Peaceful Projects: Make time for yourself

I love sleep.  Its really one of my favorite things to do.  If I could have a magic wand grant me one wish it would be to have 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night from now on.  Sadly, it will probably be a few years that wish can realistically be granted.  My infant son doesn’t sleep through the night yet, and recently my daughter has decided that 4 AM is a good time to come into the bedroom and check up on her parents.  A full night of sleep is just not in the cards, and getting up early in the morning is the last thing that I want to do. 

In spite of all that, I need make some time for myself.  And the only time to enjoy a peaceful, quiet house is to get up earlier than everyone else.  To give myself some structure, I joined Inspired to Action’s Maximize Your Mornings Challenge.  Read more about the challenge here . 

If you are interested in creating some peaceful time for yourself in the mornings, try taking these small steps:

1. Write down everything that you do in the morning (wake up, take a shower, make breakfast, get the kids dressed, etc.)
2. Review your list and identify things that can be done the night before (pack lunches, get clothes ready, etc.).  This should buy you some extra time in the morning and take the stress out of getting everyone out of the house on time.
3. Set your alarm clock for 5 minutes earlier than you usually get up. 
4. Start your morning spending 5 minutes enjoying the peace and quiet of your house.  Use the quiet as a time to fellowship with God and get your day started on the right foot.

As I mentioned, I hate getting up early in the morning.  But, when I do get up and start my day with prayer, praise, and exercise, I find that I have more energy all day long, that I feel better about myself, and I feel a strengthened connection to God throughout the day. 

So give it a try.  Start out with 5 minutes just for yourself, then move on to 10 and so on.  Before you know it, you’ll be looking forward to getting up in the morning.  Inspried To Action also has a free ebook on Maximizing Your Morning.  It is a great resource.  Check out the ebook here . 

--Lady S.