"I eat glitter for breakfast" is a trendy, carefree-yet-sophisticated phrase circulating via social media these days. Obviously eating glitter for breakfast could be a safety hazard, but what is more important is an established morning routine. Before you roll your eyes and disqualify yourself because even thinking about your morning routine (or lack thereof) makes you cringe -- give us a chance. We're all about progress, remember?

Your morning routine is the "kick off" of your entire day. The morning is when we often form our perspectives and attitudes about how the rest of the day will go. A rough, disorganized morning can easily leave you feeling like the rest of the day will be the same, and this belief can quickly turn into reality.  If you expect a rough day, you're more likely to pick up a negative lens and before you know it, your day was rough after all! The good news is that EVERYONE can choose the perspective of their morning! Whether you've been up with a baby since the wee hours, worked a double-overtime shift or slept past your alarm for the fourth day in a row -- there are small things you can do to make your mornings more effective.

Here are a few helpful morning habits that will have you eating glitter for breakfast in no time:

1. Believe in the first five minutes.

The first five minutes of your morning are crucial. Instead of immediately checking your phone, try praying or reflecting on something that brings you joy. Maybe what you're going through calls for reading a devotional first thing. Maybe you need to remind yourself why you are where you are, and why your current stage of life is important. You will never regret being intentional about the first five minutes of your day. Today could very well be the day that changes everything for the better. So center yourself and start your day with thoughts of HOPE, JOY, PEACE, KINDNESS, GRATITUDE and LOVE.

2. Proclaim the truth.

No matter what time you get up, come up with a phrase or two that focuses on the TRUTH. Truth proclamations such as, "I am loved. I am set up for success today. There is nothing that will come my way today that I cannot face," will help you navigate the unexpected, unplanned events of your day.  You might even need to repeat these proclamations to yourself over and over again (not just in the morning!), but a good habit to implement is a proclamation of truth at the very start of your day.

3. Have a "Get Ready Song."

This one is fun. If mornings aren't your thing, pick a song that gets you moving. Listen to it everyday (once or more) while you get ready, and eventually your brain will associate productivity and fun with the song. This way, if you get up at 5am or 9am, you can still have a sense of normalcy and the feeling of a routine.

Here are a few feel-good songs for your playlist:

"Good Morning" by Mandisa

"Try Everything" by Shakira

"Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" by Jess Glynne

Feeling a little more introspective?  Try one of these tunes:

"Future/Past" by John Mark McMillan

"The Nearness of You" by Loud Harp

"Never Ending Love" by 10,000 Fathers

4.  Tame your to-dos.

It's tempting to use the wee-hours of the morning to tackle your to-do list.  Afterall, everyone in the house is still sleeping -- and this may be your one shot to get some stuff DONE.  But keep the quick start at bay if you can.  Your to-do list will never be blank, and you'll always have tomorrow to complete it.  One way to tame your to-do list is to actually MAKE a to-do list -- not just the running list in your head, but a physical list that you can refer to throughout the day.  The mental list you carry can rob you of being fully present and alive in the moments of your day, so put your list into its proper place and take time in the morning to gather your thoughts.  This benefits everyone that you will come into contact with the rest of the day. 

So what do you think?  Can you take these four habits and make room for your mornings?  Your morning absolutely matters.

Give yourself time to form glittery habits. We promise you won't regret it!

[Apologies to anyone that actually wanted to eat real glitter for breakfast and did not find those instructions here. We wish you the best on your venture. ;) ]