I wake up and look at my alarm clock.
5:58 AM
“Okay I have 32 more minutes,” I think to myself.
I go back to sleep and wake up again at 6:28 AM.
I blink at the clock sleepily and the excuses begin to roll in.
“I went to sleep late last night so I should sleep until 7.”
“I’m a mommy with a 4 month old that wakes up in the middle of the night to eat. Enough said.”
“If I sleep until 7 I can still get things done later today.”
Before I can rattle off another excuse, I begin to smile. I remind myself, that I committed to starting my day at 6:30 AM and I wasn’t going to sleep a minute longer.
My first no of the day.
I look longingly at my iPhone. For a split second I want to pick it up and check my notifications. I decide to stick with my original plan.
My second no of the day.
I hop out of bed, grab my Bible, notebook, iPad and workout clothes. I go to my gym, aka my daughter’s nursery, and lay my things out.
Now I’m wide awake and full of energy. I read my Bible, pray, journal, and workout because this post partum belly isnt going to disappear on its own. I push through the workout even though my body kindly asks if we can stop now.
My third no of the day.
I shower, have breakfast and somewhere in between, nurse Ava and put her down for her morning nap (what a life!).
I hop on my computer and get to work.
I’ve conquered another morning and it feels really good.
A few weeks ago, I decided to take charge of my day by implementing a morning routine. I was not getting the amount of work done that I needed, I wasn’t working out consistently, or spending time with the Lord how I wanted to. The first few hours of the day are the most important ones and I was wasting them.
I decided to create a morning routine that worked for me. I start with prayer, then my Bible & devotional, journaling then exercising. This ensures that my mind, body and soul are fed. Everything else flows from this place. Once I’ve completed my morning routine, I can confidently get started on my work for the day because I am full. I say no to the chaos and wasted time, and yes to an effective powerful morning.
It’s feels really good to say no. I’ve been saying no in other areas of my life as well. No to clutter (I gave away half of my clothes), no to unfufilling friendships (I spend time with those I’m most committed to), and no certain shows (because they negatively impacted me & my relationship with God.)
My biggest and maybe most impactful no has been not looking at my phone first thing in the morning. This was singlehandedly ruining my day. I would pick up my phone, check my notifications — my whatsapp mommy group, my girls group, emails, Facebook, Instagram, etc — then proceed to scroll for hours at a time. It was such a time suck. Before I knew it I had spent some of my most productive hours of the day producing nothing.
I was sick of it.
So I got an alarm clock. Not the type you find in the app store, the type you order off of Amazon. Mine is pink because pink is the best (followed closely by lilac).
In addition to checking notifications, I needed to check the time. The problem was, I couldn’t check the time without checking notifications. Cue my pink clock. I plug my phone across the room to cut down the temptation and keep my pink clock on my window sill. When I need to check the time or set an alarm, I use my pink clock. Problem solved. I’ve learned that if I’m going to say no to bad things in my life, I have to create the systems and processes that will help me continually do so.
When I started saying no to a wasted and chaotic morning, I felt a huge shift in my life. I was happier, healthier, and more productive. For the first time in a long time, I felt in control of my day and it felt really, really good.
Of course I’m not perfect. #PerfectionLoading
Do I sometimes say yes when I’m supposed to say no? Yes
Will I get better at saying no the more I say no? Yes
If I say yes when I’m supposed to say no, am I a complete failure. Yes. Just Kiddingggggg
I’m still working on this no thing. I still check my texts during my work time even though I promise myself I won’t. I’ve picked up my phone some mornings to see if my husband texted me (he’s been in Ghana for the past 10 weeks). I’ll work out for 17 minutes instead of 30 becasue I CANNOT do another burpee. I still say yes, when I’m supposed to say no, BUT it’s happening less often and that’s what matters.
Because progress is better than perfection.
