Many of the podcasts I have listened to and books I have read talk about all the benefits of having specific habits to start your day. It’s not always easy to be consistent every morning but I do my best. It does seem to make a difference.

My first goal is ideally to get my body moving, so I stretch and exercise as soon as I get up. Once I am warmed up I sit down to read. I’ll speak to each text and why I like them.

This quote by The Dalai Lama is I find a good place to start. Beginning the day with the gratitude that you even woke up is I think a great practice and mindset.

Then I read over The Four Agreements, which come from a book of Toltec wisdom that has been very helpful for me on a daily basis. I will write a blog post breaking down why I like that book soon and elaborate on my view for each agreement.

The Book of Awakening - This is a daily reader that I have cycled through many times. Each new year Mark’s words resonate with me in different ways. I attribute that to being I hope a different person than I was a year ago. I’ve given this book to dozens of people as a gift and it’s always appreciated.

The Language of Letting Go - Melody’s book is a new addition this year and so far I’ve found it very helpful. Codependency has a lot of aspects that I think are good to keep an eye on.

Awareness - Anthony really tells it straight and his message is sometimes tough to take but it still rings true to me. One chapter each day. Recommended by Tim Ferriss.

The Celtic Spirit - As I mentioned a few days ago, this book gives me a daily dose of Celtic wisdom which I find interesting, having some Scots-Irish ancestry.

Daily Affirmations For Adult Children of Alcoholics - Sounds like an intense book right? Looking a few generations back in my family, I see no alcoholics, but I’m guessing the personal challenges that emerge from that kind of family life, manifest similarly in other dynamics and situations. I appreciate many of the affirmations, and can easily see past the alcoholic family references.

Next, I journal. If anything I just read stands out to me or triggers an urge to expand on an idea, I will start my journal that way. Otherwise, I just share whatever is on my mind for 1-3 pages in a 88 cent college ruled composition book.

The last thing I do before going on with the rest of my day is to meditate for 20 minutes. Vipassana is the style I practice, learned on a 10-day silent retreat 3 or 4 years ago. I find it a great way to get very in tune with my body and my reactions. I’ll share more about the experience of that retreat in a blog post at some point. That’s about it. How important is a morning routine for you?