How To Consistently Be The Captain of Your Life

Life is kind of like being a captain of a ship.

You’re sailing along out into the sunset with the wind in your hair — and then all of a sudden, the waves start getting choppy, the wind picks up.

Maybe this wasn't in the weather forecast.

On top of that, someone is rocking the boat.

Eventually you decide you need to drop your anchor in to give you some time to:

• Strategize how you're going to get back on course or figure out if you're going to re-route

• Deploy the other resources you have on board

• Call for help

• Have a hard conversation with the person on board rocking the boat

• Have 1 minute of calm

Because if you don't drop the anchor, you'll likely drift more off course or go completely crazy.

If you’re the captain of the boat, people are relying on you…

Life kinda feels like this sometimes and your morning routine can be your anchor.

I recommend establishing an Anchor Activity.

An Anchor Activity is something:

• You do anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 mins to ground you, take a pause

• Journaling, stretching, taking a shower, deep breaths, taking a walk.

• You can do quickly and take anywhere (even on vacation)

Something to do when the waves get rocky, wind picks up, or that dang person just keeps rocking the boat.

Also, could be a time to bask in the sun and look around at what you have to be thankful for.

For the people who live in the all or nothing —

this is a small thing you can do every day, a shorter version of your longer routine, a way to modify, a way to stay consistent.

For the past 5 years, my anchor has been journaling.

I do it on the days where I have 5 mins like when I go to the office or maybe on a trip.

• I do it on the days I have 30 mins like when I WFH or on the weekends.

• It's carried me to several countries, through breakups, covid, loss, job changes, re-evaluating my drinking habits, my hardest conversations, and biggest dreams.

I have friends who are parents who prefer to do their Anchor in the evenings or during “fringe hours” as they call it —

waiting to pick up the kids from school or sitting at gymnastics practice.

They say those 10 min windows make a difference.

An Anchor is a way to modify your routine in a way that makes it easier to consistently show up & check in with yourself.

So what could your quick Anchor Activity be?

Because there will always be choppy waters, high winds, or people rocking the boat.

Are you going to be the captain of your ship or drift further into the storm?

Drop your Anchor.

So when the waves keep rocking you’ll keep rolling.

The 4 A’s of Consistency

The key to consistency isn’t perfection—it’s about what you’re doing the majority of the time.

Because what you do majority of the time is who you become.

Take working out.

Maybe you’ve hit the gym 6 mornings this week, but you’re frustrated you didn’t make it on the 7th. Safe to say you’re becoming a morning workout person.

Or maybe it's the opposite and you say you’re a morning workout person, but if we’re being real, you’ve gone once in the past month.

What you do most often is who you're becoming.

So, do you need to give yourself grace because you're putting in the work? Or do you need a little push to get your habits to match the person you want to become?

Either way, if you want to feel proud of the morning routine you're building, consider the 4 A’s of Consistency:

Applicability – Why are you getting up to do these things in the morning? Does it contribute to the person YOU want to be? A strong why will keep you getting out of bed.

Adaptability – Not all 7 days of the week are the same. Create 2 versions of your routine (ex: office vs. WFH) that allow you to adjust based on your schedule. Giving yourself flexibility and not living in the "all or nothing" will help you be consistent.

Accountability – Write it down, track it, or tell someone who’ll check in on you. Committing to yourself, seeing your progress, and a little external push can help you be consistent.

Attainability – Don't go all beast mode right away. Start where you are and use the +1 Strategy: take one small step, prove to yourself you can do it, and build from there. That's how you build a consistent routine in a sustainable way.

When all us fails - have an Anchor Activity

An Anchor Activity is something that you do anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 mins.

Journaling, stretching, taking a shower, deep breaths

Something you can do quickly and take anywhere (even on vacation).

An anchor represents steadiness and commitment.

The steady commitment you make to yourself every day to show up.

Who Are You Waking Up For?

If you want to start waking up earlier, stop focusing on "what time do I need to get up?"

Start asking - "who am I waking up for?"

While the first question is important, the second is what will actually get you out of bed.

--

As a lot of us do -

I used to set my alarm for the time I needed to get up for work.

The rest of the morning would look like snoozing, scrolling social media, and dragging myself out of bed to rush to work.

Who was I waking up for? Who was I setting my alarm for?

I had to admit to myself that it was social media & work.

Some people may be ok with that, but that didn't sit well with me and I KNEW I wanted to be more than that.

I wanted to be waking up for me and starting the day in a way I was proud of.

So I started setting my alarm to do something important to me before the workday started -- have a moment to journal, sit quietly with coffee, and work on my (eventual) side business.

Yes the alarm had to be set for earlier than I was used to in order to do these things before my day job. 

But mindset shift of waking up for ME led to:

• Greater purpose to get out of bed

• Easier, less dreadful 5:30am wakeups

• A more fulfilled, energetic person at work and in life

 —

For the next 5 years…

I woke up for me -- and I (naively) thought it would always be that way.

Then a certain someone popped into my life…

I was no longer waking up for me! 

When I got Maisy at 10 weeks old, we were CLEARLY going to be on Maisy time.

She would wake me up early in the morning by putting her little, wet nose on my arm, or if she couldn't reach me due to being puppy size at that time, do a very respectable bark to let me know it was time to start the day.

Trust me - that little wet nose was a lot cuter in the daylight vs. a dark 4am…

After getting through some tough weeks, we found our groove…

Instead of forcing the mornings to be a certain way, I let go and realized that it was best to wake up and take care of her, and then take care of me.

But I surprisingly didn't mind that. 

Once I got passed the hard, sleepless, and stressful first weeks, I found myself happy to wake up for her and thankful to have this puppy I dreamt of for such a long time.

I was leaping out of bed each morning -- whether that was at 4am Maisy time, or 6am on my time…the time was really a logistical piece.

The important question was: who am I waking up for?

For you - that could be…

• Work

• Kids

• Spouse

• Dogs

• Side hustle

Whatever it may be, I hope you can find something worth leaping out of bed for -- something to be thankful and proud of.

And there is no wrong answer because it's YOUR LIFE.

Stop feeling the pressure to wake up at 4am or 5am because that's what the world sees as a "good" morning routine, and start asking…

Who am I waking up for?

Maybe that does lead you to a 5am wake up, but make sure there is purpose behind it.

Identifying who you're waking up for is what is going to get you out of bed on the hardest days and make that once dreadful, early wake up a whole lot easier.

BONUS TAKEAWAYS:

A few other things if waking up earlier is 1 of your goals:

1. Set your alarm across the room, eliminates a lot of the snoozing habits

2. Wake up 10 minutes earlier than you do right now, prove to yourself that you can do it, then add 10 more. Each new time won't feel as drastic because you've worked your way up

3. Plan your morning routine and then plan your evening. Having the morning planned gives you a REASON to go to bed earlier, ensures enough sleep, and makes it easier to wakeup.

If morning definitely isn't a time for you - my friends who are parents of little ones often share these 2 tips:

1. Use evenings after kids go to bed as me time - taking 20 minutes immediately after they go down to get on the Peloton or read the book club book

2. Use "fringe hours" to make time for you - journal or read while waiting for the kids to get out of soccer or gymnastics practice, those 15 minute windows add up

When Does Reflection Become Rumination?

I used to see reflection - in work and life - as good as it helps us learn from our experiences. 

But is there such thing as too much reflection?

Can reflection become rumination?

I asked myself this question when I listened to Chris Williamson's Modern Wisdom podcast with his guest Freya India.

She discussed therapy culture and how specifically girls are ruminating on thoughts that often lead to anxiety or depression. I recommend giving it a listen even for the 1st 30 minutes.

By definition, rumination is:

A repetitive and passive thought pattern, involves dwelling on negative experiences or situations, often focusing on the causes and effects of distress without actively seeking solutions or moving forward. 

I see rumination show up:

At work - when multiple co-workers come together to complain about a problem, raising each others emotions more and more as it's shared collectively, and a lot of times no action is taken.

In life - when you're journaling about the same thing over and over again and no action is taken to change that.

We see this too in a culture where we are encouraged to reflect on everything, set goals, meditate, journal, go to therapy, etc.

Yes connection to others and ourselves are good parts of reflection, but when does it become excessive?

When does reflection become rumination?

How do we know we've gotten to that point?

The easy answer: at the point where no action is taken 

The hard answer: when we no longer trust ourselves to take the next step forward

—

I'll give you an example of when reflection became rumination for me (and maybe they will help you discover them in yourself)

A relationship I needed to get out of -

I thought having a daily journal practice was helpful in working through problems I was having in a relationship.

Until every journal entry day after day became about the same relationship problems with little to no action taken after.

Not to mention it came up in every therapy session and conversation with a friend.

Reflection quickly became rumination 

It took until the rumination showed up in my body physically as heart pounding, headaches, and a constant pit in my stomach.  Looking back, my intuition and body were telling me something needed to change.

What I learned from that experience is to not let to rumination get to that point. Take action.

When I eventually addressed the problems, they couldn't be resolved, and I decided to leave the relationship, the physical symptoms went away almost like a 500lb rock had been lifted off my chest. 

I wish I hadn't ignored my feelings and reflections, and trusted myself more.

There are many other stories I could tell you about reflection becoming rumination.

Maybe you can relate to:

• Creative projects not making it past the pages of my journal because of imposter syndrome

• Over perfecting my business website, but not taking action to get actual sales

• Not communicating with a co-worker about on-going problems to the point it built resentment

Hopefully 1 of these stories helps you reflect on your reflections (but not ruminate too much of course!).

Makes me believe that reflection becomes rumination when you no longer trust your thoughts and abilities.

Trust is built with ourselves when we write down what we want to do and then we do it. Again and again and again.

Your morning is a perfect time to build this muscle.

You can use what I call the NOW Model to not get stuck at N and O and take action NOW!

It may take many mornings and reps, but it's how we prove to ourselves that we can go from reflection to action.

Because everyone deserves to wake up feeling proud and trusting that there is a path forward.

How to Find (Good) Ideas For Your Morning Routine

The secret to a great morning routine isn’t copying someone else’s—it’s knowing which parts to ignore.

Say you want to do something other than work, be interesting, well-rounded, but you just don't know what that is.

And maybe you've tried the healthy or woo woo things people say to do in the morning and you're just straight up not interested in them.

We can gain inspiration from other people's paths, but following someone else's routine copy/paste isn't what is going to get YOU out of bed.

So how do you find something that's going to get YOU out of bed?

Step 1: Draw Your Life Pie

Identify the 3-6 sections of your life. Think about…

• Who do you want to be? What does that person do?

• What do you want to make time for?

• What are your priorities?

Examples of pieces: Family, friends, work, health, hobbies, home, etc.

Consider what activities could be in each of these pieces.

(health could include sleep, journaling, working out, therapy)

I recommend having…

• Minimum of 3: to diversify your identity & happiness

• Maximum of 6: to get really clear on who you want to be

Focus on drawing your ideal Life Pie, recognizing what you’re doing right now is maybe not where you want to be. Hopefully this exercise gets you closer to the life you want to be living.

Step 2: Decide what pie piece & activity you want to use your morning for.

Use these questions to help select the RIGHT activity for your morning:

• What do you crave in the morning?

• What frequently gets lost in your day that you could put first?

• What requires focus?

• What requires no socialization?

• What do you like your morning to look like on vacation?

• What would you be bummed you didn't do this time next year?

• What did you like to do as a kid that you could do the adult version now?

Examples:

You could go on a walk because that is what your ideal morning looks like on vacation and contributes to your health pie piece.

You could choose to write a book because that’s what you keep saying you’re going to do every year and contributes to your interests pie piece.

You could do yoga because this is the adult version of doing gymnastics as a kid and contributes to your health pie piece.

—

Your morning routine plan being derived from your Life Pie reinforces what you’re doing is important and is worth getting out of bed for.

But that COULD mean tuning out what everyone is doing and finding what works for you.

But that’s when you start living YOUR life instead of someone else’s.

I Was A Part Of The 70%

According to a McKinsey study, 70% of us see work as our sole purpose.

I predict we've learned this idea from:

• Older generations passing it down

• College focusing solely on you getting a job

The challenge with work being our sole purpose:

• Puts pressure on work to be perfect

• Happiness is coming from 1 thing

• Becomes our identity

I was a part of that 70%.

Age 22, fresh out of college, at my first corporate job -

I would roll myself out of bed, get ready, and commute 30 mins to work in the dark through cornfields - hoping my coffee would wake me up in time for when I arrived to the office.

I would walk into the office with an energetic smile and plop myself down at my desk. I was a try-hard, perfectionist, and I was ready to absolutely kill it at work.

Because I thought work was everything.

But as the first few months went on - getting up, driving to work, and sitting down at my desk 5 days a week (when people were still going to the office 5 days a week), I started to think…

"I think there is more than this."

Not in the "maybe the grass is greener somewhere else" kind of way or not being thankful for where I was at, but was curious IF you could do things outside of work.

Slowly, the drives to work became my time to think about what I could be or do outside of work. 

I would listen to podcasts interviewing entrepreneurs, creatives, and writers doing all these cool things..

When I finished my drive and got to my desk, I found myself writing sticky notes of habits/activities I could try, and blog ideas and podcast scripts for things I wanted to talk about.

But how would I have time to do these things? I was always so tired after work!

Making these fun things part of my morning routine became the opportune time - weren't social events going on, I could prioritize what I wanted to do, and start my day on my own terms.

I could BE more than my work.

Over the next 6 years - those sticky notes and early mornings turned into writing 40 podcasts, 128 blog posts, 191 newsletters, 1900+ journal entries, a Morning Routine Workbook, a Morning Routine Workshop, & much more.

Because of making space in the morning.

But if you're considering doing something outside of work, I know the morning doesn't work for everyone.

Maybe you’re in a stage in your life where the evening is better - take the morning or evening routine advice you need & leave the rest for someone else.

Or maybe you’re in a stage where work needs to be everything - consider how a 2-min grounding morning routine could make your work better.

Or maybe you feel like being a wife, mom, or partner is your sole purpose right now.

No matter where you’re at in your life, I don't want you to ignore the nudge to:

1. Be curious - lean into the "I think there is more than this"

2. Write the sticky notes or journal - so you can build on your ideas over time

3. Find time that works for you to think or act on these - in the morning, in the car, on a walk, etc.

If I had ignored it, I would still be the girl defining herself by 1 thing, and I know I'm so much more than that.

And so are you!

How To Know When You're Doing Enough (in the morning & life)

I booked a speaking gig this week I would have killed to book 2 years ago.

I got it and thought “Ok now I need more.”

I heard a similar story from someone when they talked about their morning routine. 

"I'm waking up at 6am now, but I could be doing earlier."

Or when my fellow health-conscious friends talking about their workouts.

"I worked out 3x this week, but I could be doing more."

When is what we’re doing enough?

We've done ourselves a disservice by not identifying what "enough" means.

3 questions that have helped give myself credit (while still pushing forward):

1) What does a good day/morning/workout look like?

Identifying 3 priorities that would make today a good day or what is the 1 target goal post you're going after.

2) What am I doing majority of the time?

Even when I miss a day, focusing on the fact that I hit 6 out of 7.

3) Would my younger self be proud?

Would your college self be proud of where you sit today? Would your 13 year old self be excited to hear where you're today?

This one gets me in the feels.

Because maybe just maybe, it's even better than you imagined.

P.S. you’re doing enough.

How To Find Your Next Hobby (and Make It Part of Your Morning Routine)

I usually tell people I started writing when I was 23.

But I really started when I was 10.

Before the time of phones and iPads, we had to get creative with how we entertained ourselves

1 form of entertainment I found was writing "Family Time Magazine" -

an 18-page word document made with WordArt font, printed out, hole punched, and tied with yarn (gosh my poor parents color printer).

It was collection of what was playing in the movie theatre, the weather report, and whatever my 10 year old self thought was noteworthy.

Fast forward to 23 -

I would commute 1 hour round trip to my first corporate job, pondering ways I could entertain myself or do more than just work.

When I finished my drive and got to my desk, I found myself writing on sticky notes blog ideas and podcast scripts for things I wanted to talk about.

I even started using my morning before work to journal and experiment with blogging and podcasting.

Over the next 6 years - those ideas turned into writing…

• 40 podcasts

• 128 blog posts

• 191 newsletters

• 1900+ journal entries

• A Morning Routine Workshop

• A Morning Routine Workbook

(limited colored printing this time)

Kind of ironic how what entertained me as a kid is entertaining me as an adult…

Or is it?

When people say they want to have hobbies and make it part of their morning routine, but aren't really sure what they would do, there a few questions that can help:

• What did you like to do as a kid that you could now do the "adult version" of now?

• What intrigues you from what you see on social media or tv?

• What do you want to do after work that you're usually too tired to do? 

While this is a great brainstorming activity, it didn't always help them find "the thing" they wanted to do. 

I didn't sit down 1 time and know what I wanted to do…

It was 3 steps done over and over again…

1) Slow down enough to notice what you want (and more than once)

It was my drive to work each day that allowed me to slow down and think about what I want 

2) Journal about it

Organizing my thoughts and getting it down on paper so I didn't forget and can build on them 

3) Take action & experiment to get clarity on what it is

I could plan all I want, but taking action is when you get clear on what you want to do

Simply:

Notice the thoughts

Wrestle with the thoughts

Take action on the thoughts

So if you aren't sure what your next move is, maybe use your morning routine to notice, wrestle, and take action on your thoughts.

Because I'm starting to think that what we want to do has always been inside of us, but have we slowed down enough to listen to what that is?

4 Surprising Takeaways From The Miracle Morning

After 6 years of morning routines, this winter I've been in a rut…

(yes morning routine coaches get into ruts too)

I picked up The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (arguably the most well-known book on morning routines) to find some inspiration. 

Here are 4 surprising takeaways that stood out to me:

1) The SAVERS framework is a great outline for your morning if you don't know where to start

S ilence

A ffirmations

V isualization

E xercise

R eading

S cribing

He mentions doing 10 minutes of each of these, but even starting with just 1 of them will get you that early win you need!

2) You determine before you go to bed how you're going to feel when you wake up

Hal says:

"Seven hours, eight hours, nine hours - the hours of sleep I got didn’t significantly change how I felt when the alarm clock went off in the morning. As long as I told myself that I wasn't getting enough sleep and that I was going to feel tired in the morning, that’s exactly how I felt."

Even if we got 10 hours of sleep, it can feel like we've never gotten enough. Good reminder that our mindset can change our mood just as much as sleep.

3) Morning routines aren't stealing your sleep - TikTok & Netflix are

We often think mornings take away from your sleep, when they're actually taking away from mind-numbing activities

• Late-night or early morning scrolling

• Mindless TV

• Other activities that aren't really helping you

Consider what you are ACTUALLY cutting out when adding a morning routine.

4) The alarm clock needs to be across the room, no matter how much discipline you have

Discipline to not hit snooze only gets us so far.

We need to set up our environment for the life we want to live, such as putting alarm across the room so we get up.

So simple, yet effective!

—

Something else I learned from reading this book —

Even if you’re an expert in your field, there is always something to learn or a new perspective you’ve never considered.

Keep learning if you want to keep growing.

Ditch the Perfect Morning Routine — Ask This Instead

8 times out of 10, if a moment gets ruined, a perfectionist ruins it for themselves.

Take a perfectionist who is trying to start a morning routine.

They get fixated on:

• Waking up at the exact time they planned

• Doing ALL the things

• Never feeling rushed to get out the door

But we are humans and not robots.

• We accidently stay up too late sometimes

• We sleep in an extra 15 minutes

• We spend a little too long journaling, not leaving enough time to get ready for work

The "morning misstep" is going to happen (and gosh it's hard to not beat yourself up when it does)

BUT ASK YOURSELF:

What are you doing the majority of the time?

It's a way to:

1) Give yourself credit for the great mornings you've had

(and not feel like a failure when you've messed up once)

2) Hold yourself accountable to not just talk, but walk the walk

(saying you're a "morning workout person" when you haven't made it to the gym once in the past month)

Because what you're doing the majority of the time is who you're becoming.

So who are you becoming right now?

6 Steps To Break Phone Scrolling Habits

At 23, my phone was taking over my life.

• Wakeup - scroll

• Get home from work - scroll

• Getting ready for bed - scroll

It's a habit that is easy to fall into and hard to break.

The key: small, intentional steps

Steps that aren’t shaming you for looking at your phone, but using it in a way that isn’t draining and you can be proud of.

Here are 6 smalls steps to break the endless phone scrolling habits:

(and find more time for things you've been saying you want to do)

1) Put your alarm across the room

This helps avoid: rolling over, hitting snooze, and scrolling

Creates time to: journal, walk, or sit down to have an actual breakfast

2) Delay using your phone until after morning routine is over

This helps you: not restrict your phone usage

Instead: delay it so you can get the important things done first

Bonus: great for using as a reward if you're a gold star person and need that extra motivation!

3) Change your settings to only show time sensitive notifications on your home screen

This helps you avoid: clicking and scrolling every time a notification pops up

Allows you to: be intentional with what apps and people you're giving your valuable time and attention to

(aka text messages from loved ones, and maybe not the work email at 9pm or "eggnog the bulldog posted a new video").

4) Set a social media time limit

You can: use the App Limit setting to help you not go down a social media rabbit hole for 2 hours

Instead: spend some of that time on things you've been meaning to do like workout, read, or call your grandma.

5) Put your phone on do not disturb before you go to bed

Instead of: email, text message, or social media deciding how your day starts

You can: mute notification from popping up on your home screen and start your day with what YOU want to think about

6) Bed becomes a no phone zone

This sets: a physical barrier to help reduce the amount you're using your phone right before sleeping.

You can replace: the phone scrolling you once did with reading fiction, journaling, or basically anything that isn't going to help you not stare at the ceiling until midnight.

Implementing just 1 of these can make you feel smarter (and can I say proud?) about the way you use your phone

My 3-Step Journal Prompts Template

After 7 years of morning journaling, there is 1 template I still go to when I don’t know what to write.

— 

1) 3 Priorities For Today

Listing priorities that answer the questions:

• What would I be proud to get done today?

• What does good or done look like?

I have my most productive & focused days when I do this.

But it's not always about being productive, right?

—

2) 3 Things I Want To Feel Today

This is setting the intention for how I want to walk into the day

Confident, calm, purposeful, connected

Doing this is usually the difference between walking into work frantic vs. calm.

But maybe we don't always need to look ahead, and can look at right now…

—

3) 3 Things I’m Thankful For

We dig deeper here, so answering the questions

• What person, thing, situation can you not imagine having in your life right now?

• What person, thing, situation would your younger self be freaking proud of?

Even in the hard phases of life -

it's a moment to stop, look around, and realize you have it pretty good.

Happy journaling :)

I Took Maisy Outside and My Mornings Would Never Be The Same

You can learn a lot standing outside at 6am in 10 degrees and 4 inches of snow.

For 1 year now, I've been going out with Maisy pup first thing in the morning (yes even in the cold).

This reminded me of 3 important lessons about mornings:

—

1) Silence in the morning can bring the best ideas

The best ideas don't usually come from sitting at a desk.

They come when…

• Driving

• Showering

• Standing outside waiting for your dog to go to the bathroom 

My 1st job required commuting 30 minutes through cornfields in the morning - and I wouldn't be writing to you now if it weren't for that. 

Instead of seeing this as annoyance, embrace the mundane and the space for your own thoughts before the craziness of the day

— 

2) Once you do something you thought was impossible, everything else doesn't feel as hard

Bundling up and going out in the cold felt unthinkable.

But once I did that, I had momentum and confidence to take on the rest of the morning.

It's like…

• Writing the 1st paragraph of a blog post

• Running the 1st mile

• Submitting the 1st application

You make 1 decision, make it over the hump of doing it, and it gets easier from there.

—

3) Make sure you like what you're getting up for

Trust me I wouldn't be going outside if I didn't love Maisy…

Good reminder to ask:

• Who or what are you waking up for?

• Do you like that reason?

Work, spouse, kids, dogs, yourself??

Gives you purpose to get out of bed, and we'll need that on the good, bad, and especially cold days.

*Side note: taking Maisy out in the morning is also how I met my boyfriend -  but that's a story for another day ;)

What Eat the Frog Actually Means

Most people get "Eat The Frog" all wrong.

Attributed to Mark Twain, “Eat The Frog” is widely known as doing the hardest thing first thing in the morning. 

It's very "just do it."

But let me use my graceful yoga teacher voice here.

"Eat the frog" isn't about doing the thing you despise the most.

It's about:

Doing the 1 thing that requires your freshest energy and you want to give your freshest energy to

Example:

You may have considered your "Frog" a morning workout because it's the thing you despise the most.

BUT

Maybe a workout is the thing that requires your freshest energy so that's why you do it in the morning.

OR

Maybe it doesn't require your freshest brain power and your workout could be moved to after work when your brain is ready for a break.

--

Identify not what the hardest thing is, but what you want to dedicate your freshest energy to.

When you do this --

"Eating The Frog" it's no longer about forcing yourself do the hardest thing in the morning.

"Eating The Frog" becomes you following through on your commitment to become the best version of yourself.

--

Want to start “Eating The Frog?” The Morning Routine Workbook as a 3-step guide to get you started + 12-month habit tracker to hold you accountable!

Break The Work, Eat, Sleep Cycle: The 2-Step Guide To Start Healthy Habits and Hobbies

At the ripe age of 23, I had my first identity crisis.

I sat at my corporate job knowing I wanted to BE more and DO more than work, eat, sleep.

I eventually went on to:

• Start a podcast

• Complete 200-hr yoga teacher training

• Launch a business

BUT it was a 4-year winding road with a lot of breaks and doubting

Here's how I went from sitting at my corporate job with big ideas to taking consistent action on my health & hobbies

(so you can do it in less time than I did)

1) Start a morning journal practice

Start with answering 1 journal prompt or question each morning to explore who you want to become.

My favorite: The Life Pie Exercise

If your life was a pie, what are the 4-6 pieces?

(health, family, friends, hobbies, etc.)

This represents who you want to be & how you want to spend your time.

BUT DON'T GET STUCK HERE

Start taking action right after that!

2) Habit stack action

Once you get a consistent journal practice down, take action on something that contributes to your Life Pie.

Most common action is doing something for your health or hobbies since these get lost in our day easily.

Example:

• During my journal practice - I got clarity I wanted to start a hobby of podcasting

• After my journal practice - I would work on the podcast

Before I knew it, I wasn't just a corporate employee.

I was also a daily journaler, podcaster, and proud of the person I was becoming. 

THE KEY:

Doing this in the morning!

Pairing a morning journal practice + action helps you…

1. Prioritize what's important to you (so it doesn't get lost in your day)

2. Use your freshest energy on what's important to you (instead of someone else)

3. Gives you purpose to get out of bed (and eliminate the dreadful mornings)

So what are you waiting for? Start tomorrow!

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Need the push to get started? The Morning Routine Workbook as a 3-step guide to getting started + 12-month habit tracker to hold you accountable!

3 Tips For Doing Your Morning Routine While Traveling

1 of the most important times to do a morning routine is when you're traveling.

Why?

• Your eating is different

• Your workouts are sporadic

• Your sleep schedule is weird

• Your social battery is possibly drained 

So you don't feel like you're completely losing yourself -

take a brief moment in the morning to check in!

Here's a 3-step playbook to make it happen:

1) Have an Anchor Activity

An Anchor Activity is doing something for 1-2 minutes each morning to check in with yourself.

(likely a shorter version of what you do for your regular morning routine)

Journal, take 5 deep breaths, take a walk.

Make your first, feel-good decision of the day and it becomes the catalyst for everything else!

2) Find a spot to do it

Maybe you're crashing on the couch in the living room at your aunt's house and you have limited privacy.

Sneak in your Anchor Activity when you go to the bathroom, go out to your car, take the walk.

This may be your only "me time" in the day so put it to good use.

3) Remember your why

Who are you becoming by taking a moment for yourself in the morning?

Someone who is…

• Aware

• Present

• Motivated

As we enter the busy holiday travel season, how do you want to show up?

1 LAST THING

Maybe you find it is challenging to show up as your best self when traveling or around the holidays.

Remember -

You not doing your routine is the "holiday version" of you, not the "everyday version" of you.

Meaning -

1) not doing it is temporary

2) come the Monday after the holiday you'll jump back into it :)

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I go deeper into each of these topics in the Morning Routine Workbook. Get it now and start taking action on your morning routine!

3 Tools To Level Up Your Life in 2025

1 thing I know about you is that you want to level-up!

Steal these 3 tools I used to level-up this year that I plan to use again!

(and just in time for the 2025 edition of all of these to be on sale this Black Friday)

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The Big A** Calendar

If you're a planner and want to make time for the RIGHT things, this large, 3-foot calendar is amazing!

I have mine up in my home office and it's a way to see my whole year in 1 place! It fills me with both excitement and gratitude for the year ahead!

And if you're not following Jesse Itzler (the creator) yet, you're missing out!

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The Wealth Planner

If you want to track your budget, savings, and net worth - this is a 1-stop shop!

Money with Katie created this extensive excel sheet that has completely changed how I look at my personal finances (not to mention feel excited about my progress)!

She also has a podcast and newsletter that I highly recommend checking out!

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The Morning Routine Workbook

If you finally want to do a morning routine for more than 3 days, my Morning Routine Workbook is the key to making that happen!

This workbook is based on my proven, 3-step morning routine method that has gotten my clients to:

• wake up earlier

• workout in the morning

• quit their bad phone habits

• start working on their side hustle

Not to mention includes a 12-month tracker to hold you accountable! 

Digital + hard copy will go on sale Black Friday!

You’re This Close To Becoming More -- Get Started With A Morning Routine

When I was 23, I sat at my first job saying "I think there is more than this."

I loved my job, but I knew I wanted to be…

• Healthy

• Seek out new interests

• Live an exciting, well-rounded life

I didn’t really have anyone around me showing me this or to tell my crazy ideas to. 

But I knew I had to do something….

1) I started with healthy habits like journaling and morning routines.

2) I explored interests like strength workouts, yoga teacher training, podcasting, blogging, etc.

3) I started to feel excited to get out bed & felt in control of my life!

I started to believe…

“I am more than this.”

So if you're in the "I think there is more than this" stage, I want you to know

• You're more than your work

• It takes 1 journal entry, 1 morning to get started

• The ideas in your head are not crazy

Don't wake up next year in the same place you're right now.

Start taking action towards the person you want to become.

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Schedule a free 15 min call this week and we can chat about using your morning to make time for your ideas!

Setting Realistic Goals For Your Morning Routine

You decide you're going to start waking up at 5am to workout.

You make it to Thursday…

• Alarm goes off.

• Hit snooze.

• And there is no way you're getting out of your cozy bed!

You aren't getting out of bed because you're lazy, but because you've set an unrealistic goal!

Here are 3 steps to setting a realistic goal for your morning routine:

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Step 1: Identify 3-6 pie pieces of your life

Think of your "Life Pie" and the 3-6 pieces represent how you want to spend your time:

• At least 3 to diversify where your happiness & identity come from

• No more than 6 to get clear on what you're prioritizing 

Some ideas:

Health, family, friends, partner, hobbies, work

Get specific on what activities each pie piece encompasses

(hobby activities: podcasting, pickleball, yoga)

Do this step first so you KNOW you're waking up for something that's important to you.

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Step 2: Use your morning routine to make time for 1 of the Pie Pieces

For example - you could:

• Pick your hobbies pie piece

• Choose to start a podcast

This is a good choice for your morning routine IF:

• You're usually too tired to do the activity at the end of the day

• It requires your freshest energy

• Something your body/brain naturally craves

• A year from now, you would be bummed if you didn't start taking action on it

If it doesn't hit these things, you will likely not wake up to do it.

—

Step 3: Meet yourself where you're and add 10 minutes

You have to make time for this new activity, so let's build that time in a sustainable way!

1. Take your current wake up time - 7am

2. Start waking up 10 minutes earlier - 6:50am

3. Do that for a week - Mon-Fri

4. Prove to yourself that you can be consistent - track it

5. Then add 10 more minutes - 6:40am

After 4 weeks, you will have found a consistent 40 minutes a day to work on your podcast.

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Setting realistic morning routine goals is about doing something:

1. You've identified as a priority

2. You are excited to wake up for

3. Meeting yourself where you're at before going bigger!

Schedule a free 15 min call this week and we get can set you’re realistic goals!

3 Sneaky Phone Tricks Productive Morning People Are Using

With phones in our hands at all times, the odds of being productive are stacked against us.

Here are 3 sneaky phone tricks productive morning people are using:

1) Don’t look at your phone 1st hour of the day

When we check email or social first thing in the morning, we are allowing someone else to choose what we think about the moment we wake up.

Take the power back and challenge yourself to not look at your phone the 1st hour of the day or until your morning routine is over.

This creates a full hour you can dedicate to your self care, ideas, or interests!

2) Bed is a “no phone zone”

When we bring our phones into bed with us, we are allowing the world into our space.

Think of your bed as your safe, private space, and make it a “no phone zone.”

This can reduce the scrolling you’re in the morning and replace it with something you’ve been wanting to make more time for!

3) Special Spot is a “no phone zone”

Your Special Spot is a place in your home where you do your morning routine. For most people, it’s a place to find calm and check-in.

Challenge yourself to make this a “no phone zone” so you can start the day in a calm, present, productive way.

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I recommend choosing 1 goal that resonates the most and go from there!

Eventually you will have to use your phone, but can use it in an intentional way, such as making it a reward for when you've completed your morning routine!

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Schedule a free 15 min call this week and we can chat about getting these sneaky tricks integrated into your morning routine!