Welcome to Day 4 of my 7-Day Morning Makeover Challenge.
Yesterday I talked about finding the time in your busy morning to do the things that are important to you.
Today I want you to think about what you should and what you shouldn’t be doing in those first few hours of the day.
That’s an important idea to ponder.
So often we get stuck in a rut or a routine and do things because that’s what we’ve always done.
We do it without really thinking about whether or not it’s the best use of our time.
It’s Not About Cramming More Things Into Less Time
Making over your morning isn’t about figuring out how to cram more tasks into fewer hours.
When you read books and articles on productivity and time management, that’s often the main message and gist of it.
While it can help in the short term, it isn’t a good long-term strategy for meaningful change.
Very soon you’ll hit the limit of how much faster and how much more efficient you can get.
Shift your thinking and don’t try to add to what you do in the morning.
If you want 15 minutes for Bible study, writing, meditation, or exercise, don’t just think about getting up 15 minutes earlier, or shaving 15 minutes off your morning routine by showering faster, getting dressed in record time, and rushing through breakfast.
In other words, don’t add to your already lengthy list of things that need to get done.
You’ll only feel more rushed and stressed if you do.
It’s About Making Smart Choices About Using Your Time
Instead, what you should be thinking about is the best use of your time in the morning.
Compare your perfect morning with your current morning routine.
What aren’t you doing on your ideal morning?
If you can start by cutting things out, finding time to do what’s important to you becomes much easier.
There are two great ways to find things you can stop doing.
The first is to look for busy work.
This is something you do out of habit that doesn’t necessarily need doing every day.
Maybe it’s checking your email first thing in the morning or playing around on Facebook for half an hour while you drink your coffee.
If that’s how you choose to spend your time, that’s perfectly fine, but if you’re doing it out of habit it may be time to rethink it.
The second way to quickly earn back time is to see if you’re doing things or others that they can do themselves.
Kids are the perfect example.
We start out fixing their breakfast, making their lunch, cleaning up after them, picking out their clothes, and making sure their backpack is packed and ready to go.
When they are very small, we have to do these things, but all too often we continue to do them long after our children capable of doing things on their own.
The same goes for things we do for our spouse.
Maybe there was a time when you had less to do in the morning and it made sense to take on the majority of morning chores.
Did things change and, if so, is it time to lighten your load and get help from your partner?
A few small changes may be all it takes to make the time in your busy morning for what’s important to you.
What can you change? Leave a comment and share your answer here.
Try it!
To another wonderful morning,
The Working Writer’s Coach
P.S. Please use the social media buttons to this post (below) and share this article with your friends and followers and help them make over their mornings, too. Thanks!
P.S.S. If you missed the start of this challenge, just scroll down the page to read the previous posts.
Morning Suzanne 🙂
May I suggest that this “looking at what your doing and what you/your partner is responsible for,” be a regular part of life, say every 6 months or so?
We are having a time at our house. It’s the three of us, my parents and I. My folks have always felt that responsibility charts were childish. We knew what was expected, things-to-do were fairly split up along gender-typical roles – not always, mind.
Now medical problems are entering the picture, needs and responsibilities are shifting, often without warning, and it’s creating alot of stress and chaos.
If we had started with a family jobs/responsibilites chart, contracts, something WRITTEN, and kept it updated, dealing with these new situations and attitudes would be easier.
Hi, Theresa,
Yes, I think it’s always a good idea to write things done and review them every few months. Thanks for the reminder. I hope you and your family work things out smoothly so you have less chaos and stress.
All the best,
Suzanne