starting with intention: my 5-minute morning practice
This 5-minute practice has become foundational in how I start my day. It aligns my focus & centers my expectations for the day ahead, allowing me to start the day intentionally instead of reactively. While the morning routine space is certainly full (and I don’t advocate for a one-size-fits-all approach), my hope is that sharing this simple rhythm offers a bit of inspiration either for refining a routine you already have or creating one that feels like your own.
The first thing I grab when I wake up is my planner, which I leave right outside of my bedroom so it’s easy to reach for before anything else. I divide my simple routine into a concrete and abstract time to allow time for my brain to wake up and space for my mind to wrap around my day.
Concrete Review (~2 minutes)
I begin by reviewing the concrete things in my day, the things that are set in stone and straightforward. Some of these may already be written down, others I write down as I go. These include:
appointments (clients, meetings, personal appointments)
meals (what I’m eating for breakfast & lunch, what I’m cooking for dinner that night)
evening plans (social, family, or any other block of time)
movement (scheduled fitness classes / planned movement)
priorities (household chores / errands)
Seeing everything laid out gives shape to the day and keeps things from slipping through the cracks. It also highlights where there’s breathing room I can use to take a walk, play with my dog or take care of something on my priorities list. Having a space to see what’s ahead helps me feel more grounded and less scattered. It turns the day into something I can engage with, rather than something I’m just trying to keep up with.
Abstract Reflection (~2 minutes)
Once I’ve mapped out the day, I shift into a more reflective space where I take what’s written down and go a little deeper. I move through each scheduled event or commitment and ask myself:
do I need to prepare anything for this to be successful?
what are my expectations for this?
how might I feel during this and how can I care for myself?
I don’t write down every answer but instead allow myself to hold space for each item on my agenda and set the tone for the day ahead. Sometimes, this refection even calls to mind a task I need to complete, which I then add to my priorities list.
Some things don’t need much thought, like what I’m eating for breakfast. Others benefit from a little more attention and preparation. For example, if I’m reviewing labs with a client, I’ll make sure I’ve looked them over beforehand. If I’m meeting a friend for coffee, I might reflect on what she’s been navigating so I can care for her well. If dinner is a slow cooker meal, I’ll plan when I’m prepping it.
If something on the schedule feels emotionally heavy, I like to think about why. What might make it feel hard? How might I feel afterward? How can I care for myself or others during or after this time?
What would make today great? (~1 minute)
After I have drafted out my day and carefully thought through each item coming up, I end by writing out one grounding question: what would make today great?
My answer to this question is sometimes small, like feeling prepared for a meeting. Other times it’s more open-ended, like being present throughout the day or creating space to play. Writing this question (and my intention) each day helps me stay connected to a broader zoomed-out vision of the day, reminding me that each day is more than just what I have on my schedule.
The next morning, when I sit down to plan again, I check back in with the intention from the day before. If I feel like I really lived it, I draw a star. If I kind of got there, I draw a half-star. And if I didn’t get there at all, I just leave it blank. I don’t view that as failure. It’s just information I carry with me into the next day. Sometimes I’ll even bring the same intention into the day ahead and let it guide me again.
How I start my morning translates into how I live my day. This simple morning ritual helps me reclaim my day before it even begins so I’m not reacting to it but instead meeting it with intention. These five minutes make a huge difference in feeling ready & present so I can live the day fully as best I can.