Joyful Simplicity

Follow along during the month of March as I challenge myself to make the most of my mornings by waking up early!

I have to say I’m pretty proud of myself. I made up my mind that I was going to do something about a year ago, and I’ve been doing it every single morning since.

I’ve established a morning routine.

Who knew what a difference a small 10-task morning routine could make in a day?! I love it. Even though I haven’t been the best at getting up early each morning, I still stick to my morning routine regardless of what time I wake up.

Here’s my morning routine:

1. Wake up. Snooze the alarm clock for a good hour. {Ahem.} I mean… hop enthusiastically out of bed!
2. Get tea kettle boiling with water for French-press coffee. (a must, right?!)
3. Feed kitty. Scoop out litterbox.
4. Tidy living room. (throw pillows in place, couch blankets folded, glasses or dishes brought to kitchen from night before, etc.)
5. Make breakfast. Pour coffee.
6. Eat breakfast & enjoy coffee. Morning Bible reading and prayer time. Write down goals for the day.
7. Feed puppy and let him out.
8. Make bed.
9. Exercise on treadmill.
10. Shower and get ready for the day.

All these things may seem like such small tasks, but together they really add up to a productive morning for me. It helps me start the day with momentum as soon as my feet hit the floor. I know what I have to do, and I no longer wander around aimlessly all morning. Having this routine has shown me how much time I used to waste each morning without even knowing it. I suppose I always had the mindset of “well, I have all day, so I can take my time.”

This routine usually takes me about 2 hours total before I start my work day. It works out perfectly for me. I also like that I’ve included some margin time for myself to relax, focus, and goal-set for the day. My routine never feels rushed. For a while, it took some practice to get into the habit of my routine. Now it’s just second nature.

Regardless of what time you wake up, I highly encourage you to adopt a morning routine. It has helped me so much, and I know it will do the same for you!

I’ve decided to join in with Crystal’s Early To Rise Challenge this month. For months now, I’ve been reading all over the Internet about how waking up early makes you more productive each day. As much as I liked the idea of it, I continued to make excuses for myself in my head.

My husband started back to school the beginning of this year, and he has to get up pretty early to beat the traffic. Since then, I’ve been striving to wake up earlier. I must say – what I’ve been reading has proven to be true for me, as well. I find that when I wake up early each morning, I’m able to have a couple hours to myself to focus, energize, and organize for the day.

Lately, I’ve noticed myself getting back into the habit of waking up later, so I’ve decided to challenge myself to get back on track. My goal is to wake up by 6:00 a.m. each morning. Since I work from home, I find it SO easy to talk myself out of this each morning when I roll over and punch the alarm clock. But here’s to early mornings in March and beyond!

I’ll hopefully be posting some updates and thoughts throughout the month, so stay tuned.