In the last blog we talked about finding time in the morning to do the important things. Now I want you to think about what you should and what you shouldn’t be doing in those crucial hours of the morning. Why do I need to think about that, you’re probably asking?
How easy is it to get stuck in a rut and just do the same old, same old every day? And, as an aside, you know the difference between a grave and a rut right? Simply, the length! Ponder that for a moment…
So, back to thinking about whether or not what we do in those first few hours of the day is the best use of our time.
And this is not about squeezing more into less
I’m certainly not encouraging you to squeeze more into your early hours. Many productivity books and articles are all about how much more you can cram into your day--that’s not what I’m talking about here. Eventually, you just hit your limit and can’t cram any more into your morning. Stuffing extra into your day might help in the short term--but I’m all about finding long term solutions and making meaningful changes in your life.
What I want you to think about is a shift in your entire thinking
I know I’ve advocated getting up ten minutes earlier to organize your day--but what I want you to do now is think about the best use of your time--and that’s really why I want you to get up ten minutes earlier, so you can plan.
It’s all about making smarter choices around your time
Have you compared your perfect morning with your current morning routine? What’s missing from your ideal morning? If you can cut out the unnecessary things you do in the morning, it’s so much easier to find time for the things you want to do.
But how, you’re asking?
Look for things that you do that keep you busy--checking social media or your email while you have breakfast. If you enjoy doing that, then by all means keep doing it. But if it’s something you’re doing out of habit and it’s extending the amount of time it takes you to reasonably eat breakfast--then maybe it’s time to cut, cut, cut!
Another way is to check for the things that you’re doing for others that they can do for themselves. Can the kids get their own lunches, or maybe they can set their clothes out the night before. Is everyone else in the household cleaning up after themselves in the mornings, or does that all fall to you? If it does all fall to you, take a look at why? Is that because you don’t trust others to do as good a job as you? Or because you haven’t asked them to clean up after themselves?
Does your partner need to give you some help to lighten the load? Maybe sit down and have a quiet chat about responsibilities in the mornings. Explain that you want things to change and that you need some more time for yourself. I’m sure that you’ll be surprised at how the household rally around and want to help.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Most people are so willing to give when they’re asked, but for some strange reason, they oftentimes don’t see the need to offer.
Much love,
Toni