Why Your Morning Routine Isn’t Working & How to Fix It

Ever tried to nail down that perfect morning routine, only to hit snooze every single time? No shame, girl—we’ve all been there! Today, we’re breaking down why your morning routine isn’t sticking and how to create one that works, no matter how busy (or tired) you are. Forget the 5 a.m. miracle morning nonsense. We’re talking about a routine that actually feels good and fits into your life—even if it’s just a five-minute win. Tune in, and let’s make mornings work for you, not against you!

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**Disclaimer:** This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for any mental health concerns.

Transcript

Have you ever set a goal, totally convinced that you're going to stick to it, only to be completely derailed when life happens? Or maybe you find yourself juggling so many things that it feels like you never have enough time for anything. And if you've been there, then you need to keep listening because today we're going to talk about why this happens and how you can set goals that actually fit into your life—even when things get crazy.

Welcome to the Inhale, Exhale, Success Podcast, where we help women entrepreneurs create a life they love, feel confident in their body, and build a business without burning out by equipping them with the best tools, strategies, and my proven formula. Every businesswoman must have this—my name is Dee Medina. Let's get started and be successful together.

Hola, hola! Welcome back to another episode of Inhale, Exhale, Success. I am so happy that you are here with me today because we're gonna be talking about a topic that is pretty universal for everyone who's on planet Earth, and that is being able to stick to the things that we say we're going to do, not falling short, and finding out the reasons why we do what we do. 

I want to talk about something that has been coming up a lot for some of my clients, especially now that the holidays are coming, and for some who are in Florida, surviving this hurricane. You've got a lot going on. Work has been chaotic. Your business has a ton of moving parts that all need your attention. And on top of that, you're in the middle of a huge move. And I'm not talking about an evacuation for the people in Florida, but you are possibly just going through a move in your personal life. Every room is filled with half-packed boxes, and you're constantly trying to figure out which drawer you shoved the scissors into or where the packing tape disappeared to. 

So, what do you do? You think, “Okay, I need some structure to get through this.” And in that moment, you decide that you need a solid morning routine, and that will be your anchor. You'll wake up early, squeeze in a quick workout, and then sit down with a cup of coffee to plan your day. Sounds perfect, right? 

But then reality hits. You're up late the night before because you're scrambling to finish a work project or dealing with the moving logistics, so when that alarm goes off at 5 a.m., all you want to do is throw it out the fucking window. The next day, the same thing happens. So by midweek, you're just exhausted and overwhelmed, staring at this perfectly outlined routine that you just can't stick to.

 That's when all the thoughts just start rolling in: “Why am I so bad at this?” “What's wrong with me?” You start piling on that mom guilt because you really wanted to make this work, but now it just feels like another failure. You're giving up on yourself and staring at this laundry list of things that you should—and I'm doing air quotes right now—should be doing: waking up early, packing three boxes before breakfast, squeezing in those client calls, and working on your business strategy. But instead, you're just bouncing from one thing to the next, barely making a dent in any of it. It’s like you're trying to spin ten plates in the air while someone just keeps throwing more at you. One slips, then another, and soon it’s a mess.

Listen, the problem here isn’t that you’re lacking motivation, my friend, or that you don’t want it badly enough. It’s that you’re trying to make big-ass changes when everything around you is already chaotic. A lot of my mompreneur clients are always in this state of high expectations for themselves. You're expecting yourself to operate at 100% when you're already spread too thin. When you set these big, idealistic goals in the middle of overwhelm, they become another source of stress instead of a tool for stability.

Think about it. You've got your work, the business, and now the chaos of moving—on top of your kids. Those are four major things pulling on your time and energy. So trying to introduce something like a brand-new routine on top of that? It’s no wonder it feels impossible. You're already functioning in overdrive, so adding more to your plate—no matter how good it sounds on paper or to other people—just isn’t sustainable.

And the problem with most people’s goals is that you’re picturing your best-case scenario: the version of yourself that’s full of energy, has tons of free time, and is completely on top of everything. You’re planning for the ideal version of you, but when real life steps in—when you’re tired, stressed, or overwhelmed—those goals suddenly feel like too much.

 Have you ever decided to do a complete overhaul of your entire fucking schedule? Where you tell yourself, “I’m gonna get up at 5 a.m.,”  “ I’m gonna work out,”  “I’mma meditate,”  “I’mma have a healthy breakfast before my kids wake up.” That all sounds amazing, right? But after day three, after a rough night where your sick kid kept you up with a fever, that 5 a.m. alarm is suddenly the fucking enemy, and staying in bed just wins every time.

It’s because the goal was designed for your ideal self, not the real, sometimes exhausted, sometimes just-done-for-the-day self.

So if you're wondering, What’s the solution to ending the cycle of wanting to have everything done, wanting to have this plan, creating a plan, and having it actually stick? When you’re already in the middle of overwhelm, it’s not about adding more things to your to-do list. It’s about taking tiny, manageable steps that will help you feel grounded. It’s shrinking those big-ass expectations down to something that you can actually do—even on your worst, busiest days.

So instead of saying, “I’m going to get up at 5 a.m. every day and go through a full morning routine,” I want you to try this: Start with one small thing that fits into your current reality. Maybe it’s just sitting for two minutes with your coffee before the day starts or choosing one task to focus on each and every morning—like packing one box or making one phone call, responding to one email. Make it so small that it feels almost ridiculous. But that’s the point. It’s small enough that you can actually stick to it.

I was recently talking to one of my clients who was actually going through something like this. She was managing her business, taking care of her family, and in the middle of a huge move across the country. Everything felt like it was just happening at once to her. She was exhausted, she was frustrated, and she just felt like she couldn’t keep up.

 So, she decided to just build this structured morning routine to try to get control of her day—wake up at 5:30, exercise, eat healthy, and plan out her day in complete detail. But what she didn’t account for was the chaos of moving, meaning that she was staying up late packing boxes, dealing with utility companies who were just having a problem finding the location and then having a problem turning on the lights. On top of that, she was organizing her kids’ transition to a new school. By the time her alarm went off in the morning at her famous 5:30 a.m., she was just completely drained.

 Then she’d hit snooze and feel guilty for not getting up. That guilt would spill into the rest of the day because she fell behind on everything else and just felt like she was already losing before she even started. So, when we talked, I just suggested something different for her. Instead of aiming for this whole, perfectly structured morning routine that everybody and their mama says they want to have, I asked her to commit to picking one tiny habit. Just start with one thing. For me, it’s really important to connect to our bodies, so she agreed to just stick to a five-minute stretch before jumping into the day. And to make it even easier for her, I told her she could look up a video of doing stretches in bed. It felt too small at first, but she agreed to give it a shot.

And guess what? A few days later, after sticking to just a five-minute stretch every single day, she started to feel a bit more in control. Because that tiny win was just enough to boost her confidence that she can actually get something done. That even if it’s a five-minute stretch in bed, it’s still something healthy for herself.

Then, in week two, she added another thing—a five-minute coffee break without checking her phone. So, these weren’t huge changes, but they were manageable, and they didn’t add to her stress. If anything, they helped her feel like she had some stability. Even when everything around her was still chaotic—she was still moving, she still had emails to respond to—but she was just finally taking some time to connect to herself and her body.

And that is exactly what we do inside of my program. We help our mompreneurs focus on taking those big goals and breaking them down into tiny, sustainable steps—ones that fit into your real life. Because when you’re already overwhelmed, you don’t need more pressure or stress. What you need is support, structure, and a plan that works for you in your unique dynamic, your unique life, your unique business. 

We take into account everything that you’re balancing, whether it’s family, work, or just your personal well-being. We craft a plan for you that aligns with your energy and your capacity, because I believe that it’s about creating routines and rhythms that build you up instead of burning you out, so you can make consistent progress without sacrificing your sanity.

 I know what some of you might be thinking because I’m guilty of thinking these things too. And that’s, But I don’t want to go slow. I want big results. I’m working so hard for them, and I want them now. But here’s the reality, my friend—when you’re already dealing with so much, pushing yourself harder isn’t going to get you results faster.

It’s going to lead you to burnout, and you’ll end up right back where you started. So instead, small, consistent steps will get you there more effectively. It might not feel dramatic, but it’s sustainable. And sustainability is what turns short-term bursts of effort into long-term results.

 If you’re a mompreneur out there who’s just sick and tired of setting goals over and over again because they just don’t stick, then I’d love to connect with you. My program is designed to help you take those big dreams off the shelf and turn them into real, meaningful changes—one small win at a time. I’d love to build a plan that works for you and fits your life without the overwhelm.

Well, that does it for today’s episode. Thank you so much for joining us on the Inhale, Exhale, Success podcast. If you enjoyed today’s topic, I’d love for you to subscribe so you don’t miss out on other valuable discussions—along with answering questions directly from busy women like you, who are looking for ways to make life, business, and weight loss easier.I look forward to having you here with us again next time. And remember, my friend, success begins when you take a moment to breathe, find your balance, and believe in yourself.