Get Up Early - Day 3

 I’m up early.  Practicing not hitting the snooze button the max times, and then going back to sleep.

So I got up at 5:35 this morning.  Usually I’m getting up around 6 or 6:15, so this feels like a good start.  Not sure I even need (or want) to get up any earlier that this.

But what does my ideal morning look like, and what steps can I take to get it there?

Really, there are two versions. 

1)      On Days when I have to get in some work hours early (deadlines and/or work before Charlie gets up).

a.       5:30 alarm. Get up. Coffee.

b.      Quick 5-10 minute Yoga Stretch / Meditation

c.       Thinking through / writing down my day’s list of priorities in 2 hour blocks

d.      Work

2)      The more ideal setting, a morning to myself to set off the day right

a.       5:30 alarm. Get up. Coffee.

b.      Maybe do something easy around the house (this morning I emptied / reloaded the dishwasher while listening to a YNAB podcast; often it’s just opening up the blinds and windows)

c.       Write 500 words

d.      Yoga

e.      Shower / get ready

f.        Thinking through / writing down my day’s list of priorities in 2 hour blocks

g.       Work (or day off traditional work, if that’s the case!) then it’s priority project

Especially on days that I feel the need to get straight to work, I often make my cup of coffee and immediately sit down at the computer to work.  I don’t give myself a few minutes to think through my day or get any stretches in.  Both of those are so vital to my overall health & mental focus, and only need to take 5 minutes each!

I love my ideal day outline.  I feel like I’m missing something.  I know I’m missing the mindless scrolling / checking in on Facebook / emails that I often will take up to an hour on, and then go straight into work because I’ve wasted away most of my morning time.  (Just came back to add what I realized I’m missing:  quiet time with coffee – ideally sitting on my front porch or outside – not sure how best to fit that in.  Maybe I can move some of these habits outside?!  Writing on a laptop, yoga in the backyard?! Adding in a walk outside now that Annabelle is here and I can leave the house with Charlie here. I think maybe those are additive steps to upgrade my morning routine.)

Let’s see, what happens if I get up late, or if I find myself sucked in to my phone?  Then it’s back to the shortened version.  Still taking the time to do a mindfulness reset, and priority list.

Now, I’m already in fairly good shape with my ideal morning routine, but what steps do I need to take, what baby habits do I need to start working to add in to solidify this routine?  What hurdles do I see coming up (read:  Charlie gets up early), and how will I handle them?

Pitfall #1, I hit snooze and don’t get up right away.  For now, I can just push back the whole morning routine.  Perhaps I do letter f, my priority list write after writing my 500 words – or even as part of my 500 words! 

Pitfall #2, Charlie gets up early.  I could take him for a walk outside in place of yoga.  I could find a kids yoga video for him to do with me.  I could fix him breakfast and put on PBS kids.   I could read books with him or play with him and push the morning routine back (when that’s an option). 

What are my next steps / tiny actions?  I think today I took 2 – not hitting snooze 100 times (I did hit it once, but started waking myself up and was getting out of bed when it went off again 5 minutes later).  Sitting down to write 500 words.  I think keeping up with these two habits for awhile to solidify them is the best action for me right now.  And being ready to manage the pitfalls.

Onward, to yoga!