How to Build a Cultivated Morning Routine

With back to school quickly approaching, I've been thinking a lot about my family's routines, particularly in the morning. That naturally led me to pull out my copy of our Family Mornings Routine Workbook. It's more of a niche tool, so I don't use it that often, but man, my flip-through reminded me how helpful it is!

After some general teaching about routines, it walks you through a simple series of questions to define what matters about your family's mornings: waking, eating, getting dressed, getting out the door, and setting priorities. The workbook is beautiful, and fun, and I genuinely think it will help your family have better mornings. We're sharing an excerpt below, but go ahead and grab one now if this sounds like a tool that could help your family!

In the morning and throughout the day, naming what matters changes everything. 

Naming what matters allows us to experience the full richness of life. It allows us to make decisions more easily and to prioritize our time and energy for the people, places, and things that matter deeply to us. It allows us to show up confidently and authentically in the world: living each day imperfectly but with contentment and joy. Worries and fears fade into the background because we know we are spending our time wisely and well. 

And so it goes for your mornings as a family. It’s possible to open the day in a way that allows for less stress and more joy — and the key is to name what matters.

Because what happens when we don’t name what matters? We allow everything to matter. We treat every step of the process and every decision with the same urgency and importance. And friend, that is an exhausting way to live — especially in the morning, when the decisions keep coming:

What time should we get up?
What should we eat?
Should we eat together?
Who should make the lunches?
Should we have made the lunches last night?
Why is everyone yelling at each other??

So, let’s name what matters. To do so, we’ll look at five parts of a family morning —waking, eating, getting dressed, getting out the door, and setting priorities — and answer a few simple questions about each. 

As you consider each question, remember to choose what matters right now. You don’t have to choose what matters for all of time (or even for the next year!). Instead, choose what matters right now, in whatever season you’re in. Your season might be the literal season of the year (spring, fall), it might be a season of work, or it might be a season of family life. 

Here is a beautiful truth: When you name what matters based on your season, not for all of time, you can answer with confidence. (No one knows better than you what matters most right now!) You’ll also feel the freedom of knowing that what matters can shift. It’s okay to have a new answer when a season comes to a close.

It’s also okay to have a new answer today, even if it surprises you.

Has something mattered in the past that no longer matters? Choose a new path!

Does something that used to matter a little now matter a lot? Choose a new path!

Remember: allowing what matters to guide your decisions only works if you name what actually matters to you. So, as you answer these questions, tell the truth.

Don’t choose what matters for your mom, your best friend, or an influencer on social media.

Don’t choose something that sounds good but isn’t realistic for your life, resources, or priorities right now.

Don’t choose what mattered in a past season. 

Release your expectations around what you think should matter, and resist the temptation to compare your priorities to someone else’s. Instead, take a moment to get quiet, tune in to the beauty and the realities of your current season, and get ready to uncover what matters most to you.

Buy your copy of the Family Mornings Routine Workbook right here!