Be proud, friends. Other than Sunday morning (after getting to bed at 1:30 the night before) I have set my alarm and been up at 6:00 every day since February 13! That’s a milestone for me, not because 6:00 is so early (it’s not), but because I’ve done it consistently for 3 weeks.
Consistency is not my forté.
My routine is to read for 30 minutes, first the daily Mass readings and reflection (from Laudate
If no one needs me by 6:30 (this worked rather well during our “5 snow days vacation”) I get started on my computer work. If I’m needed, I get started changingdiapersmakingbreakfastfindingshoesfeedingbabies and whatnot.
As one who had been rolling out of bed with the earliest rising kiddo, the earlier routine has been a good thing!
Quiet is nice.
If you’re a mom of littles, you likely don’t need to hear that from me. You live it. Starting my day with a few minutes of quiet has put me in a better frame of mind to face the demands of the day, and sometimes even the demands of the little guy who wakes up on the wrong side of the world.
If stealing quiet in the early morning isn’t going to work for you right now, I say try to find it and cling to a few moments whenever you can throughout the day. It’s nice to be able to reflect and hear yourself think.
I need to read more.
I kind of put voracious book reading aside when I started blogging 4½ years ago. Something had to give. Sad! Although I learn a ton from blog posts and social media, it’s just not the same as reading a good book. At 15 minutes a pop, I imagine it’ll take me a while to get through books, but if they’re quality books, even 15 minutes a day will be worth it. Keep reading = Keep learning = Keep growing.
The best laid plans are still subject to the whims of a toddler.
I think this is the essence of my “come what may” attitude for the past 9 years. I used to whine and fuss and throw in the towel when my plans were wrecked. (Oh. Wait. Sometimes I still do that…) This Lenten Gift of “early” can turn south real fast when, at 6:04, I hear the pitter patter of 2yo feet. “I’m hungry, Mom! I want to watch TV, Mom! I sit with you, Mom?”
Ahhhh, notsoquiet. It’s a good reminder, though, that my time is not mine, and that was the whole point of this exercise in the first place. We make do, and I still get my Bible reading in. Perhaps the lesson is on patience that particular day. 
Keep stretching.
This morning I set the alarm and got up at 5:45, just because I wanted to! I cannot grow and change and make progress if I do not keep stretching. No, I have no plans to keep setting the alarm earlier and earlier. 5:30 will likely be my max. Eventually. I’ve found, though, that it’s not the getting up early that I struggle with; it’s the going to bed early. A consistent 9:30 (I need 8 hours of sleep!) bedtime will be more of a challenge than a 5:30 alarm if I keep this up.
Whatever you’re striving for, take heart. If I can do it, you can, too! Gaining discipline in even one area of life turns the momentum in our favor for future successes.
How have you been growing lately?
Oh, I am so with you on this. I know the benefits of getting up early, and the days I don’t are usually because I was up too late the night before. I’ve been trying to change that, but my night owl ways are deeply ingrained and they are not going down without a fight! So, I struggle on! Kudos to you on your success!