Going into 2023 I knew I would have to make some changes if I wanted to accomplish the goals I have set for not only my business, KS Winters Photography, but also in my roles as a wife, mother, daughter and friend. I am making small changes little by little, starting with establishing a morning routine.
We are on day 13 and I am very happy with how things are going so far. My goal of establishing a morning routine was to eliminate the feeling of having a rushed morning. So what am I doing different?
01- The first thing I did was decide on waking up one hour prior to my kids normal wake time.
02-The second thing I did was focus on my PERSONAL non-negotiable daily tasks.
Prior to the first of this year, I would wake up with my kids and we would just do our best to all get ready for the day ahead. This often left me feeling rushed, scattered and frustrated by 9am because there were just too many things happening at one time. I was trying to get them water, get breakfast started, clean-up the kitchen, drink my coffee, listen to my podcast, get them dressed, get the dogs fed, get myself dressed, check emails and social accounts and countless other tasks that I thought needed to happen before we could really start our day. It was just too much and I knew I didn't want that going into the new year I wanted to make a point to start the day off in a more peaceful and productive way.
Giving myself that one hour of alone time has been a game changer!! I am not a morning person and my children are very needy in the morning, which they have every right to be, but it was difficult for me because I was trying to fulfill all their needs while I was hardcore STRUGGLING on the inside. Now that I had that designated hour, give or take depending on how long my kids really did sleep, I had to decide what I felt would help me feel prepared for the day.
It took me a couple days to nail down but these are the 7 tasks that I try to get done within that time frame:
- Wash face and brush teeth
- Drink Water and Make Coffee
- Empty Dishwasher while listening to Podcast
- Laundry (Start a load and Fold a load)
- Journal and Daily Task List
- Scriptures or Daily Devotional
- Get Myself Ready
Emmitt, my 4 year old, usually wakes up 10-15 minutes after me. Which isn't ideal, but he will sit quietly and watch a movie while I have my time so I don't really mind that he is awake during that time. Parker, my 2 year old, usually wakes up at some point while I am getting ready so I might adjust my wake time by like 15 minutes because I would love to be completely ready by the time he wakes up.
While I had originally thought I would use some of this time for social media or other small business tasks, I found that it was actually taking away productivity from the day. Having the morning designated to preparing myself and my living environment has not only helped me accomplish my goal of eliminating a rushed morning but it has also helped me be more productive in my business as well...but that's a topic for another day.
I guess the point of this is to inspire you to maybe make a change in your daily routine. Maybe you are also rushing in the morning and need to get a jump start on the day or maybe there is another point in your day where a little prep work would resolve a task or time of day that you normally dread. It's never too late to try something new.
