I’m changing my life one morning at a time
5:49.
That's what time I got out of bed this morning.
A definitely improvement on the 7 am wake ups I'd resorted to for a while.
There were times when I needed to sleep in until 7am: when I had babies who woke during the night, for example. But for the most part, that has passed (My babies are growing up!)
When I sleep until my kids wake me up, my whole day feels a mess. My brain has a hard time functioning while little people are telling me they are hungry when my eyes have only been open for a few minutes.
After I rustle up breakfast and try to be friendly (which doesn't always happen). They day is off and running and I'm trying to catch up.
As an introvert, I feel stress because I haven't had any time of quiet and it doesn't look like I'm going to get any.
I feel out of control.
Waking up early changes all that.
It puts me in the driver's seat of my day.
It helps me feel calm and collected instead of tired and frantic.
Plus it gives me the time to work on things I love. To write eBooks, read great thoughts, or exercise.
Having a little time to do something I love in the morning adds up.
What I choose to do with my morning time can change lives.
If I write a little each morning, I'll end up with an eBook to share (which might be helpful to others).
If I exercise a little each morning, I'll end up with a healthy body that functions well so I can enjoy life to the fullest.
If I read the Bible a little each morning, I'll grow as a Christian and be a better person.
If I have some alone time before my kids wake up, I'll be sweeter to them when they say, “I'm hungry.”
Do you see how this adds up and makes a difference?
Jon Acuff says, “You can be selfish at 5am.”
You can. You can work on the things that take time and attention that you otherwise couldn't (especially if you are a mom)!
I'm finding it is a better to be selfish at 5am than at 8 am.
In Early to Rise, Andy Traub says,
“There is no time left to do what you want between 7am and 10pm.”
I have found this to be true for the most part. Sure, I can schedule in quiet time for my kids in the afternoons, but nothing beats the focused attention and peace and quiet of an early morning.
I'm working on a new eBook (that will be free for you!) and getting my group fitness instructor certification. These things are happening in the morning. Without my mornings, I'm not sure if these things would actually come to fruition.
I'd venture to say that the way I spend my mornings is changing my life and in turn, the lives of my kids.
Need help with your Morning Makeover?
I highly recommend the Makeover Your Mornings eCourse from Crystal Paine.
It's full of motivation, encouragement, and practical tools.
It only takes about 10-15 minutes each day to complete. And after 14 days your life might just be on a whole new path! Seriously!
If you can't getup super early right now, this course will not make you feel guilty about that! It's for everyone, no matter how early you get out of bed.
Right now you can get the first day free!
The Makeover Your Mornings course will be on sale for a great price this coming Tuesday! So, look out for that.
I love this concept. What time do you go to bed though? I find myself getting things done or having me time after I’ve put my son to bed but sometimes that means I’m up late.
I’m reading Early to Rise right now. I love early mornings. But I too have fallen into the habit of sleeping until 7 am. With the kids and my hubby’s work schedule, 7 am it has been for a few years now. I had been contemplating waking up early again for awhile and then I stumbled across Early to Rise, exactly the motivation I needed.
As an introvert, I completely relate. I need my mornings to become a fully functioning human being. If I don’t get up before the kids I feel off the rest of the day. I’m finding myself frustrated at this stage of my life as my kids are all little, I still get up in the night occasionally and I’m in my third trimester with number three. I also have adrenal fatigue which means I have to make sure I get enough sleep each night in order to heal. I’ve been getting upset with myself because I don’t always get up before the kids wake up and waking up to little voices asking for breakfast stresses me out. However, in this time of life, I sometimes need sleep more than I need to get up early, so I’ve been asking God to be my alarm clock (I know this might seem weird but it works for me). Sometimes I wake up and feel ready to go at 6:00 am (and sometimes even earlier) and other mornings I sleep in. Either way, I’ve been feeling more refreshed because I am not beating myself up for not doing it the “right” or “perfect” way. I love it when I get my early mornings, but I try to have a good attitude on the days I don’t and trust that this season will be over soon and I will be able to get into a better rhythm for myself. This morning I slept in, but we all woke up so refreshed and with good attitudes that it wasn’t as big a deal. It probably helps that I’m working to change my attitude and not throw out the whole day because I didn’t wake up at the right time. I am excited about eventually being able to get up early every day but it probably won’t be until after the newborn phase. 🙂
I love your attitude, Jennifer!
You are wise to see that in this stage of life there are times when you need sleep more than you need to get up early. That is so very true!
It’s wonderful to see you are working so hard on your attitude. I think that’s more difficult than getting up early! I know changing my attitude always take quite a bit of work anyway 🙂
I’m on day 3 of Traub’s book/system, and I’ve so far resisted the urge to blog/facebook update about the process. I’m guessing that will change. But it’s nice to get back to early mornings … I had done it a while back and gradually slipped back into the late-night routine, which made mornings horrible. I was rolling out of bed about 2 minutes before I had to be in the car taking the kids to school. NOT GOOD.
Growing up I was always a late night person, but I married a morning person!! I have learned that I can get so much more done in the early morning than I ever could late at night, and I have all day to spend with my family! My only problem is that I have a VERY lively 9 year old boy that is also a morning person and even though I get up to get my husband’s breakfast and lunch and send him off to work at 5am, by the time he leaves my little one is up and full of energy and another day begins. I have found that on the rare occasion that my son sleeps in (till 6:30 or so) my day goes much smoother and I have a lot more patience to deal with him, homeschool, sewing projects, cooking, etc. Thanks for sharing with us.
I loved this post. I am also a stay at home Mom, and I find that I need more than 8 hours of sleep to be well rested. However, even when going to bed early, I can still sleep until 7 am which is not a good start to the day. I have asked God to make me need less sleep, however it is a combination of need for sleep and laziness on my part. Perhaps every other day is a good goal with the ultimate goal being to wake every day at 5:45 for me-time. The other challenge I would love to discuss is how to spend that time. I would like to do all three things you mentioned: read the Bible, exercise, and think or write. I haven’t been able to get all three in without rushing them; it feels like each one needs at least 30 minutes to do it well. Any thoughts on this?
HI Brenda,
I have experienced some of the same issues you are facing. I do feel rushed if I try to do all those things in the morning unless I get up at least 2 hours early. Which I’m still working toward. At the moment I read and write, and usually save my exercise until later. But that’s not my preference since exercising is too easy to miss later in the day. I love to do it first thing in the morning and am aiming to get back to doing that.
Stacy, I really took your post to heart. Last night, I went to bed at 9:30 (you might also mention that this is key to getting up early; some of us need a reminder of the obvious!) Then, I got up at 5:00 and wow, what a wonderful start to the day. Stretching, then Bible reading, then eating my home cooked porridge recipe, then some cleaning. All of that is missed when getting up at 7:00 am, and you are right, those are the hours to be “selfish”. God bless you. You are a soul sister of mine, though we may not meet until heaven.
Yay Brenda! That is wonderful! Good for you.
I will mention about going to bed early in another post. That’s a good idea since it’s probably the most important part!
Thank you for your kind words. You are a sweetheart. You made my morning 🙂
Stacy, absolutely love that quote!
Thanks, Margaret! Me, too.
I am very interested in how EO’s can help guide my family to better health. Thank you.
Wow, way to go! Although I haven’t been able to get up much before my early-rising kids yet, rising on my own terms instead of having them wake me up has really made a difference for me.
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