“Oh, you’re a stay at home mom? That must be great to have nothing to do all day! How ideal!”
Sipping on hot, creamy gourmet coffee on her window seat, playing with her perfectly behaved kids, taking a luxurious nap, chatting on the phone with her girlfriends, and bippity-boppity-booping her way to an immaculate home, fresh-hot dinner, folded laundry and clean, sleepy kids.
Needless to say dear readers, after leaving my stressful, busy job for the relaxing life of a SAHM, I quickly discovered that life at home was anything but that.
After my rose-colored glasses abruptly cracked, I realized that this was not the champagne and mani-pedi spa life I had envisioned. This too was a full-time job, albeit, I did get to wear pajamas and yoga pants whenever I chose (#winning).
This whole stay-at-home-parenting thing wasn’t going to work for me unless I took some of the tools I learned while in the workplace and brought them into my home; namely, creating a routine.
Balancing kids, home-making and business building, routine is essential. In searching for and fine-tuning something that would work for us, I realized the first thing that had to change in the equation was me.
I started by listing the things that brought me the most joy and the things that brought on the most frustration. My joy list included spending time with the kids, cooking, exercising, visiting museums, parks and going on playdates. My frustration however, centered on having to do my work around those enjoyable activities. Not being able to give the kids my full attention, nor being able to give my work my full attention was beyond aggravating. Trying to balance it all at once was making me dislike everything!
After weeks of whining about my problems, my energetic husband of mine gave me the solution: creating a routine by setting my alarm for a time EVEN EARLIER than I had set it when I had to beat morning traffic (say whaaaat?!?).
Enter 5 AM CLUB. Or in my case, 4:28 AM CLUB. In order to get my work done, as well as gain some clarity and sanity, I had to get up before my kids. I had to give myself some space to wake up in a calm and relaxed manner and spend some time in silence, simply gathering my thoughts and preparing for my day.
This new ‘Club’ I’ve joined has revolutionized our home life and my own personal and business life.
Here is how my 5 AM CLUB looks and some suggestions for beginning your own:
- Starting the day with love and silence, not social media.
Select a book that you enjoy reading. Upon waking, your mind is heavily influenced by the things you hear and read. Begin your day with positivity (personal development, soothing music, spiritual reading, etc.). In addition to enriching your mind, uplift your spirit by spending time in silence, visualizing beauty and abundance and simply enjoying the moment.
- Affirming my abilities and the capabilities of others.
Do you remember that Dana Carvey character from Saturday Night Live? He used to say, I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it, people like me! Sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader. Whether it’s a silly quote from TV, your favorite motivational speaker or even a quote of scripture (Phillippians 4:13, anyone?), repeating an affirmation to yourself in the morning and throughout the day can help you make it through the challenging moments.
- Creating a grateful get-to list that is realistic, malleable and exciting.
Transitioning from a ‘have-to’ to a ‘get-to’ mindset has been a game-changer. There are so many amazing things I get to do each day and looking at them as blessings rather than inconveniences has made doing even the most mundane tasks much more enjoyable. Start by writing down a few things that you are presently grateful for. Continue by creating a realistic list of projects you get to accomplish during the day. Celebrate the things you can do rather than focusing on the things you didn’t quite get to.
I also recommend scheduling in a little down time too!
- Stretch, Exercise and Go!
I do not have a desk in my mom-cave. It allows me space to move. Find a comfortable space in your home where you can spend a few minutes each morning getting active. Whether it’s a quick 10 minute cardio workout or a beautiful, energizing sun salutation, get your body moving in the morning to increase blood flow and positive energy creation.
Setting a morning routine has made some priceless changes in our household. And it’s not just for work-from-home folks either! Had I realized the importance of a morning routine that allowed me to get focused, relaxed and centered before being blasted with the full Armageddon strength force of three small kids, a husband, a hectic morning commute and the inevitable onslaught of questions I faced before even making it to my desk, I would have been a happier and healthier person while on the job.
Start small if you need to. Select one of the components I mentioned above and set your alarm to allow yourself an extra ten or fifteen minutes each morning. Do not hit the snooze. Get up, read, breathe, stretch, visualize, write, whatever speaks to you. Do it every day. Give it a week or two and let me know how it’s going.
Do you already have an amazing morning routine? I’d love to hear what works for you! Let’s chat below!