Reclaim Your Morning (and your power!)

I personally wake in a fog most mornings. I have tried (and failed) many times to be productive early. I have tried (and failed) to exercise first thing in the morning. I have tried (and failed) to join the 5am club. I was successful for awhile at journaling and meditating as soon as I woke up, often while still in bed. Now I know (learned from the failed attempts) that I need a slow start. I start my day with some food (Eggo waffles - don't judge me too harshly) and coffee. While I'm eating, I read a daily news-type article by someone whose viewpoint I admire. I also do the Wordle and the Mini Crossword to wake up my mind. Then I go up to my desk to read my daily reflection (this year it's The Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday), followed by journaling and affirmations.

Then I check my email and start my day.

I have talked to most of you about the value of curating a morning routine. You all know by now how I feel about journaling, so I do feel that some sort of reflection in the morning is valuable. But why? Why do I think a morning ritual is worth the effort to curate?

 The way you start your day sets the tone for everything that follows.

In one of my favorite episodes of Amy Landino’s podcast, she talks about the trap of beginning the day in reactive mode—checking email before you’ve even brushed your teeth, diving into notifications, or letting other people’s priorities flood your brain before your feet even hit the ground. I get it. The world is loud, and our to-do lists are long. But what if you gave yourself even 10 minutes to ease into the day on your own terms?

That’s the magic of a morning ritual.

It doesn’t have to be a full hour of journaling, yoga, green juice, and chanting. It can be as simple as sitting with your coffee in silence, setting an intention, or doing one thing that reminds you you’re in charge of your life.

A solid morning ritual isn’t about productivity. It’s about ownership. About saying: I get to choose how I show up today.

So this week, I’m inviting you to curate your own mini morning ritual. Something that grounds you. Centers you. Reminds you who you are before the world tells you who to be.

You don’t need a perfect system. You just need a start.

What’s one thing you could do tomorrow morning that’s just for you?

Let me know—I’d love to hear about your ritual-in-progress.

Journal Prompts

What does an ideal morning feel like to me? (Not just what I do—but how I want to feel.)

When I start my day in a reactive mode, what usually triggers it? How does that affect my mindset?

What’s one small ritual I can try tomorrow morning to create a sense of calm and control?

Who am I when I’m grounded, centered, and intentional? What habits bring me closer to that version of myself?

What distractions or habits do I want to protect my mornings from?

What do I want my mornings to say about how I’m showing up for my life?

Affirmations

I begin my day with purpose and peace.

My time is mine to shape. I choose how I show up.

I protect my mornings as sacred time for me.

I do not need to earn rest, presence, or slowness.

I start my day responding to my values—not reacting to the world.

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TheWeekly Draft

What is it? I have talked to some of you about how I set up my week every Sunday evening. During that time I write/reflect on how my previous week progressed — the things that went well, the things I wish I had accomplished — and I plan for my next week. I set my priorities and goals, I reflect on habits, I timeblock my calendar, etc.

So I would like to invite you all in to my planning space.

I will open my personal zoom room every Sunday evening at 7pm for whoever wants to join me. We will co-work on setting up our weeks and have an accountability checkin for whoever needs it. HERE is the link to join (hit: it’s my personal zoom link)

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ACTION NEEDED!

I'm moving over to my new website fully by mid-June. That means that I will need to shift all of your auto payments over to the new platform. I will be sending you all individual emails with the date you should do this and the link to follow.

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Office Hours:  Wednesday, June 18. This is for Basic Coaching Members as well as any Premier Coaching Members who would like to touch base between scheduled coaching appointments. HERE is the link to schedule a 30-minute slot

The Weekly Draft: happens every Sunday evening at 7pm at this link. Come prepared to reflect on this past week and plan for the coming week, including the idea of implementing your own Kitchen Timer hour. Join me HERE