The challenge: Preparing for your day

Today as I was feeding my children breakfast, I was rushed and harried.  Quickly getting a bowl of oatmeal for this child, getting a sippy cup for that child, wiping up a mess here, telling the dog to stop barking and trying to make myself a cup of coffee.  Stress levels were high, I was wearing my angry eyebrows, and my mind was in a million different places, and here my youngest were sitting quietly looking at me.

Then I realized when my mind is elsewhere I am surely missing great moments with my children today.

So I changed my moment, and I changed my day.  I stopped took a breath, got my cup of coffee, bowl of oatmeal and sat down with my children.  I started asking them about how they slept, what we were going to do for the day, and in an instant my craziness ended.

Instead of thinking about all the things I had to do today I started thinking what was happening right now.  And right now my children and I were enjoying a moment of sharing and talking.  It was truly  nice.

An incident like this not only brought joy into my heart, it brought a realization into my mind.  A realization that I can either have a stressed, difficult day, or I can have an amazing wonderful day.  The choice was mine.

And this day I chose to have an amazing, wonderful day.

Why make the change:

We all know, or should know that by preparing for our mornings will help our day be more productive, keep us in a happier mood, and in generally will ensure us of a “good day.”  I know for myself, how I begin my  mornings often sets the tone and  attitude for my day. It can also derail or direct my focus. If I remain committed to preparing for my days, then I am less likely to fall prey to feeling unproductive and distracted by the end of my day.

How to make the change:

1. It helps to prepare for your morning the night before.  Run through your house after the children are in bed.  Do a quick pick up of the floors, wash the dishes in the sink, get your coffee pot loaded for the morning, set out breakfast bowls.  Do anything that will help your mornings glide smoothly.
2. Set an alarm clock and wake up the first time it goes off. Avoid the snooze button. The moment you choose to snooze, more than likely you will end up sleeping too late. Just get directly out of bed. Don’t lay and turn and stretch, just get up!
3. Start your day with a large glass of water. Coffee is great for mornings. But after sleeping and not drinking anything through the night, your body is dehydrated. Squeeze a little lemon in it for some great detoxification and hydration properties.
4. Shower and get dressed for the day. Sounds fairly simple. But most moms that stay at home rarely have time to shower and will stay in their pjs all day long. Getting a refreshing shower and putting on some clothes besides sweats is a great way to say “Hey, I am ready for my day.” Even if you can’t shower in the mornings, splash some cold water on your face to help waken it up.
5. Have some quiet time with the Lord before everyone wakes up. Give yourself at least a half hour of time. But some time is better than no time, so if you can’t start at 30 minutes, begin with 10.
6. Eat a healthy breakfast.  For most Moms this is overlooked, but I know first hand how important it is to have some type of fuel in your body after a long night without any.  Kickstart your body by having a healthy breakfast.  No time?? Grab an apple or banana, something is better than nothing.
7. You have the power to decide what kind of day you will have. If your first thoughts are negative, instantly change your thought pattern. Say 5 things you are thankful for and think on those things. They may be as simple as, “I’m thankful for hot water to shower with, ” or “food to feed my family.”