30 Days to an Organized Life Day 7
Welcome back to the 30 Days to Organized Challenge!
At this point you may be feeling a little overwhelmed, or that you are “behind”.
But remember, although we’re covering many areas during this challenge to give you lots of concrete ways you can improve your life, we are creating tiny changes every day so don’t feel like you have to do everything perfectly. “Progress not Perfection”, right?
Now that you have thought about creating a better bedtime routine so you can get more sleep, let’s talk about mornings.
I just heard a few of you say “Ugh!”
I’m not going to nag you like your mom, but I will tell you that you will be surprised how much better your day goes when you have a peaceful, purposeful morning.
So how can you move toward a more awesome morning?
Create a Reason to Wake Up
If you’re sleep deprived and morning is just a necessary evil in your life you will most likely have trouble getting out of bed. If, however, you go to bed on time so you get enough sleep, you will find mornings slightly more tolerable. And if you have something to look forward to every morning, you will be more likely to get out from under the covers earlier.
Think about an activity that you really enjoy. It could be a drinking a cup of coffee while reading, journaling while listening to music, listening to a podcast while taking a walk or a creative endeavor like scrapbooking, doodling or knitting. Some of my favorite morning activities are playing in my art journal, taking a walk with my dog, and enjoying a special breakfast while talking to my husband without the kids interrupting.
If you wake up 20 to 30 minutes earlier you can squeeze in a few minutes of your favorite activity before things get crazy. You can also create a fun morning ritual with your kids like reading part of a funny book or doing a few simple exercises together while listening to crazy music, so they have something to look forward to as well.
Plan Ahead
One of the best pieces of advice your mom ever gave you was to lay out your clothes for the next day. Your mornings will be far less stressful if you can prepare as much as possible the night before. Lay out the kids’ clothes; write your top 3 to-do’s for the next day; make lunches; gather your purse, keys and everyone’s backpacks in a central location, etc. Think about what causes you stress or takes up a lot of time and take care of those tasks after dinner.
Just a few minutes spent each evening can completely save your sanity the next day.
Leave the Electronics Off
I know it’s tempting to turn on your phone or laptop first thing in the morning, but I strongly encourage you to wait. Give yourself time to wake up and focus on YOUR priorities before you allow the drama and problems of the world to invade your brain. You will feel much more peaceful if you take control of your messages and emails rather than allowing them to control you.
For you mamas of littles I remember the days with babies and toddlers (the photo above was taken when I had four children ages 5 and under!) and the difficulty of getting good sleep when they were waking up during the night. If you can only manage to wake up when they do then teach them to play quietly near you while you have a few minutes of “me” time — enjoy a cup of coffee, read a chapter in a favorite book, or write in your journal.
You can even have a special basket of toys that are only for morning time to keep their attention a little longer. I took advantage of the time I had them buckled into the high chair after breakfast and gave them some toys to play with while I had a minute to do something I enjoyed.
Today’s Task: Print and complete the SuperchargeYOURMornings pages in your ePlanner (Join my free 30 Days to Organized Community HERE to get yours!). Choose 1 Happy Morning Habit that you will start tomorrow (or tonight in preparation for tomorrow). Here’s a peek at my list:
MY MORNING HABITS (These were developed over time so don’t try to start 8 new habits tomorrow morning!)
- Wake up at least 1 hour before the kids
- Leave electronics off
- Brain dump
- Drink water
- Check my plan for the day
- Write for my current project
- Take a Walk
- Eat a protein-packed breakfast
If you’d like more help to create a fabulous morning routine check out How to Create a Morning Routine That Works Mini-Course.
I guide you step-by-step to create a morning routine that works for you in just 5 days.
Click here to find out more.
I would love to know the 5 or 10 minute activity you are planning to do tomorrow morning. Leave a comment or a link below.
Join the 30 Days to Organized Community for:
weekly tips and inspiration
10 Minute Decluttering Tool Kit
30 Days to Organized Planner
Click HERE to join now!
Want the entire 30 Day Challenge at once so you can work at your own pace?
Grab the 30 Days to an Organized Life ebook.
Click here to see what’s included!
Leave a Reply