A Good Morning Every Day

I had always assumed that I was just one of those people who naturally had a lot of energy.  I was quick and eager to wake up in the mornings and get on with my day.  I taught at school all week, invested time in my hobbies, and generally had a positive attitude to go along with it. 

And then came the children.  In 2006, God blessed us with our first child who apparently did not like sleeping.  Deep in the throes of new mommyhood, I discovered when Gabi was just five months old that I was pregnant again with our second child.  Tired does not even begin to describe how I felt during that time.    Imagine how I felt when the pregnancy test showed positive again at the end of 2007!  Having three kids in three years was the most exhausting experience for me.  I ran on little sleep, lots of coffee, and less-than-healthy food grabbed in my spare moments.  I learned very quickly that my three little ones needed structure and routine, and I created that for them.  Solid bedtime routines, fixed morning wake-ups, steady healthy meals, and planned playtime and outings helped my children feel secure, happy, and healthy.  Unfortunately, I did not apply this same structure and routine to myself.  If ever I was a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person, that was the time!

Hosanna arrived in late 2011 to complete our family of six.  By then, my other children were older, able to do more things for themselves, and even capable of helping out with the new baby.  I had time to evaluate why I still felt so tired, run-down, and flat-out exhausted.  This led to random diets and short-lived exercise programs.  It wasn't until the summer of 2015 that I realized that eating right and exercising regularly would never work without a routine.  Over time, I began to recognize that my morning routine would dictate my choices and activities for the rest of the day.  Therefore, how I structured my morning would be vital to my health and productivity.

I now have a very consistent morning routine.  This has not only been beneficial to my entire day, but it has also assisted in me looking forward to mornings! (What??!)  Here is what I have found works best for me in the mornings:

1)  The alarm goes off at 5:00 am.  I get up, grab my water bottle, and head to my bathroom to get dressed for exercise.  (Hubby is still asleep so the bedroom is dark.)  While I am dressing, I try to drink the entire bottle of water (16 ounces) to rehydrate and get things moving.

2)  I make coffee and a protein shake.  I sit down at the kitchen table with these drinks and read my Bible.  Currently, I am doing an in-depth study of the book of Matthew.  I try to finish my shake and my Bible devotions by 5:35ish.

3)  I mix some BCAAs into my water bottle and head to the garage for a workout.  Each day, I work with a different set of muscles.  I used to have Alexa play music for me while I lifted weights, but lately I've popped the headphones in to listen to podcasts.  This week I've been listening to Tim Mackie of Exploring My Strange Bible.

4)  At 6:00, about half-way through my workout, I go rouse the oldest child out of bed to get in the shower.  She takes the longest to get ready.  I go back to the garage for a few more rounds of weight lifting before I emerge to wake up the other children.  They know their morning routine and will come out to make themselves breakfast while I finish my workout.  They also get dressed, pack their lunches, and work on their morning checklist (picking up their rooms, bringing their dirty laundry to the laundry room, making their beds, and reading their Bibles.)  They are certainly not always perfect at this and sometimes need reminders (okay, maybe a little nagging) to get it all done in a timely manner. 

5) Meanwhile, I return to the kitchen to make my post-workout meal.  I am a creature of habit and eat pretty much the same thing every morning - Protein "oatmeal" (recipe here at KetoConnect), a slice of thick bacon, and a fried egg cooked in butter.  I take the remaining coffee from the pot to mix up a bulletproof coffee as well.  As soon as I finish my meal, I take a quick shower and get dressed for the day.

6)  Then I drink about 8 ounces of water while I take all my vitamins and supplements.  I also make up an apple cider vinegar drink to chug while I pack my own lunch and get all my teaching supplies/bags ready to go.  The last few minutes before I leave for school are a quick clean-up time.  I straighten up the kitchen and empty the dishwasher while the kids pick up the living room.  Then it's to the mini-van at 7:25 am to listen to an audio book as we drive to school!

I seldom vary from this routine.  On the weekends, I may change the wake-up time to 6:00 am since I do not have to be out of the house as early.  This morning routine sets me up for success, and I am trying to teach my kids the same thing by helping them establish their own routines in the morning.  When so many things have been accomplished before the work day is even started, it drives the rest of the day and determines the outcome of that day.  I encourage you to examine your morning routine.  If you have one that is working for you, keep it up and be consistent!  If you don't have one yet, start small and determine to do just one or two things every morning that are the same, like drinking some water before you embrace that coffee and meeting God through His Word. 

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."  Romans 13:12