What is one thing you do every morning to start your day well? How you begin your days sets up the foundation for how you live your life.

Here are 5 things I do every morning to start my day with intention:

1. Create a simple plan — I make a time-blocked to do list on a notebook. (If that feels like a lot, you could just do 3-5 things you want to accomplish in order of priority.) Making a plan helps me live with much more focus and use my time well.

2. Write down blessings — I take a minute every morning to jot down a few lines of things I’m grateful for from the past 24 hours. Gratitude reframes my perspective.

3. Get my heart pumping — I walk on the treadmill for 25-30 minutes. While walking, I read a few chapters from an encouraging book, think, and pray (see #4). This jump-starts my energy and settles my soul.

4. Pray over my day — while on the treadmill, I pray through the details of my day, handing the known and unknown over to the Lord, asking for His help, for His love to flow through me, for patience, kindness, wisdom, and for any specific areas where my heart is feeling weary or heavy.

5. Dress for the day I want to have — taking a little time to shower, dress in clothes that I love, fix my hair, and do my makeup gives my energy and helps me feel more cheerful and productive (I can’t really explain it, but it works!)

What about YOU? What’s one thing you do every morning to start your day well? Tell us in the comments!

Jesse and I discuss these 5 things more in-depth on this week's episode of The Crystal Paine Show. We also talk about what is saving our lives, an update on our reading, reminisce about how I used to try to read while mowing the lawn, and more! Listen to it a the link above or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

In This Episode

[00:34] - Welcome to another episode of The Crystal Paine Show. Today’s topic is about mornings.

[01:26] - Let's talk about what is saving our life: hot water.

[03:20] - There’s nothing like ice cold water.

[05:25] - I share something that has been really helpful for me, especially with pregnancy.

[07:58] - Jesse has been reading 20 minutes everyday.

[09:54] - I date myself as we reminisce when I listened to cassette tapes books when I mowed the lawn.

[11:08] - I share the book that I finished reading.

[14:24] - I read an email from one of our listeners, Tiffany.

[17:07] - So let’s talk about mornings, here are the five things I do

[17:23] - First, I create a simple plan.

[19:50] - Then, I write down my blessings.

[21:48] - Next, I get my heart pumping.

[25:05] - And while I'm doing that, I pray over my day.

[27:00] - Jesse talks about how little things can be big wins and shares one of his accomplishments.

[28:24] - Finally, I dress for the day I want to have.

[30:45] - Recap of my morning routine and we would love to hear what your routine is if you have one.

Links & Resources

• Books
• They Call me Mama by Nicole M. Homan
• Special Mentions
• The Amazing Race
• Other Links
• Love-Centered Parenting
• 10 Days to Be a Happier Mom
• Sign up for the Hot Deals Email List
• MoneySavingMom.com
• My Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I’m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!)
• Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: crystal @ moneysavingmom.com

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