Well, we’re almost two weeks into the new year and I’m still feeling that new-year energy. It’s like the feeling of a crisp spring morning — things are changing, good things are coming, and it smells crisp. My feed on Instagram has shown post after post of people intentionally pumping the brakes on all of the New Year goals and resolutions and pressure to change and level up. And I totally I get it. The new year isn’t the only time you can make changes and you are worthy just as you are. I believe all of that. BUT. I am not ashamed to admit that I love the new year energy. I love dreaming into the future. I love making plans and optimizing my schedule. I love the feeling of a fresh planner. I love setting goals and sharing them with Jeff for accountability. I’m a planner and it’s a planner’s paradise!
My updated morning routine for 2023
I won’t go into all of my goals for 2023, but I will share my updated morning routine. I don’t really believe that we “start over” when we set goals, I believe we continue and evolve from what we’ve learned along the way. I’ve been a big fan of morning routines especially since becoming a mom. In postpartum, once the baby is mostly sleeping through the night, I get back into a routine. Towards the end of 2022, Willa hit a sleep regression hard and got sick a few times in a row, so it just so happens that the new year was great timing for writing out what I needed from my morning routine. Here’s the lineup…
- Wake up before the kids
- Ice roller
- Movement
- LMNT supplement
- Meditation/deep breathing
- Red light therapy
- Acupressure mat
- Shower
- Get ready
- Read something positive
- Get girls ready
- Drive Hayes to daycare
- Check meal plan for thawing/prepping
- Make + eat breakfast
- Fish oil supplement
- Fill out Good Day notepad
- Fill out daily planner (I’m using this one by Day Designer)
- Coffee
- Collagen supplement
- Vitamin d supplement
I know this seems like a lot, but I used a method called habit stacking to create a more consistent and achievable routine. So it really looks like this…
- Wake up before the kids
- Ice roller
- Movement + LMNT supplement
- Meditation/deep breathing + red light therapy + acupressure mat
- Shower + get ready
- Read something positive
- Get girls ready + drive Hayes to daycare
- Check meal plan for thawing/prepping
- Make/eat breakfast + fish oil supplement
- Fill out the Good Day notepad and my daily planner while drinking coffee with collagen supplement + vitamin d supplement
Two weeks in and it’s going well, I probably need to wake up 15 minutes earlier to feel really good about it, so I’m working towards that. And I’m moving some thing around, like breakfast, to see where it makes the most sense. I have fully accepted that there will be days when this doesn’t work. That is really important because it makes me less likely to get frustrated when there is an off day (and there will be!!) I’m also open to the idea that in a month or two something on this list won’t serve me anymore and it will evolve once again. We’ll see!
Speaking of goals…
I listened to a RealPod podcast episode this past week, New Year’s Habits That Last + The Shocking Truth About Calorie Burning w/ Dr. Shannon Ritchey, and I loved it! It totally reminded me how far I’ve come in healing my relationship with food and finding joy with food again. She debunks calorie burning myths and so much more. It’s worth adding to your list!
And speaking of food…
This post might go down in history as the cheesiest headers of all time, but that’s where I’m at today as I write this. SO. Let me tell you about the new Crockpot Beef Stew that we tried out last week and really enjoyed. Soups, chilis, and stews just hit right when it’s cold out and I love a crockpot moment, it makes for a much easier 5pm-7pm at the Nordquist household. This is a pretty traditional beef stew by Salt and Lavender. It took about 15 minutes to prep everything, we put it in the fridge overnight, then got the crockpot going in the morning.