Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past five years, you’ll know that morning routines have become increasingly important. People from all walks of life are embedding productive habits of some description into the early part of their day – and that these practices set the scene for daily success.
It makes sense when you think about it. If you start your day right, chances are that things will continue to go well.
A little internet research reveals that common ingredients in a morning routine include meditation, exercise, lemon juice in warm water, journalling, yoga, green smoothies as well as all the normal stuff like eating breakfast, showering and brushing your teeth.
While I always have a morning routine, I have to tell you that mine is rarely consistent. There are some elements that I regularly return to, like journalling and exercising. But I’m not sure I’ll ever learn to meditate – no matter how often I try. And while I’m more than happy to squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass of water, the idea of creating a green smoothie first thing is completely beyond me.
While I can be a bit patchy with other ingredients in my morning routine, there is one thing that I look forward to every single day. Interestingly it’s something that many women really don’t enjoy. And that thing is choosing an outfit. Here are three reasons why selecting an outfit is my favourite part of my morning routine.
Why is choosing an outfit my favourite part of my morning routine?
It forces me to get intentional about my day
Journalling is awesome for setting intentions. But getting dressed takes intention from the page to practical action. As I’m getting ready for the day, I think about all the activities that I’ll be doing. Will I be in meetings or will I be writing? Lunching with friends or strategising with consultants? Finalising admin or coaching my clients?
Once I am clear on my activities, I then consider how I want to feel as I move through all the various phases of my day. Would I like to feel creative? Or carefree? What about elegant? Or perhaps powerful? The only feeling I actively avoid is comfortable – but that’s because I never want to spend too much time in my comfort zone. With clarity regarding my intentions and how I want to feel, I can then get on with selecting my outfit.
It brings creativity into my day from the outset
Like many women who merrily walked down the ‘young mother who works in corporate’ path, I spent years denying my creativity. I would tell anyone who happened to ask that I didn’t have a creative bone in my body. It took a (very patient) coach a long, long time to convince me otherwise.
Like so many converts, I have now done a complete u-turn. My life is chock full of creativity, whether that be writing, cooking, photography or styling. And I have turned getting dressed into a creative opportunity. I’m very excited to think about the colours and shapes of the clothes I’m choosing. I get a kick out of finding the right mix of textures and fabrics. And I always leave enough time to play with accessories, so I can choose something that adds an extra dimension to my outfit and feels perfect to me. I believe this little shot of creativity sets me up to be more creative all day long – even when I’m working a 12 hour day in my corporate role.
It allows me to get inspired by my morning routine
Let’s face it. There are worse ways to start your day than feeling inspired. And with my intention set and my creativity flowing that’s a perfect time to look to sources of inspiration. For me, that’s the whole chic French woman aesthetic – simply crafted, high quality, uniquely created pieces. However, you might look to a favourite celebrity (one of my mentors looks to J-Lo every day of the week), a political figure or a family member. Alternatively, you might be inspired by a movie, a time in history or a holiday. It doesn’t really matter what you look to for inspiration, but it can make a whole lot of difference to how you feel about getting dressed.
Do you love choosing an outfit every day? Or maybe you love a different element of a morning routine. Either way, I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
And until next time – stay fabulous.
Warmest, Janelle x
Photo Credit: Haute Stock Co
