I'm still focused on my Early Rising Experiment even though I haven't had a lot to say about it in the last couple of weeks. I continue to rise with Justus and then put him back down so that I have a little alone time before the rush hits. I had some days of being really bad and going to bed very late and thus I slept in more as a result but for the most part I'm still trying to make early rising a very consistent habit.
One of the biggest things I've noticed is how much a little planning affects one's day. In the excellent book, Shopping for Time, Carolyn Mahaney mentions that 15 minutes of planning can save you 4 hours of time later. This is so true! If I don't set goals for my week and for my day, I seem to accomplish so little and squander hours and forget about things I could be doing or should be doing. If I sit down and plan for a few minutes, whether the night before, or after breakfast while the kids play, or before the family arises it makes a world of difference in motivation and perspective. So, I would challenge you, that even if the early rising thing doesn't work for you in your current situation, at least carve out some time each day to make a few goals and plan out what your week is going to look like. You'll be amazed how much more focused you will be when you take the time to prioritize your to-do list and proactively reach for your goals instead of just letting life happen to you and steal your time away.
I'm still in!! I've been waking around 6:00am and with it being lighter in the morning now, I can do my devotions by sunlight while laying in bed. I used to have to get up and come downstairs to do them.... it's easy to get sidetracked then (for me at least!) Perhaps when fall hits I'll have to get a little reading light or something :)
ReplyDeleteIt's been great doing this experiment! I think I'm a changed woman!
I have been reading your blog for a while now, and I figured it was time to "de-lurk." I don't even remember how I got here.
ReplyDeleteI came to the same conclusion you did about the same time you did, about getting up earlier in the morning. I enjoy the quiet of the morning before my children wake up. Sometimes, I have a good bit of time, and sometimes I don't. Hopefully, I can get the clothes folded before I need to start breakfast this morning.
I have a planning book that lets me write down everything I need to do during the week. Whenever I think of something that I need to do, I write it down on a specific day to do it. Otherwise, I would not get anything done because I would forget to do half of it. You're right about planning. It's so nice to look at my to do list and know exactly what needs to be done that day.