Summary::

Your alarm clock goes off, it's another day. Will it be good or bad? Too early to tell. You rub your eyes, thinking about the list you have ahead of you, and try to come up with a good reason that you can press snooze and shut your eyes for at least 10 more minutes. You deserve it right?

Actually, what you deserve is to have the life of your dreams.Oops, did I interrupt your visions of sleep with that comment?

Listen, no matter if you are a morning person or not (we'll talk about that later), you can have a successful morning routine that starts your day off with a bang! And setting your day off on the right foot, gets you into that mindset of getting your life on the exact track you want it on.

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive; to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. – Marcus Aurelius

If you're like me, you know a good routine in the morning could help you get a bit more accomplished, but you can't really seem to find one that jives with your schedule, so instead you sort of mosey around, doing things here and there until you realize your morning time is no longer. It's work time and my headspace is not where I wish it was. This was me for the last few years; I had really good intentions. I did! Some days I even felt like I had a successful morning. But sometimes doesn't do much for developing successful routines.

My morning routine definitely sets the tone for the rest of my day. If I'm rushed and stressed in the morning, that will carry through my work day. – Tessa Miller

So if you want to start the new year off with one new habit, I would suggest implementing a solid morning routine. Plus, it's probably a lot less of a struggle than some other resolutions you may have been tossing around in your head!

Let's set a few ground rules. There will be no more snooze buttons, no more skipping breakfast, no negative thoughts, and definitely...lots of candles and coffee involved.

Morning routines are actually quite simple. They should have some basics. A consistent wake-up time, hydration and getting the body ready for the day, some self-reflection and development, and some nourishment. Easy, right? We'll dive in a little further, but let me remind you, my routine will most likely look different than yours, and that's the beauty of it. Do what works and feels good for you. But by feeling good, I don't mean falling back asleep ha!

Establishing a bedtime and wake-up time.

Consistency is key here and you can do it! Use times that are practical for you. 10:30 and 6:30 work for me but maybe yours are a bit earlier or later. And if you are a night owl, take some time to think about why? Are you simply watching movies or maybe you use that time to do housework (can you rearrange that or ask for help)? Or is it just a habit these days? Think on what would be the best use of your time, and give some small changes a try.

If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up. – J.M. Power

Hydration + Preparing the body for the day ahead.

Water, water, water. Remember, you've dehydrated yourself while sleeping so rehydrate immediately. Your bod will thank you. Luckily, I live in altitude, so I never have to remind myself to drink water, I wake-up absolutely parched!! Preparing the bod also means stretching. Maybe do some yoga poses in front of a window - find a million on YouTube if you haven't done yoga. About every other day, I do a more intense workout, usually following Kayla Itsines half-hour program.

Self-reflection & Self-development.

First and foremost focus on positive thoughts. Release all anxious thoughts back into the world, we do not need to fill up the spaces of our head with those, especially right now!