A review of Lead by Morning: 365 Days of the Present Principle

Mornings can be hectic. It often seems like there's not enough time to do everything you need to, much less adding in "extra" things like quiet time, reflection, and exercise. Claire Diaz-Ortiz has come up with a simple acronym and a plan to help with that very problem. Her PRESENT Principle contains ideas on how to make the most of your morning, through prayer, focused reading, scheduling, and other habits to build upon. The book also contains guided meditations for every day of the year for those who need a bit of a jump start on the principle.

While this is a great idea in theory, I've found myself having trouble doing these things on top of an already hectic morning. Perhaps I need to go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier. I know I need to do more planning at night also, but honestly, a seven step routine on top of normal morning busyness seems like a lot to me. I did have some good takeaways from the book and will be attempting to add some of these things to my own morning routine, but I think this principle is better suited to those who have a good amount of time to devote to their morning routines (so I guess I'll look at it when I retire...ha...)

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Lead by Morning, but all opinions are entirely my own!