For me, there is always one thing that determines how well my day goes.
Mornings.
I have always been a morning person.
I was the teenager that didn’t mind first period at school.
Having to get up super early for breakfast at summer camp didn’t bother me a bit.
When I was a teacher I loved mornings! Getting to school before the students and getting my room ready always helped me to feel ready for the day.
Breakfast is my favorite meal.
I love to workout in the mornings, and I have always thought people who exercise at night are crazy!
Basically, if you want to hang out with me in my element, come visit in the mornings.
I thrive in the mornings, and I have found that to be a huge blessing in motherhood!
As a new mama, the past 9 months of mornings have looked a little different. Even so, the morning routine in our house revolves around our little human and changes about once a month!
There are some routines that I have in place (and have for years!) that make mornings calm and keep the rest of my day productive!
I try to do all of these things before 10AM every morning, and that is just what works for me right now. When I was working, everything took place a little earlier and in a different order than it does now.
The point isn’t to stick to a super strict schedule, but just to have a mental checklist so that I can keep the rest of my day sailing smoothly.
Right now, my day usually starts somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30AM. Clay gets Rosy up sometime around there and spends some one on one time with her before he goes to work.
So here is a typical way this checklist plays out for me some days.
- Exercise. A few days a week, I get up and head to the gym to run on the treadmill around 6:30. It feels so good to knock out my workout and get that endorphin rush first thing! I do this before I even drink coffee!!
- Speak words of kindness. When I get home from the gym, I take some time to just be present with Clay and Rosy. I tell them that I love them and try to be encouraging and kind.
- Empty the dishwasher. After that, I always empty out the dishwasher and pick up any dishes left from Clays breakfast and put them in the dishwasher. This lets me immediately put dirty dishes in there throughout the day, and my sink and counter isn’t cluttered with a mess!
- Make the bed. It’s usually time to put Rosy down for her first nap after Clay leaves, and as soon as I lay her down I head into our room to make the bed. Having a neat and tidy room is huge for me. It keeps my mind tidy too.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. I always eat oatmeal for breakfast. It’s healthy and fills me up! I’ve also heard that it’s good for breastfeeding, so that is an added perk!
- Spend time with Jesus. This is something that looks different for me on different days, but most of the time I sit down with my oatmeal and coffee and read through a devotional or journal with my bible.
- Play worship music. This is something that I haven’t always done, but every time I start again I always wonder why I stopped. Playing worship music puts me in a great mood and helps me to not get caught up in my to do list or housework that needs to be done.
- Shower and get ready for the day. Obviously in the past, I was going to school or work and showering and getting dressed wasn’t really a negotiable thing. Now that I am home with Rosy all day, it is easy to feel like there isn’t any point in getting dressed and ready, but it is crazy how much more productive I am when I do!
So there you have it, nothing crazy, just a simple plan that helps me to be more productive and keeps things running calmly in my home.
I hope this helps you to come up with a checklist that works for you!