When Your Day Derails Before 9 AM: My Morning Routine for Focus (And How to Reset When Everything Goes Sideways)

Have you ever woken up with big plans for your day, only to find yourself at 9 AM wondering where it all went wrong?

Maybe you had every intention of staying productive, but then… oh, a text message. Oh, that thing you forgot to do yesterday. Oh, squirrel. And suddenly your carefully planned morning has turned into a chaotic free-for-all.

I get it. My natural tendency is to bounce from one thing to the next without actually finishing anything. For years, my days would just sort of happen to me rather than me creating them with intention.

But here’s what I’ve discovered: a solid morning routine for focus changes everything!

It doesn’t need to be a two-hour elaborate ritual that requires you to wake up at 4 AM. Or an Instagram-perfect routine with color-coded planners and expensive tools.

Just a simple, grounded practice that sets your day—and gives you tools to reset when things inevitably go sideways.

The Power of Morning Intentions (Not Resolutions)

This year, instead of making resolutions, I set intentions. And my biggest one? Stay grounded, focused, and on task.

Because here’s the thing—when I drift through my day reacting to whatever comes up, I end up exhausted with nothing meaningful accomplished. But when I start my morning with intention, even my busiest days run smooth.

I’m getting done what actually matters instead of just staying busy.

There’s something else I want to mention because the timing feels significant: we just closed a nine-year cycle on January 11th. In numerology and astrology, these cycles mark major shifts in energy and opportunity. The action you take right now—how focused and intentional you are during this transition—sets the tone for the next nine years.

So if you’ve been procrastinating or dragging your feet, this is your moment to shift that energy. Stay focused. Stay present. The Universe is paying attention.

My Current Morning Routine for Focus (What’s Actually Working)

Let me walk you through what I’m doing right now, because it’s simple enough that anyone can do it—and it’s actually working.

The Joe Dispenza Morning Practice

As soon as I wake up, I turn on a Joe Dispenza meditation called “Listen to This As Soon As You Wake Up – A Miracle Will Happen Today.”

It’s four hours long, but don’t let that scare you—I only listen for 5-10 minutes.

Here’s why this matters: your subconscious mind is most receptive first thing in the morning and right before you fall asleep at night. When you’re in that drowsy, in-between state, affirmations and positive programming sink in deeper than they do during your fully alert, logical-brain hours.

Joe repeats affirmations like “I am the creator of my own life” over and over, and even though I’m moving around the house—letting the dogs out, making coffee, brushing my teeth—those words are programming my subconscious for the day ahead.

You don’t need to sit in perfect meditation posture. You don’t need the full three hours. Just let it play while you ease into your morning.

The Full Morning Routine for Focus

After the meditation plays for a few minutes, here’s what my morning looks like:

1. Dogs fed and settled (because nothing derails focus like a restless puppy)
2. Journaling for a few minutes (more on this in a moment)
3. Movement/workout (whatever my body needs that day)

That’s it. Nothing elaborate. Nothing that requires a complete life overhaul.

The key is that I’m setting my day with intention instead of just stumbling into it.

The Evening Bookend

I also listen to Joe Dispenza meditations before bed—I set a sleep timer on my phone for 30 minutes and just drift off while the affirmations play.

Why? Because I’m bookending my day with intentional subconscious programming. Morning affirmations set my day. Evening affirmations work on me while I sleep. I’m working with my brain’s natural rhythms instead of fighting against them.

When Your Morning Goes Sideways: The Reset Method

Now, here’s the reality: even with the best morning routine for focus, some days just don’t go as planned.

Maybe your kid is sick. Maybe your dog decides 6 AM is the perfect time for a crisis. Or, maybe you just wake up feeling off and can’t figure out why.

By 9 AM, you’re already thinking, “Well, this day is shot.”

But here’s what I’ve learned—you can reset your day at any moment you choose.

When I notice I’m getting scattered, off-task, or overwhelmed, I use this simple reset method:

Step 1: Sit Down

Physically stop whatever you’re doing.

When you’re “all over the place,” you need to ground yourself, and sitting still is the first step. Your nervous system can’t calm down when you’re rushing from thing to thing.

Step 2: Take Deep Breaths

I know, I know—everyone says this. But it works.

Even if you don’t want to do it, even if it feels pointless in the moment, just take three deep breaths. This signals to your body that you’re safe and it’s okay to slow down.

Step 3: Make the List

Now that you’re sitting and breathing, grab a piece of paper and write: What do I actually have to get done today?

Not what you planned to get done when you had grand visions for this day. What actually needs to happen between now and bedtime?

For me, this usually looks like:

• Client calls (can’t skip those)
• Everything else I can realistically fit around those calls

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about creating clarity when your day has already gone sideways.

The beautiful thing? You can do this reset at 9 AM, at 2 PM, or even at 7 PM. There are no rules about when you’re “allowed” to get back on track.

Time-Blocking: The Simple Version (Not the Pinterest Version)

One strategy that really supports my morning routine for focus is time-blocking.

Now, before you imagine elaborate color-coded spreadsheets with every minute accounted for, let me show you the simple version.

I love planners with built-in timelines—the kind where you can write down what you’re doing at 6 AM, 6:15, 6:30, and so on. Some people call this time-blocking.

For example, I might block off 1-3 PM and write “work on book manuscript.” That’s it. No elaborate system. Just: this is when I’m doing this thing.

You can plan this the night before, or you can do it first thing in the morning. Either way works.

And here’s the thing—if your morning gets completely derailed, you can sit down at 2 PM and time-block the rest of your day. You’re not locked into some rigid system you created when you were overly optimistic at 6 AM.

The Perfectionist Trap (And Why Your Planner Doesn’t Need to Be Pretty)

I need to say this because I see so many people fall into this trap: don’t get so caught up making your planner pretty that you never actually use it.

You know those gorgeous planners on Pinterest with color-coded categories, beautiful handwriting, and cute stickers for every occasion?

They’re lovely. But they can also become a distraction.

The irony is that organizing can become its own form of procrastination. You spend so much time making your planner look perfect that you run out of energy to actually do the things in the planner.

I have stickers that came with one of my planners. But, honestly, I never use them. I don’t have time to decide which sticker represents “doctor’s appointment” versus “personal time.”

Your planner doesn’t need to be Instagram-worthy. It needs to be useful.

So, keep it simple. And use it daily. That’s what matters.

Staying Grounded Throughout the Day

A morning routine for focus is powerful, but you also need tools for during the chaos—those moments when you feel yourself starting to drift or disconnect.

But here’s what I’ve noticed: when I’m grounded and flowing through my day with intention, something magical happens. I become more attuned to the whispers within me—and to the signs the Universe is constantly sending.

Those signs are always there. The synchronicities, the messages, the little nudges trying to get our attention. But when we’re caught up in the busyness of life, rushing from one thing to the next, we miss them completely.

When you create space through your morning routine for focus, when you reset midday instead of powering through the chaos, you become present enough to actually notice what’s happening around you.

The Universe Speaks in Signs & Synchronicities

Let me give you a recent example from my own life.

There’s this adorable little deer that comes by my house regularly. She’s small and sweet, and honestly, she looks more like a donkey than a deer—her proportions are just funny in the cutest way.

The other day, my Ring camera picked her up and sent me a notification. When I looked at the footage, I started laughing. The camera had identified her as a “dog.”

Now, I could have just chuckled and moved on. But because I’ve been practicing staying present and attuned to signs, something made me pause. The Universe has a sense of humor, and this felt like it was trying to get my attention.

So I looked up the spiritual meaning of seeing a deer.

What I found stopped me in my tracks:

Deer represent gentleness, grace, and new beginnings. They remind us to approach life—and ourselves—with compassion rather than force. Deer energy is about moving through challenges with grace instead of aggression, about being gentle with yourself during times of transition.

And here’s what really resonated: deer are incredibly aware of their surroundings. They’re always present, always listening, always tuned in to the subtlest shifts in their environment.

That’s exactly what I’d been working on—staying present enough to hear the whispers, to notice the signs, to catch the messages before they pass by.

The fact that my camera misidentified her as a dog? Maybe that was the Universe’s way of making sure I actually noticed this particular visit. Making it just unusual enough that I couldn’t scroll past without paying attention.

This is what happens when you stay grounded. You start catching the whispers you used to miss.

The deer was always coming by my house. But now I’m present enough to see her, to receive the message, to understand what the Universe is trying to tell me.

And that’s the real gift of a morning routine for focus—it doesn’t just organize your day. It opens you up to receiving guidance.

Here are some of my go-to grounding practices:

Midday Meditations

I’ve found this amazing shamanic Reiki healer on YouTube who creates the most grounding meditations. She’s always outside—in winter, there’s a fire crackling in the background, and she guides you through clearing your chakras.

One of my favorites is her “Activate the Best Nine Year Cycle” meditation—it’s only 21 minutes, and it’s perfect when I need to recenter midday.

She also has a 30-minute chakra clearing meditation that she recommends doing for seven days straight. I literally turn it on and jump in the shower. By the time I’m done showering and getting ready, the meditation is complete and my energy feels completely different.

The point is, not everything needs to be a formal “sit on a cushion with your eyes closed” meditation. Sometimes the best grounding happens while you’re moving through your normal routine.

The Whispers Within Us Journal

I keep my journal right by my bedside, and it’s become one of my most important tools for staying focused and grounded.

It only takes a few minutes before bed to write:

• What were some amazing things that happened today?
• What didn’t go my way today?
• How could today have been better?

Then in the morning, I spend a couple of minutes with gratitude and setting my intentions for the day. 

This is that whole “reverse engineering” thing—I’m writing down how I want my day to unfold so I can actually strive for it instead of just hoping things work out.

People who use the journal tell me they love how the colors feel calming, and how it only takes a few minutes but makes them feel ready. Ready for bed. Ready for the next day. And ready to keep going.

One person told me, “It makes me feel prepared instead of reactive.”

That’s exactly what a good morning routine for focus does—it shifts you from reactive to intentional.

The Bigger Picture: Why This All Matters

Here’s what I’ve learned: staying grounded isn’t about never having bad days. It’s about having the tools to reset quickly.

When you create a morning routine for focus, you’re not just organizing your schedule. You’re:

• Staying on your path instead of drifting
• Being present enough to hear your intuition
• Managing your energy so you can actually manifest what you desire

And people notice.

I’ve had so many readers reach out to tell me they’re implementing practices from my book Whispers Within Us. I get so excited when they tell me that they’re watching for signs and synchronicities now. They’re staying present instead of rushing through their days on autopilot. And, they’re listening to the whispers instead of drowning them out with chaos.

Because, that’s what happens when you get grounded. That’s what happens when you create space for your inner wisdom to speak.

Your Turn: Start Small (Really Small)

Not everyone needs a two-hour morning routine for focus.

Start with 5 minutes of one thing.

Maybe it’s:

• The breathing when things go sideways
• The midday list-making to reset your afternoon
• 5 minutes of that Joe Dispenza meditation while you make coffee
• Two minutes with a journal before bed

Pick ONE thing from this article. Try it for three days. Notice how it feels.

You don’t have to do it all. You can start mid-day if your morning was chaos. There’s no “wrong” way to begin.

Permission to Be Imperfect

Here’s what I want you to know: even coaches have days that go sideways.

Even people who write books about listening to your intuition sometimes ignore their own inner wisdom and end up scattered.

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is having tools.

You can reset your day at 9 AM, 2 PM, or 9 PM. There are no rules.

Your morning routine for focus doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It doesn’t have to be Instagrammable. And it doesn’t have to impress anyone.

It just has to work for you.

And when it stops working? You adjust. Try something else. And you give yourself grace and start again tomorrow.

Because here’s the truth: done is better than perfect—even when it comes to your morning routine.

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Resources to Support Your Morning Routine for Focus

Meditations Mentioned:

• Joe Dispenza “Listen to This As Soon As You Wake Up – A Miracle Will Happen Today”
• Shamanic Reiki healer chakra clearing meditation

Tools That Help:

• Whispers Within Us Book – For practices on staying present and listening to your intuition
• Whispers Within Us Journal – Daily morning and evening prompts for focus and gratitude

Don’t Forget

The Universe is always speaking—sometimes we just need to get quiet (and grounded) enough to listen. And sometimes, we just need a simple morning routine for focus to help us hear.

Love, Light, and Gratitude 🩵
– Kathleen

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Ready to create your own morning routine for focus? Read Whispers Within Us and discover more practices for staying grounded, present, and aligned with your purpose.