Finding Time: My number one time management tip
Missed the first posts in this series? Start here.
To begin this series on time management, I want to start with what I believe is the number one thing which has made the most impact in enabling me to be more effective in managing my time.
What is it, you ask? Well, get ready to let out a collective groan because my number one time management tip is:
#1. Get Up Early.
I know that's probably not what you wanted to read. You'd like to hear about some planning system or resource or vitamin or something - but the last you probably want to hear about is getting up early.
Most of us mothers already find ourselves tired as it is. We work very hard all day long and often fall into bed exhausted at night. We often get up multiple times per night and morning seems to come way too soon. The last thing we want to consider is missing out on more sleep.
But before you all decide perhaps this series is something you'd rather not read, hang with me for a moment and let me tell you about how much of a difference getting up early has made in my life.
Let me start by saying that I completely understand what it's like to feel like I already get too little sleep as it is and getting up early is the last thing which would help me. I was right there with you three years ago. I was trying to adjust to multiple late night feedings, recovering from pregnancy and birth, learning how to care for a newborn, shouldering the enormous weight of responsibility that being a parent brings, all the while we were struggling to make ends meet and my husband was in law school.
If anyone had an excuse for not getting up early, it would be me, or at least I sure felt like that. "Just five more minutes of sleep" became ten minutes and then an hour, and before I knew it, it was 9:00 a.m. or later and I was groggily trying to pull myself out from the comfort of the covers already incredibly behind and needing to do 100 things.
This went on for about six months until I finally realized things were not working. I was waking up behind, I was going to bed behind, and then I would wake up even more behind. I was overwhelmed, I was stressed, and I wondered how on earth mothers managed to have more than one child.
I knew something needed to change so I decided to start examining what my biggest obstacles in the day were. And my number one obstacle was getting around late in the morning and then being behind all day.
So, even as tired as I was, I determined to begin getting up early again. I had almost always gotten up before 6:00 AM before I got married so I knew I was capable of it; I just had to will myself to do it again!
You know what? After a few months of getting the hang of it again, I actually started to really like early rising. Not the actual getting up, mind you, but once I'd actually gotten up and gotten around, I loved how much I was able to accomplish in the morning! And usually once I was up, showered, and dressed, I really didn't feel any more tired than before.
The benefits of early rising have been amazing! Truly, as it says in Gaining Favor With God and Man
, "There is gold in the morning hours."
Not only did I find myself getting so much more done in those first few hours of the morning and then this productivity spilling out to my whole day, I also realized that getting up early enabled me to have a fruitful and encouraging quiet time with the Lord in the mornings. And there is no better way to redeem our time than to begin our day by committing it to the Lord.
I love this quote by John Piper:
In all saying all this, though, let me be quick to point out that early rising is something which has worked well for me. While we definitely know that Scripture condemns slothfulness and many Scriptures encourage early rising, I can't tell you what is right for you in your situation nor make a hard and fast rule as to what is a "Godly" hour to get up at! There are seasons of life when rising early might not be possible or recommended (such as when you are pregnant and requiring more sleep, when you are recovering from illness, when you have a newborn, etc.). You need to decide what works best for your individual family and circumstances.
That said, if you're sleeping in just because you tell yourself you're not a "morning person" and yet you're struggling with time management, let me highly recommend you just try getting up 30 minutes or an hour earlier for three weeks and see if it makes any difference in your effectiveness. You just might be surprised!
How do you train yourself to wake up earlier, especially for those of you who tend to be "night owls"? Well, here's what worked for me in redeveloping this habit:
1. Determine to get up early at least 5 mornings a week for three weeks.
2. Go to bed early the night before.
3. Set your alarm and make yourself get up when it goes off.
4. Do not get back into bed.
5. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee.
6. Read God's Word and commit your day to the Lord.
7. Exercise.
8. Take a shower and get dressed to your shoes.
9. Enjoy a head start on the rest of your day!
Now, you don't have to follow that list exactly by any means, it's just what has helped me be consistent in early rising. Having a plan, executing the plan, and knowing that it will make my day go much more smoothly is a huge help in motivating me to get up early in the morning.
What about you? Do you get up early? If so, what helps you to consistently get up?
To be continued...
Graphic from AllPosters.com
---------------
Would you be interested in writing a guest post on time management or do you have a short time management tip to share? Email me. Have you purchased your copy of The Time Management Toolkit yet? If not, be sure to do so today! It will only be $7 for a few more days.
To begin this series on time management, I want to start with what I believe is the number one thing which has made the most impact in enabling me to be more effective in managing my time.What is it, you ask? Well, get ready to let out a collective groan because my number one time management tip is:
#1. Get Up Early.
I know that's probably not what you wanted to read. You'd like to hear about some planning system or resource or vitamin or something - but the last you probably want to hear about is getting up early.
Most of us mothers already find ourselves tired as it is. We work very hard all day long and often fall into bed exhausted at night. We often get up multiple times per night and morning seems to come way too soon. The last thing we want to consider is missing out on more sleep.
But before you all decide perhaps this series is something you'd rather not read, hang with me for a moment and let me tell you about how much of a difference getting up early has made in my life.
Let me start by saying that I completely understand what it's like to feel like I already get too little sleep as it is and getting up early is the last thing which would help me. I was right there with you three years ago. I was trying to adjust to multiple late night feedings, recovering from pregnancy and birth, learning how to care for a newborn, shouldering the enormous weight of responsibility that being a parent brings, all the while we were struggling to make ends meet and my husband was in law school.
If anyone had an excuse for not getting up early, it would be me, or at least I sure felt like that. "Just five more minutes of sleep" became ten minutes and then an hour, and before I knew it, it was 9:00 a.m. or later and I was groggily trying to pull myself out from the comfort of the covers already incredibly behind and needing to do 100 things.
This went on for about six months until I finally realized things were not working. I was waking up behind, I was going to bed behind, and then I would wake up even more behind. I was overwhelmed, I was stressed, and I wondered how on earth mothers managed to have more than one child.
I knew something needed to change so I decided to start examining what my biggest obstacles in the day were. And my number one obstacle was getting around late in the morning and then being behind all day.
So, even as tired as I was, I determined to begin getting up early again. I had almost always gotten up before 6:00 AM before I got married so I knew I was capable of it; I just had to will myself to do it again!
You know what? After a few months of getting the hang of it again, I actually started to really like early rising. Not the actual getting up, mind you, but once I'd actually gotten up and gotten around, I loved how much I was able to accomplish in the morning! And usually once I was up, showered, and dressed, I really didn't feel any more tired than before.
The benefits of early rising have been amazing! Truly, as it says in Gaining Favor With God and Man
, "There is gold in the morning hours."Not only did I find myself getting so much more done in those first few hours of the morning and then this productivity spilling out to my whole day, I also realized that getting up early enabled me to have a fruitful and encouraging quiet time with the Lord in the mornings. And there is no better way to redeem our time than to begin our day by committing it to the Lord.
I love this quote by John Piper:
"I earnestly recommend that it be in the early morning, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, over His Word and in prayer, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart. We replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the Word of God and prayer."Another unexpected benefit has been that I have found I want to go to bed early at night. In fact, I rarely stay up after 10:00 PM anymore whereas a few years ago, I was doing good if I got to bed by midnight. So I've actually been getting more sleep and feeling more rested by getting up early! And I've found that I'm so much more productive early morning hours than I ever was in the evening hours. It's definitely been one of the best changes I've implemented in the last few years.
In all saying all this, though, let me be quick to point out that early rising is something which has worked well for me. While we definitely know that Scripture condemns slothfulness and many Scriptures encourage early rising, I can't tell you what is right for you in your situation nor make a hard and fast rule as to what is a "Godly" hour to get up at! There are seasons of life when rising early might not be possible or recommended (such as when you are pregnant and requiring more sleep, when you are recovering from illness, when you have a newborn, etc.). You need to decide what works best for your individual family and circumstances.
That said, if you're sleeping in just because you tell yourself you're not a "morning person" and yet you're struggling with time management, let me highly recommend you just try getting up 30 minutes or an hour earlier for three weeks and see if it makes any difference in your effectiveness. You just might be surprised!
How do you train yourself to wake up earlier, especially for those of you who tend to be "night owls"? Well, here's what worked for me in redeveloping this habit:
1. Determine to get up early at least 5 mornings a week for three weeks.
2. Go to bed early the night before.
3. Set your alarm and make yourself get up when it goes off.
4. Do not get back into bed.
5. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee.
6. Read God's Word and commit your day to the Lord.
7. Exercise.
8. Take a shower and get dressed to your shoes.
9. Enjoy a head start on the rest of your day!
Now, you don't have to follow that list exactly by any means, it's just what has helped me be consistent in early rising. Having a plan, executing the plan, and knowing that it will make my day go much more smoothly is a huge help in motivating me to get up early in the morning.
What about you? Do you get up early? If so, what helps you to consistently get up?
To be continued...
Graphic from AllPosters.com
---------------
Would you be interested in writing a guest post on time management or do you have a short time management tip to share? Email me. Have you purchased your copy of The Time Management Toolkit yet? If not, be sure to do so today! It will only be $7 for a few more days.
posted by Crystal Paine at 4:49 PM
44 Comments:
Well, I do not get up as early as you, although I do find it helps.
The reason I do not, is that i find as soon as I get up and move around at all, all the children wake up and I have to take care of them right off, then mid afternoon they are grouchy and get so wound up by evening they cannot sleep and stay up too late and it ends up a not so nice day! I get up early again with a late night and am groggy....
So, I give myself permission to sleep a little later, not too late, some mornings it is 7:30, but most it is 8 am.
I am an early riser and enjoy getting up early. Unfortunately, as soon as I wake up, the baby wakes up and then it's time to start the day. I don't know how you get up without Kaitlynn waking up, or get her to go back to sleep after nursing her through your quiet time. I'd love to have even a half hour in the early morning, but I find I have to sandwich it between waking up, getting the baby changed and fixing breakfast and beginning our day. How is it you're able to get Kaitlynn back to sleep so you can do your things?
Wow - your post sounds like my life this past six months (it's been six months since my son was born :))! I used to get up at 5:30am every morning until I became a mother, then, like you, I was exhausted and was sleeping half the day. I'm glad I was able to get that rest when my son was a newborn and everything was still so new to me, but after a few months, it was driving me crazy. It wasn't until the past month that I've began the early mornings again and it's been wonderful!
Getting up early really gets your day going.
I echo Annie, though. It's hard to "get going" without waking the little one.
I was pondering on finding time to say my rosary before I started my day and was asking God to help me. After about a month of laying in bed at 6 a.m. God said Why do you think I wake you up at 6.? It was so clear and I was over antalizing it. So I just stay in bed, say my rosary then I get up and watch Joyce Meyers at 7:30. I am having a hard time reading my Bible though. I want to be able to not just read it I want to understand it. I do try to find books that quote verses but I don't think that is enough.
Something else that I recommend to go along with your #4 is to make your bed as soon as you get out of it! (This is, of course, if your dh is also out of bed! LOL!) Once the bed is made, it is not nearly as tempting to crawl back into it!
I am with your first three commenters... my children are INCREDIBLY light sleepers and wake up as soon as I get up. Even if I manage to tiptoe around, my dog getting up and prancing around to go out will certainly wake them. Now that my older one (he is six) is not so "little" anymore, he will stay in his room quietly, or even go down and get his own breakfast. But the younger one is just not there yet.
Boy do I wish I could have been able to get up earlier than they did when they were babies! What a difference that would have made!
To tell you the truth, the get up early rule is very discouraging to me. My husband works swing shift hours and doesn't get home most nights until midnight, so even 7 am is terribly difficult. He likes me to be awake when he gets home so I go to bed between 12 and 1 and get up between 7 and 8. This puts us out of step with most of the people around us, but I've had to let go of everyone else's idea of early to bed and early to rise and concentrate on pleasing the Lord with my particular 17 hours of the day. Needless to say, it makes scheduling quite a challenge!
I guess it depends on how you define early :D I find my kids get up too early if I get up too early, and it throws the whole day off, like the others mentioned. I also find I don't get enough sleep for my health, and eventually it catches up with me :(. I've always been the type that needs her 8 hours, or I simply can't function, due to some health needs I have. So, the above combined with needing to have one-on-one time with my husband which negates getting to bed early enough to get up early, I find that I am less productive if I get up before 7. I usually get up around 8, and our girls get up between 8:30 and 9.
However, you are spot on with lazy mornings throwing everything else off. Really! I am often tempted to sleep in as late as the girls (or later if they let me!) and it just...destroys the whole day! And I've been contemplating getting up a smidge earlier, partly so I can make sure that breakfast is a healthy affair and if nothing else, grab a few uninterrupted moments with the Lord. Thanks for the encouragement :D
Saralyn: Be sure to read my disclaimer in the post. :) It sounds like you are doing wonderfully so don't feel bad in any way. We all need to take into account our own situation. I hope I was clear on that.
I agonized over how to word this post so that people like you who were in a different situation in life than I (with a husband on an odd-shift, etc.) wouldn't feel at all like I was condemning them. Sometimes I wish that I could have face-to-face conversations with everyone so I could try and better explain what I'm trying to communicate! :)
For those who are asking questions regarding our little girls, I'll explain more in the next post how it works with them. I'll also be sharing how I've worked it so that I'm getting enough sleep. Oh and I'll talk about what to do when you've been up a lot at night and how I re-adjust things to compensate. This was just a foundation post for that post. Stay tuned!
I think it's not so much getting up early ... because "early" will be different to different people who are on different schedules. I know several people whose husbands are night owls and would like their wives up late with them. There is NO way a wife can honor her husband and get up that early. But, most of those families adjust in different ways. They'll keep the children up later, so they sleep later and the whole schedule is off from someone else's by a certain number of hours. So, "early" to that family is different. Or to a family whose husband has an odd schedule - that family has to work around shift work, or being gone for a couple days or a week. Each family is so different.
So, my recommendation is that each individual husband and wife discuss and take it to Jesus for what He wants their day to look like based on the life He has granted them.
As for me, God convicted me of a certain time to get up in the morning. It's quite early and I was a bit shocked. But because it was from the Holy Spirit, I have not found it a chore. And because I know it was from the Holy Spirit for ME ... I can't tell anyone else that they ought to get up at that time. It's what I know I am to do. And I've found that I'm never bummed that I got up early. But I'm generally always bummed I slept in.
brooke
The best thing I have found to help me get out of bed is placing the alarm clock across the room! Then I have to get out of bed to shut it off. I have had to work my waking hour around the various schedules in our house. I agree, the morning is golden.
Exactly, Brooke. :) That's why this is about what has worked for *me* not a hard and fast rule for what will work for everyone. :) And I hope that is clear throughout these posts.
I am in a similar boat with you, Saralyn. My husband often gets home later, is a night owl, and likes me to be up for at least a little bit with him so getting up before 8 is early in our household.
One of the most encouraging things I read in the "Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God" book is how there is so much emphasis on having a "quiet time" among Christians, but young mothers NEED their sleep. I was encouraged by the fact that Stacy MacDonald wrote that she doesn't remember the last time her quiet times were "quiet" or "alone". This should be an encouragement to everyone with "littles". Although having some time early in the morning to myself does refresh my spirit and set my mind on the Lord and the day, I don't feel guilty if I don't get that time, or if the babies wake up, I just try to include some Bible reading at breakfast and put some uplifting music on. Right now I'm 9 months preggo and due any day and I definitley need my sleep now and in the weeks to come, but hopefully I'll be able to get up early again soon.
Audrey
Crystal, you (and John Piper) did a fine job of communicating that different people have varying needs and that "early" varies from person to person. Because of my health, I require 10-1/2 to 12 hours of sleep, so my early is very late by most standards. I no longer feel guilty about it, realizing that God has allowed my health situation for His glory. The most important thing is to seek His face and do His will.
I definitely find that when I wake up early, I have a much more productive day. It's less stressful, as I don't wake up the day having pressing necessities to take care of as soon as I get up, like needing to have breakfast on the table and clean and all sorts of other things. I find that when I wake up early and spend time with the Lord, the morning is much more peaceful and productive. I highly encourage everyone to at least try waking up early! :)
Oh and for those of you who read my post earlier, I just added in a part about how I'm actually getting more sleep now by getting up early than I used to when I got up late. I realized I should be clear on that! I like getting enough sleep, too, and have found that going to bed early and getting up early makes me feel so much better than when I used to stay up until midnight or later and get up late. Speaking of which, I'm off to bed... :)
I really needed to read this post.
I've been struggling with sleep for the last 8 years. I've developed some bad habits, and they're so hard to break!
I used to work 4 p.m.-midnight or later, and that pretty much put my body in a different time zone. I'm still recovering from that.
Now that I am a homemaker with no set time to be anywhere, it is increasingly difficult to get myself out of bed. Sometimes, I don't hear my alarm. Other times, I just want "5 more minutes" forever.
When I get up late, my whole day feels off. I'm upset with myself, but it's so hard to change.
If you have more suggestions for those "stubborn sleepers" like myself,I'd be grateful!
Saralyn,
Just a word of encouragement from another wife whose husband works a late shift... In our situation, it has been difficult to balance everyone's schedules and needs. As Crystal has said, you really have to seek the Lord and work out what is best for your family. Here are a couple of things that have worked for me and may work for you or someone else whose husband has a crazy schedule:
1. If possible, be there to give your man a warm welcome home, but realize that this is sometimes not possible and that is okay. My husband now works 9 am to around 9:30 pm 3-4 days a week, so I stay up with him for 1/2 hr our so--serve him dinner, talk about his day, etc. However, he used to work 11 am to midnight, and it just was not possible to stay up that late and still be a cheerful mom/wife the next day. Instead, I would leave a note, dinner set out, sometimes the camera with a video message from the girls--and then I would make a point of spending some quality time with him when he woke up the next day. It worked well for us.
2. It is important for me to wake up about 1 hr before the girls do and have my devotions, walk, and make breakfast (my girls ALWAYS wake up around 7am, so I get up at about 6 am). It just makes the day go better.
3. I am "off the clock" before 7am (and after bedtime). Of course, there are babies that need to be fed when they are young, and little girls who need to be prayed with when they have bad dreams, and little girls who get sick and need mom or dad, etc. However, my kids know that they are welcome to play in their rooms in the morning, get dressed, whatever--but mom's morning hour is sacred.
It used to be that my kids just wandered downstairs as early as they wanted, and I found myself getting up earlier and earlier desperately trying to find time with God. Then one day I realized that I needed to put a fence around this special time--that it was GOOD for the girls to realize that Mom's relationship with God was more important than anything else. So, I started just calmly telling them to go back to their rooms and I would come upstairs at 7 am when it was time to get ready for the day. They actually were quite accepting of this, and now they usually wake up around 6:45 or so.
**Of course this does not necessarily apply to a small baby, but my 2 yr old does well with it.
Just some thoughts,
Phebe
Thank you for this post. I am not a person who gets up early but it's something I'd like to work on. I did not feel condemned or that you were saying I must do it exactly as you do.
However, your post has inspired me to work on this area of my life and figure out how to make it work for me and my life.
Many Blessings!
~Mrs.B
I can see the benefits of what Crystal is speaking of. If one is able to start off with a earlier start in the day (for the most part) it really does help your day to be more productive. Also, I think being able to wake up at sunrise with peace and quiet is a spiritual thing within itself, and generally allows better time with the Lord and time for meditation.
Having said that, I am trying to presently work against a few things. My dh's schedule changes frequently of late and most of his shifts are later. I am blessed in that he does not expect for me to wait up for him. I often do though, & feel my health is paying a price in doing so. He supports my health more than he supports his own desires, so I am going to work on getting up earlier, and will be looking forward to more tips/ideas. By being a more rested wife I feel I will be a more helpful & productive wife in the long run.
There is something about starting early which gives the day a very positive spin. I recently posted about how they now recommend a short nap 15-20 minutes in the early afternoon works very well if you haven't had enough sleep the night before as it recharges your batteries without making you feel groggy. This may keep you going at least as well as getting another 2 hours sleep in the morning and then feeling you have wasted half the day.
Your post reminded me of myself about 7 years ago. My husband was a manager and worked 60+ hours a week so I would wait up for him to come home and spend time with him. This often resulted in going to bed around 1am and sleeping in until 10 or 11. When I had my first child I felt that there wasn't enough time in the day and that I was overwhelmed. Now, I wake up on the weekdays between 5:30am and 6am and on the weekends I wake up around 6:30 or 7am. I have 3 children and find that I have more time to do things. If I am tired than the girls go down for a nap around 1pm and I take a short nap to feel better. I was battling a uterine infection for a year after my last child was born and that 1 hour nap really helped me. Before I was sick I never took naps but kept on working and by the end of the day I was exhausted and emotional. My husband told me that if I rested than I would get more done than if I worked the whole time. I didn't believe him but I started to take a nap when my kids did and I found that my work was so much more efficient! I don't take naps often anymore but if I need it a short nap is so much better than sleeping in!
I haven't read the Passionate Housewives book YET, but I agree with Audrey. Crystal you're right on, getting up early does start you off right, but like some of the commenters I also have very light sleeping, early rising kids. For a long time when I'd get up early and they'd wake up wanting this or that I'd complain to the LORD, "I can't have any quiet time and i want to." HE really took me through a season of learning to worship and pray and read the word with my kids if they woke up. Verses like Mark 1:35-37 which say, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." Which made me realize that when you've got little disciples (kids) they're going to follow you and look for you even when you try to get away alone, and like my Jesus, I'm learning He wants me to take their interruptions as oppurtunies to teach them. Sometimes we need to send our kids away as in Mark 6:46, but sometimes we need to use the oppurtunity. Those quiet times with God are truly from Him for me, cause on the outside they're not at all quiet.
Also, I like it that you pointed out there is no godly waking hour. "Early" for me may be different for you. Just as long as we are seeking to be up and hear from the Lord before the "to do" list takes over.
Anyway, thanks so much for sharing this. IT's His time all day, and giving HIm the first really helps us to remember who's the Manager of our time and who's to be the obedient servant with His time.
I am pregnant (#1) and very tired, but I agree with Crystal that I have to get up in the morning and stay up to have a productive day. Sometimes I take a nap mid-morning after I've completed a few things around the house, but it just doesn't work to stay in bed and sleep in. And usually I nap on the couch so I do feel like I'm getting back in bed, it makes waking up much easier. And I know that when the baby comes everything will most likely change again!!
Okay, Crystal!
I could post a much longer comment with my own personal morning issues, but instead I will just tell you that I'm going to take it as a 3-week challenge to do your list (although #7 probably will be moved to a different time of day.)
I even copied and pasted it to a sticky note on my computer to keep it close by.
I was able to do mornings well before, but I just need to kick myself back into gear, and hopefully this time into high gear! Thanks,
Merrilee
Crystal,
Thank you for your post to me. I really did feel as if your post made it clear towards the end that everyone will have a different experience. So, I hope my comment didn't sound as if I thought you were communicating something else. If I did, I'm really sorry. It was more in reply to your commenter who said that recommendations to get up early were discouraging to her because of her situation.
But, as for me, I feel that getting up early is a very wise thing to do if possible. And it really is hard for each individual to determine if they are needing more sleep or more discipline! I know I've been there many a time.
Have a great day!
While different women have different schedules, I think it is very important to remember that you really need at least 8 hours of sleep a night especially if you are the mother of little children. If you want to get up super early, then go to bed early and make sure you allow for 8 hours of sleep. (disclaimer: I know this is very hard when you have a newborn/nursing baby. Been there!)
Brooke: No problem! :)
I've really been making a concerted effort to clearly communicate and post disclaimers when necessary because my desire is to build up and encourage women. I was just concerned by the comments and emails that people were missing the heart of the post. So I responded to you and one other person in an effort to clarify for those who may have misunderstood.
Thanks to everyone for bearing with me as I continue to seek to improve my communication skills for the glory of God! I know I can't please everyone all the time, but I do *try* to avoid needlessly offending people through miscommunication.
Thanks, Crystal and ladies, for your encouragement. We've had this odd schedule for over 12 years and due to the fact that most homeschoolers do not keep the same wacky hours, I can find virtually no practical advice on scheduling. It's not that our life is out of control by any means, we have a fairly organized week with charts and everything--I'm just always looking for ways to make the most of our time.
So, here's my request--if any of you are homeschooling famlies that run on off hour schedules, would you be willing to blog aboutwhat works for you?
Thanks in advance for your input!
Crystal,
I couldn't agree more. We co-sleep, so it's difficult for me to rise in the morning because my daughter has always been such a light sleeper (hence part of the reason we co-sleep...also an extended BFing family). My Hubs gets up at 3:30 am and leaves for work between 4 and 5, so I sometimes get up when he leaves for work. I get SO much more done and it's great that he can wake me without me needed an alarm clock to wake up the little one. ;o)
From my own experience, I can be pretty prone to slothfulness, not by any ill intentions but just by being procrastionation-friendly, LOL. There are times in my life where I give in and I find that I'm more tired and frustrated in those moments. I'm naturally a morning person when I *want* to be, which is what I keep my focus on. I find that moms especially can benefit from early rising b/c it actually gives them more alone time, which is something that I don't get otherwise, LOL!
P.S. Annie, I wanted to jump in and say that I can totally relate. When I get up early, my daughter still wakes up a little while after me and I'm back to nursing her to sleep again. Some mornings I do this only once but others can be a few times between 4:30 am and 7:30 am when she wakes up "officially". It's just this season of life and one day SHE'LL the one who doesn't wanna get up and out of bed, LOL.
Re: Saralyn:
Yes, yes, yes, I'm getting lots of requests through email for some help in the area of odd-schedules when your husband works a weird shift or an ever-changing schedule. For those of you who have this sort of situation and have figured out how to efficiently have some type of normal schedule or plan for the day, would you be willing to do a guest post?
By the way, we have a great line-up of guest posts and tips which I'll be posting after I've written my series. There's a wide variety of women who are sharing so I think it will be really beneficial no matter what season of life you might be in.
I'm an early bird (always up by 5:45), married to night owl(never sleepy before 11 pm, if not later). I have found that for me what works is to take about a half hour "power nap" during my little girl's nap time. She usually sleeps at least 2 hours so I'm still able to use most of her nap time to catch up on some things around the house. Taking that short nap makes it much easier for me to stay up and keep my husband company. And if I should happen to wake up extra tired (not unusual these days as we're expecting number 5 in about 3 months), knowing that I'll be able to take that short nap to rejuvenate later helps keep me going. That's what works for me.
I love your John Piper quote! I consider myself a 'night owl'...but what you say is true! Once in the habit, I do love getting up early and starting my day off with the Lord! If I let myself sleep in (for me this is about 7:30..our youngest is always up by then!) for 2 or 3 days it quickly becomes habit. It's always hard to GET out of bed, but by staying IN bed, I never feel more rested during the day!! I'm more organized, on top of things and in a better mood when I am up and going before my kids (although I, too, have to be VERY quiet so I don't wake my children). I'm looking forward to this series of posts!
Another issue that has been frustrating to me as I have was always a early to bed/early riser person was when I was pregnant with my fourth baby I started struggling with some insomnia.
I would lay awake in bed frustrated because I wanted to get up early the next morning to get things done, just take care of my children etc. and here I was laying in bed, dead tired and wide awake.
I started doing some different things, but one was doing some serious praying when I lay awake or journaling, reading when I cannot sleep. Studies have shown it calms you down and lets you sleep even if you do not know that is why you cannot sleep. I will wake on a bad night in the middle of the night several times and so decided instead of being mad about it, I will pray for the people who come to mind as God must have a reason for me being awake.
Those that your husband works late, maybe the time you are up waiting for him you can do your quiet time then and use the time in the morning to sleep. I do my exercise at night as well as morning time is full with breakfast, cleaning and school.
I also cannot nap unless I am pregnant, something my boys also cannot do anymore is nap.
It is nice to hear what other mothers do and that i am not the only one with light sleeping children!
In order to get back onto some sort of schedule I started getting up before 6 so that I could have time to start my day before the littles were up. Thankfully they sleep through anything. And my hubby has to be at work by 715 so it doesn't affect him either. But having those few hours in the am have really helped me start the day off the right way.
One thing that helped me start to get up earlier is I would set the alarm 15 min earlier for a week and the next week another 15 until I was getting up at the time I wanted. Having a week to adjust to even a small time change really helped. I also turn the lights on immediately to help get started.
Last night, I prayed asking God for help to get me out of bed by a decent hour.
Well, He certainly has a sense of humor.
This morning, it was so cold that my husband's car simply wouldn't start. I drove him to the park-and-ride lot, and after getting dressed in a flash, scraping my car windows and driving him, I was wide awake by about 7:45.
Thanks, Lord!
I hope my husband's car will start later this evening, though...
I loved the tip about leaving a note or food for your husband (if he works late hours). This shows that you are thinking of him even if you are not able to be up so late.
When we are younger we tend to run ourselves harder & in the end this really takes a toll on our bodies (though if you are young, you might not feel this quite yet). Trust me - as an older woman, this is something we all in our youth often take for granted. Taking good care of ourselves is essential, whatever age you are and whatever season of life you are in (babies, older children, children are grown, & even no children).
When I was in my 20's I would burn the candle at both ends & had energy to spare. Being in my 40's now, I am finding that this did not help my present health. Do all that you can, and enjoy life to the full, but do it with wisdom too.
There is nothing positive about living as a martyr wife or mother. In the end, you are not really helping anyone, especially yourself, if you don't take time to rest & rejuvenate yourself. It's important to care of one's self so you can be the best woman, wife or mother you can be.
Thank you for the great encouragement! This is one of my big struggles... and these freezing winter morning are always the absolute hardest!
I also heard a great quote yesterday from St. Maximilian Kolbe, who said that the "rising moment" is an opportunity for obedience that sets the tone for the rest of the day. So true!
Sheila,
Thanks for your post above. I really gave me something to think about. I DO read/discuss the Bible with the kids at breakfast (usually), but I also want them to join me in worshipping sometimes, too. I have started to make a point of keeping them ALL with me in the worship service at church, at least until the sermon starts.
I think a this point in my life, I am trying to reestablish my own walk with God in a way. I also crave my time alone (selfishly?). I have only been a SAHM for about a year, and sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by the CONSTANTNESS of the job. Please pray that I (and perhaps others in the two-kids-two-and-under-that-are-constantly-attatched -to you) group would be able to find the balance between "my time with God", and "my time to disciple my children".
Anyway, thanks for your gentle reminder that our children are our disciples. Blessings.
Phebe
Yeah, we are morning people at our house. I like to do things around the house then because I have NO energy after a full day at work. Also, my husband and I are at the gym at 5:45am 3x/week, so we try to stay on the same sleep schedule so we don't feel tired on the off days. The only downside is that we feel like party poopers for going to bed between 9 and 9:30 every night. We feel we lose a lot of fellowship opportunities that way. So what are some ways to cope with having such a different schedule than a lot of people?
We used to have a hard time with our kids getting up while we were trying to have our quiet time early in the morning. We started a rule that no one is allowed downstairs until we turn on the hall light. They can play in their rooms, etc., but they can't come down until they see the light on. This also takes away the need for the "Is it time yet?" question. This has worked for us for the past year. We all start our days a little happier!
Here's my thing--
I would like to get up early, but all the other members of my family are night owls. Especially my husband. We live on the east coast, and he sells software to customers on the west coast, so that gives you some idea of his crazy work hours. Actually, he sells everywhere and sometimes he is up at 2 a.m. teleconferencing with people in Asia. He has always been a night person, though, and has always wanted me to keep the kids up (when I was DYING to put them to bed) so he could play with them. Now that they are teenagers, they are all night people. I try to go to bed around 10 or 10:30, only to be awoken multiple times by people coming into my room to ask me a question or to get something out of my bathroom. It settles around midnight or so.
I have learned that to keep peace in my home, it is best not to fight this. And I am exhausted in the morning. My kids go to school. I stay out of the way of the oldest ones--after setting my alarm to be sure that they are awake at the proper time, I settle back in my room, dozing, staying warm, and most importantly, not getting in their way. My youngest gets the bus at 7:35. I get him up and make his breakfast and his lunch.
I felt convicted to get up early at one point in my life, but I got up and couldn't figure out what to do with myself. I couldn't eat that early, and it was too early to rouse the home with vacuuming, and I didn't want to mess up the morning hot water supply by doing laundry. So eventually I went back to bed until it was time for breakfast, tea and my Bible study.
I think 8 or 8:15 is a decent time to start the day, although these days I find I can take my morning nourishment right after my youngest leaves for school (7:35).
I know the Proverbs 31 lady rises while it is dark. But here in central New York, it is always dark, at least on the winter half of the year.
Hi Crystal,
I am going to challenge myself to get up early for the next few weeks. I know it helps me and the whole family when I can at least have 30 minutes to myself before my kids wake up.
I did start this practice...sporadically over the last few months and this is what helps me with the kids and having them stay asleep.
One thing we found and now love...are sound machines...we use continual sound (does not turn off unless you manually turn off) that we found at Walmart in the 'humidifier' section of all places. But these are so much better than the 'baby' sound machines that automatically turn off after 15 minutes.
We have found that having the sound machine in our dear ones room helps to mask the noise in the house especially in our small, open concept house where taking out laundry or putting up dishes would wake the kids.
Also, if I am in the kitchen and know I will be 'working' or cooking in there while they are asleep I turn on the fan vent on the microwave/range....the fan noise masks my clanking around and beeps from the microwave and other noises.
Oh and finally---if my oldest does happen to wake up---and it is still dark or too early for him--I will go in and tell him it is still night night time...look it is dark out or come look---daddy is sleeping, baby is sleeping...and by me carrying him and showing him in his groggy states it is as if he has 'permission' to go back to sleep.
Anyhoo, that's what works for me in those instances..
Blessings,
Kathie
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