This is my routine… still a work in progress but who knows – maybe it will be even more refined when I hear about all the amazing things other people are doing to stay centered, energized, and focused!
Feel free to take this routine, modify it, or use it in anyway you feel like it might work best in your life. I will say though, this is by far the most successful I’ve EVER been in getting some level of control of my mind and body to have energy and clarity to focus on keeping Jesus at my center. It also has provided me even more than that! I’m now energized and accomplishing more in other areas of my life because by keeping Jesus at the center and using this routine – the sky is the limit!! Personal, family, financial, or whatever dreams you have for this life, you can do it!
Again, I have no financial incentive or affiliations. So all the links below are purely things I’ve spent years trying to find and vet so I could come up with a way to focus my life. My pure motive is to share what works for me. If even one person finds any kind of benefit from this then I will be thrilled!
So here it goes…. super simple – don’t overthink any of this. The hardest part is starting but once you do – warning… you might never go back!! 🙂 I like the “adding” method. Just start by adding in one of these things at first. Once it becomes routine, add another! It’s that simple. Don’t “take” anything away from yourself. Just add things in that will benefit you, your body, your mind, and ultimately your relationship with Jesus! I encourage you to at least change something for 30 days and see you how it goes!
Morning:
A morning routine is essential for me. I lived most of my life in a “rush” to get out of the house in the morning. Sleep to the last possible second… and then do the bare minimum to make it to where ever I was going on time. These steps may seem extreme but they WORK! It also seems like a lot but really it only adds about 30 min (give or take) depending on the morning and time I have available. This time is for YOU though. It’s a small gift to give yourself, whatever your routine ends up being, set a side time right away in the morning center yourself. You will not regret it!
- Drink 24 ounces of water. I wake up about 15-20 min before I actually need to get out of bed (this timeframe can be modified depending on your day). Immediately drink 20-24 ounces of water. Like chug the entire glass in a minute. I usually have a cup at my bedside. Then I go to the bathroom if I need to and then crawl immediately back into bed. Start with a lower amount of water at first if you aren’t used to that amount of liquid. MINIMUM GOAL – just drink water right away!
- Read the bible. This is the time I like to call my ‘snuggle with Jesus’ time. As the water gets a chance to settle, and my body usually starts getting a little cold after that as well… I crawl under the warm blankets and first read a daily devotional from Billy Graham and then a one a day bible (I do the kindle versions so I can read them on my phone). I will read whatever I can in the time frame I have (even if it’s just 5 min, that’s ok). I try to read more throughout the day then if I don’t have enough time right away. MINIMUM GOAL – read anything, even just a few sentences!
- Journal. Again, I do this while I’m still in bed. I will use a program called evernote on my phone (you could use any note taking system or a physical journal). I LOVE physical journals and planners… but I find I’m much more compliant with this whole process if I don’t have to leave the bed and can lay there doing all this cozy under my blankets. Journaling in any form is KEY for me though. It takes what you just read and brings it to a whole new level (really just jotting down anything that is really interesting). It might just be a phrase that hits me that day…. I might copy and paste the phrase into the journal and then just jot down a few sentences on why it was important. Or I might ask some questions about what I’m reading to prompt me to think more. It’s surprises me on a daily basis how relevant the advice is in the bible and how I can relate it to basically anything going on in my life. MINIMUM GOAL – write even just a sentence how something that was interesting or thought provoking!
- 2-5 min of breathing. Yes, I’m still in bed at this point 🙂 I use a breathing technique from Tony Robbins that is a 1:4:2 method….breath in for 5 seconds (I do this through my nose). Hold your breath for 20 seconds. Breath out for 10 seconds (through my mouth). There are lots of different breathing techniques out there… the point is to just deep breath for a few minutes to get yourself centered. MINIMUM GOAL – Deep breath in some way for at least 2 min before getting out of bed!
- Do gratefuls. Right after the breathing, I put my hand over my heart… again still lying comfy in my bed. I start with myself and just feel incredibly thankful for my health and being alive. Even if my life is in turmoil, I find something about myself I’m grateful for (and I’m really directing all my thanks to God). Then I move to my kids (oldest to youngest). Just think about one thing about them that I’m so grateful for and then I let myself feel it in my entire body (the joy I get from their laughter or something cute they did). Then I move to my husband. Then extended family/friends. I end with Jesus (my ultimate grateful). MINIMUM GOAL – Just think of at least one thing or person you are grateful for!
- Envision my day. Last thing I do in bed. I usually envision my day in the past tense… meaning I pretend the day already happened and think about how great it all was. For example, I was so happy that I played with my kids and was really patient and fun…. and I felt really good about that. Or I accomplished something at work or at home that felt so good getting done. I literally envision that it was already done and how that makes me feel. Whatever it is that I want done that day or how I want to act…. if I do it in the past tense…. the rest of the day my mind will be working to figure out how to make it happen! Does that make sense? Sounds silly but it actually works! MINIMUM GOAL – Just envision at least one thing that would make your day great and envision that it has already happened and how it made you feel!
- Physical exercise. I’m finally out of the bed! Usually this is only a few minutes for me. Ideally when I have time, I like to get outside and do something physical, walk/jog/run. BUT my mornings are early and usually it ends up being something at my bedside in my pajamas….like pushups and core exercises. It just needs to be something to get my blood flowing for a minimum of a few minutes. If I only get 5 minutes of some sort of exercise in… then I’ll try my best to do something more physical later and get outside even for a walk. If you aren’t used to exercising, no big deal! Start small, add a few sit-ups or a slow walk. MINIMUM GOAL – Get out of bed and do something that involves some physical exercise immediately!
- Cold tub/shower. Ok…just stay with me here for a second. If you told me I would be putting my body in what feels like freezing cold water first thing in the morning…. I would tell you…YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY NUTS! There are A LOT of benefits to cold therapy though, just google it and you will find a ton of information. For me though, it just completely sets me up for the day in a way I can’t describe. I started this whole cold process by first getting in a warm shower and then turning on the cold water for 15-30 seconds (then back to warm…I always end on warm!). Well overtime, I then started to fill a small tub of water in our bath tub before bed (I would not recommend this if you are in an area that needs to conserve water though). Usually the water is around 60 degrees (ish) by the morning. I set a timer for 5 min on my phone and just get in so the back of my head is touching the water. It was VERY uncomfortable at first but after the first few times you will start to feel the amazing benefits that you will actually crave doing it in the morning. As a side note: I decreased caffeine in my life significantly and I attribute the cold tub to getting me that extra focus and drive in the morning I used to get from coffee….except I have ZERO highs or lows like I had with all the coffee. MINIMUM GOAL – Get in the shower and put on cold water for a minimum of 30 seconds. You can do it!
- Hot shower. I need to treat myself after that cold craziness!! There is just something about a shower that sets me up for the day. I usually wash my hair at night so I will usually skip soap in the morning on my hair or just use a little conditioner. There is something of the reset of a shower that I can’t get anywhere else. MINIMUM GOAL – Do something in the morning that makes you feel refreshed!
- Chug a Green Drink. The benefits of a quality green drink is beyond awesome. It does all this stuff to your body that you didn’t even know you needed. It helps take the nasty toxins and acids out of your body and neutralizes everything. It sets my day off right and I’ll feel a lot better the rest of the dayI I find I make better eating choices and it gives me healthy energy. There are so many companies out there with great green powders but one that tastes good and does the trick and isn’t overly expensive is Amazing Greens. I bought a shaker that I use to mix it all up with ice. I put 1-2 scoops in there. You can totally do more and make a smoothie or whatever else you want! I just don’t have a lot of time and this works great! MINIMUM GOAL – Just get some type of green drink into your body before you eat anything else!
So you might be thinking…. what has all that got to do with 30 Days for Jesus?!? Well…. A LOT!!! I appreciate that all those steps seem like a lot….but once you start doing it, it maybe adds 30 or so minutes onto your morning. I can also condense it 15 min if I’m really short of time. The point is to do something that is structured for YOU! Regardless of how much time you have. By starting my morning with Jesus…. then doing good things for ME and my body & mind RIGHT away, I’m just a better person all around. I have the energy and focus to practice some of the virtues that I strive for… patience, kindness, humility, graciousness, and self control. I have more energy for myself and other people. Most importantly, I set myself up for my mission with Jesus!
Daytime:
These are the minimum things I add in throughout the day to keep my energy up and stay centered. There are certainly more things I would like to do (like workout longer, etc. but sometimes just don’t have the time). So these are the things I try to do at a minimum!
- DRINK WATER. I don’t think I can say this enough. Whenever I have a down moment I’m thinking… I need more water. Once you start drinking a lot of water your body gets used to it and you don’t go to the bathroom as much as you’d think. The simple benefits of water are beyond. I underestimated how dehydrated I really was. I add lemons to my water for some added benefits (I just cut up a lemon and squeeze into my water bottle and just pop the peels in there….that way if I fill the water up again later I still have some lemon in there). MINIMUM GOAL – Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water a day!
- Set alarms to pray with Jesus. I set recurring alarms at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm. These go off everyday and I put mine on a pulsating vibration. This has been the single most important step for me to stay connected with Jesus all day long. If for whatever reason I’m in the middle of a conversation or something else that needs my attention… I just press the snooze button so I can try again in a few minutes. Depending on the circumstances it might just be a time to say thank you, or to vent about an issue that I need resolved, or I might review some of my earlier bible notes. If my morning routine was cut short I might do more of the bible reading/journaling. These set times during the day though are SO important. Life is so crazy and this helps every couple hours to say, (“Hey You! Remember what is important!!). MINIMUM GOAL – Set at a minimum at least one alarm or conscious time during the day other than the morning that you connect with Jesus!
- Eat non-processed whole foods. I’m not going to dive into the benefits of eating clean. We all know the things that are good for you to eat. Once I started adding a lot more vegetables and non-processed food into my life though…. my energy skyrocketed. I truly believe if you put junk into your body… you are going to get junk out of your body. Plain and simple. MINIMUM GOAL – Just add some sort of green vegetable or something non-processed into your diet!
- Afternoon green drink. That’s right, I do it again in the afternoon. I sort of look at it as my pick me up. I don’t always want to drink it. Sometimes after my first one in the morning, I’ll actually make my second one so I don’t have an excuse to drink it later. I’m sure there are ways to make it more delicious but honestly it doesn’t taste horrible and I just chug it as a necessity to feel good. Almost like medicine 🙂 MINIMUM GOAL – Just get another green drink into your body at some point throughout the day!
- Deep breathing. I repeat what I did in the morning routine with deep breathing 1:4:2 ratio at some point during the day (maybe even during one of the alarms I have for Jesus and meditate during that time). MINIMUM GOAL – Just find a minimum of 2 min to deep breath again during the day!
Evening:
The evening routine came later for me. Even doing everything I described above…. the evening would come and the wheels came off. This was a really tough time of day for me. This is the time I want to eat bad food, drink wine, and do all the things that feel good in the moment but really aren’t good for me long term. They end up effecting my body and in turn my sleep, which then makes for a bad morning routine….which then turns into a less focused day for myself and my mission for Jesus. So I came up with a night time routine that works for me.
- Small physical activity. I do this well before bed time (1-2 hours if I can). It gives me that release that I find I need at night after a long day…. without shoving a bunch of junk food or wine into my body. It can be as simple as a walk or slow jog even if I’m not feeling a workout. Just something again physical to get my blood flowing. MINIMUM GOAL – Do some form of physical activity/exercise in the evening!
- Hot shower. No cold showers at night for me 🙂 Even if it’s just warm water over my body it provides me some relaxation. MINIMUM GOAL – Just do something that makes you feel good, so if that’s not a shower maybe it’s washing your face or brushing your teeth!
- Tea. I replaced crappy food and wine with some sleepy type of tea. There are a ton of decaffeinated ones out there but I like this tea by Four Sigmatic. It really is a magic tea 🙂 It provides that sweetness I’m looking for but all the benefits to relax for the evening. MINIMUM GOAL – Just put something in your body that is good for you (if you need something at night like I do!)
- Read my evening daily devotional. I’m now back in bed at this point 🙂 I do the same book from Billy Graham. He has a morning and then evening reading (they are short – 1 page long at most). That man was a fantastic human being. His ability to touch me with his words and wisdom are beyond inspirational. Whatever it is that you like to read, the point is that is the last thing I look at before closing my eyes for gratefuls & meditation/breathing. Fill my mind with something that is good for me! GOAL – Find something that you like reading before bed that refocuses on God!
- Gratefuls. No matter what happened all day long there is always something or someone to be grateful for. Even if it was something small! MINIMUM GOAL – Just think about one thing were grateful for during the day!
- Meditate. Even just a few minutes. You can also just do the deep breathing exercise again… the 1:4:2 one. Or there are plenty of applications or websites that you can listen to that can bring you through relaxing night time mediations! MINIMUM GOAL – Just breath or do some mediation for at least 2 min before bed!
- Sleep. Sounds silly but I try to get whatever amount of sleep is good for my body. Everyone is different but I need a minimum of 6 hours… ideally around 8 hours. MINIMUM GOAL – Figure out the minimum amount of sleep you need and don’t compromise on getting it!
That’s it! Like I said, try just adding in 1 or 2 things that seem interesting to you. Do it for a few days. My routine came from massive experimentation on what is good for my mind and body – to keep me centered on a life for Jesus. If I’m not taking care of myself, then I have no space inside me to work for Jesus or to stay focused in anyway on my faith. I genuinely hope something above helps in anyway but I also understand my routine is not for everyone. I hope if nothing else this makes you start consider your own routine that might make you feel amazing enough to work for Jesus and get all the amazing benefits of a life for christ has to offer! Try something for 30 days and see how it goes! 30 Days is nothing in the realm of your life. I promise you won’t regret the journey!
Here are some other things that have helped figure out my above routine:
- Anything Tony Robbins. My dream would be to go to one of his live events at some point but I’ve done many of his audio programs. LIFE CHANGING. Point Blank. I honestly don’t need to say anything else. BY FAR other than Jesus, the most influential person I have ever come across in my life. People want to meet celebrities but I think If I could just meet him someday I would cry with all the joy and positive change he has brought to my life. He has a gift and he is willingly to give it away for almost free. From my body/health, to my marriage, to personal development…. he literally has gotten me to where I am today. He is the reason I was finally successful with my first 30 days Jesus. So check him out, he has tons of free content! I will say though, everything I’ve purchased from him… I would have paid 10 times that if I knew the impact it would have on my life! Worth every second of your time.
- Anything Tim Ferris. By no means have I listened or come close to reading all his content. But he changed my life more than he will ever know. His podcasts and his interviews humanize people in a way it’s hard to describe. He interviews these seemingly ‘untouchable’ people and uncovers them as real people with real problems. He does it in such a gracious and compelling way… that it leaves you feeling like….you know what, that could be me or that is me. I’m certainly his unlikely demographic but I was in some dark places in my life and had some isolating times… his podcast/voice was sometimes the only adult voice I heard all day…. his interviews inspired me to follow my own passions. They would take me from a depressed place and instantly put me in a hopeful inspired place. I can tell you right now, this website absolutely would not exist without his influence. So if you just want to listen to some interesting content, he has SO much to offer. Best part is, it’s all free! I’m sure he has made a lot of money off me from his affiliate marketing because I LOVE almost every product he recommends buying or checking out (including how I got introduced to Tony Robbins). So HIGHLY recommend checking him out!
- Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. A MUST read for anyone struggling with their purpose in life. I have read this no less than 20 times and each time it gives me a different perspective. It’s an easy read. A 40 day journey that you can easily be incorporated into your life instead of other readings. It is what got me thinking about a purpose and mission for Jesus in the first place. This book will never get old for me. As a write this now, I think I will probably start it over again because it’s that influential and good!
30 Days Jesus 