{me and Lydia. 7am. today.}
It is 8:16 and I have successfully walked through my neighborhood, taken a shower, dressed (and fixed my hair!), made breakfast (steel-cut oatmeal with bananas), done the dishes and checked my email. Can someone send me an award or something?!
Seriously, I can’t believe how much this getting up at 6am to walk has helped me. I still DETEST the actually getting out of bed, but the return has been so worth it. The alone time does wonders for me and I’m also spurred on by wanting to finish listening to my book (The Shack…*shiver*).
My main problem has been that I get a bad attitude in the morning when my kids “make” me get out of bed. Or if my husband doesn’t take “his turn” in making the kids breakfast. I mean, how completely shallow am I? Asa would get up at 6:30, Lydia around 7 and I would let them play in my room so I could sleep (ie…get grumpy that they were not letting me sleep) until 8 when I’d make them breakfast. I cannot believe I just confessed this to you.
This past week, I have had no grumpy attitude. I’m awake and I make breakfast. And we all have a happy morning. It is a miracle. Which it really isn’t. It’s just me being purposeful. And I feel bad that it’s taken me this long to figure it out.
All the way back in January I told you how I downloaded Inspired to Action’s ebook and really wanted to get up early and have a big Bible study and exercise program and all that. Well, it’s taken me ALL THIS TIME to figure out what works best for me. I think that’s the whole point…you have to find out what works best for YOU. Just because so-and-so gets up early and reads 40 pages from the Bible while sipping the homemade tea she grew out of her own organic garden doesn’t mean that’s what you should do.
BUT. I do think you should do SOMETHING. I just read a post by Raising Arrows (found her on Top Ten {Tuesday} and LOVE her!) about how God desires order and purposefulness to our day. This should not be a revelation to me as “purposefulness” is important to me (ie. Impress Your Kids). But for some reason it stuck out to me. I tithe and give a portion of my money to God. I try to be a good steward of the money and resources God has given me. Why would I not work at being a good steward of my day? I have been WASTING chunks of my day in lieu of half-sleep?!
What inspires you to action? What makes you get up and go? Or what is stopping you from doing so?
:: :: ::
I’ll be in the Dominican Republic NEXT Monday with World Vision! I’d love it if you’d pray for us. Follow us on twitter #WVinDR.
linked to Inspired to Action’s Motivation Monday!
Yikes, I am so guilty of this. The kids get up before me whenever possible. They are old enough now even to get their own breakfast. I have often thought that’s really not the way I want them to remember me. Thanks for the nudging, I’m going to try to do better!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..TGIF – Stream of consciousness =-.
Way to go! 🙂 I’ve also read that e-book and totally loved it! I’ve been getting up at 5:30am or so, the only problem is SO HAS MY DD!! LOL! *sigh* Maybe I’ll have to get up at 4am. Yeah right.
Great post. Very inspiring. 🙂
.-= Catie´s last blog ..Saturday Skinny =-.
I don’t think I can get up at 6. Although I’m starting to get up easier at 7 a.m. However, there’s nothing more than I love then getting up by 8 or 8:30 on the weekends. I can get so much done!
.-= Allison´s last blog ..new boutique in town: B. Lux =-.
Great job Amanda!!!!
Sorry I don’t have an official award for you, but it sounds like your wonderful mornings are a reward in and of themselves.
I especially love your point about figuring out what works for you.
Thanks for the inspiring post.
.-= Kat @ Inspired To Action´s last blog ..GIVEAWAY! Motivation Monday: Get Ready For Summer =-.
Amanda, this is great!
There really is something awesome about getting up while it’s still dark (besides the awful actual getting out of bed). I’m trying to get into the habit of it, also. I got up 2 hours before my little one today..and it has really set the tone of the day!
~Alicia
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday–April 26th =-.
I really needed this post today. I have been thinking a lot about wasting my days in a haze. Maybe purposefulness is right around the corner.
Way to go! I recently discovered that getting up as SOON as I wake up has helped a LOT. Now, it’s rare to still be in bed when the kids wake up, though I have a long way to go in getting a morning routine established the way I’d like. One step at a time…
.-= Ashley´s last blog .."The Bridegrooms" by Allison Pittman =-.
Awesome! Good for you! I find my household is so much more settled when I am up and organized before the kiddies get up… keep it up!!
.-= Rusheika´s last blog ..A Smack in the Face =-.
I’ve read the book, too. It’s great!
.-= Charla @ Healthy Home Blog´s last blog ..Vacations & Cruises =-.
Ok first – I love sleeping in and would never call it a waste. But I get your point. 🙂
Second – This? THIS? “Just because so-and-so gets up early and reads 40 pages from the Bible while sipping the homemade tea she grew out of her own organic garden doesn’t mean that’s what you should do.” Might be the most hilarious sentence in the history of hilarity or sentences. Awesome. 🙂
.-= Erin G´s last blog ..German Pseudo-Siblings =-.
Okay, so I complained about the high school traffic and tried to get up earlier today to get a walk in, but it didn’t happen. Then, a little after 7 it dawns on me I can drive the sort distance to the park that has an awesome walking trail around it. So I did it! I walked 1.5 miles, laughed the whole time listening to Brian Reagan, and got home in time to send my husband off to school with a minty-fresh kiss 🙂
.-= Amber @ Because Babies Grow Up´s last blog ..Top 10 Signs Your Little One Thinks YOU Are Special =-.
GREAT post!
I’m up early, because Mags is up early for school. But, I LOVE mornings when I get up before her. However, she doesn’t like mornings when I get up before her, because SHE likes her alone times in the morning. LOL!
.-= Kathy Hill´s last blog ..Top Ten Tuesday: Orange Things =-.
I love that book too! I have also started getting up at 6:15 and it has been a wonderful change for me! I could’ve written this post myself, especially about being grumpy. It has really helped me start the morning off right! Praying for you all this week.
.-= jeana´s last blog ..Spring Nature Study =-.
What a great post. You confessed what I actually did as well, I didn’t like to get up. I started getting up at 6 a.m. last fall and I still dislike the actual getting up but the benefits have been numerable.
Karen G
Hurray! I just started my new morning routine too which starts at 7:00 am. My toddler was having a hard time napping when we were all getting up at 7:30 or 8:00 and then he would crash around 5:00. Now that he is napping again we are all having a much happier day.
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