your morning routine to what will put YOUR mind at ease and start YOUR day clear-minded and with a plan. Wanting to incorporate 1850 Brand Coffee into your perfect morning routine as well… going boldly into your day ahead? Luckily, 1850 Brand Coffee is available at Target (a.k.a. every mom’s “happy place”)! Simply visit Target from 5/20 – 6/30 and take 20% off any 1850 Brand Coffee product with the Target Cartwheel Coupon (while supplies last)!

 

Do you have a morning routine already implemented? What works for you? I’d love to hear in the comments below!