My Morning Routine as a Business Owner Mom

Honestly, to call this a routine feels really loose.  Maybe it's more of a goal or something I strive for because waking between 5 and 5:30 often becomes 6-6:30. It also varies because I don’t work out everyday…

But let's say it's an ideal week and I wake by 5:30, to stop the alarm on my phone before Luke hears it too. The first stop is the coffee maker.  While waiting for the brew I do a routine of stretches for my back and pelvic floor strengthening.  Then with a hot cup, black, I cuddle into my chair and grab my Bible.  I just finished The Bible Recap and am kind of floundering in my reading right now. I'm reading a chapter in Proverbs and a Psalm a day. I can often find a verse that jumps out at me to copy down to my journal to start my journaling thoughts.  Then I write in my journal and list 5 things I’m grateful for.  If I was up early and I got to do all of that I’ll have another personal development book I’m working on.  Right now I am reading a Joyce Meyers book and ‘We Who Wrestle With God’ by Jordan Peterson.

This personal development reading and journaling has shifted a bit but I’ve been doing it for a few years now.  It used to be more affirmation based but I found that not fitting for me. The journaling would turn into some rambling complaint list of work or home life- when I turned it to a prayer to the Lord I could still complain but you sandwich asks with gratitude- it makes it more peaceful. The gratitude list- that gives me something to think about from the previous day.  I used to just write some big things (husband, kids) but somewhere along the way in some reading it nudged me to look at the small stuff too.  Then it became more that ‘I enjoyed baking with Charlotte’ than just “Charlotte”  it put a pause on the good things in the day.  The funny thing is even on the worst, most boring day I can still be grateful for hot coffee and time with Jesus. 

Since starting this morning reading and journaling time with the Bible first then other self-help books next I feel more at peace, less in the weeds about different topics. I got all that this morning!  Stretching, 2 cups of coffee, Bible reading, journal, AND a few pages of Jordan Peterson!!  ALL ALONE!  I just so rarely have that.

I mentioned before I work out…So instead of coffee I have a pre-workout drink, I skip the stretching, and finish my reading and journaling by 6:15 to be hitting play by 6:30.  I found a great youtuber that has quick, effective strength training workouts I enjoy and I finish with a stretching video.  I’ve been consistent with this routine for about 8 months!  I’m using heavier weights and find myself stronger in small parts throughout the day!  I’m so excited about that.  And it's all done by 7:15-7:30.

I see the big kids off to the bus, Oliver is 13 and Charlotte is 10. Then I make breakfast for myself and usually my husband and Luke, 2-1/2.  We will chat about planning the day or the week- because my husband needs to be reminded about some things every day until it happens… Then dishes, set out the meat for supper, and start a load of laundry before making the bed and getting dressed for the day.  

The beauty of self-employment is some mornings I have until 10 before needing to leave the house and others it's 8:45 so as long as supper is set out the other jobs might get skipped depending on the time. 

The reality of all this is Luke ALMOST ALWAYS wakes up within 5-15 minutes of me getting up…

So I get him a sippy and cut some fruit.  Sometimes he sits on my lap snuggling, sometimes he plays tractors and tools.  Those are mornings I don’t get through it all alone in peace, that's ok I won’t have a toddler to snuggle forever either…  I do stick to my workout if it's planned. I just wake my husband up!

School year versus Summer - oh boy our house strives on that school year routine!  But the big kids sleep in now so I do my best to keep my quiet time locked in year-round.  I keep pretty strict boundaries for work hours so I’m not planning social media posts or figuring quotes after hours or at home.  I take phone calls from 8:30-5ish if it's not too loud, I try to keep a notebook handy for notes to finish at a more appropriate time (or I email myself!).

I’ve come a long way in this journey- I’ve been working on these habits (with ebbs and flows) for more than 10 years.  They’ve helped me focus on learning new things, being calmer and more present and a better mom and wife.  I hope it helps in my business as well, sometimes I wish I could do that whole routine twice, once for home and health and again at work for business but time doesn’t allow for that.

I wish I could say it was easy- I will be visiting with another Sunday School teacher or mom at story time, and I’m embarrassed to be open about my morning routine. Like some give me a look or a vibe like that's not happening here. Like they want to workout but don’t, I made the decision to be someone that works out (and definitely NOT look like it).  I hate that I feel ashamed of these routines that make me feel better, that keep me grounded- I don’t want this to all sound Instagram ready.  I’m not lighting candles and making a green smoothie; I'm just doing it all as efficiently as possible so that I can do the rest of the day.  

A busy mom of 2 who was a customer a while back commented about how I’m put together- I’m in her beautiful new home that has laundry strung everywhere, barely unpacked, toys and books all over the place- feeling ashamed that she called me put together. But she's the one that got to get a brand new home and can’t put things where they belong.  I made a decision to make my bed everyday, to get dressed in real clothes everyday, to have this routine that has taken me years to get to this point.  I’m years away from having a perfectly clean home every day but I do want it not gross and that takes maintaining a routine. 

I might have rambled there a little bit and cried a bit.  But I encourage you to become a person with a morning routine and know that it doesn’t get to be a 1-½ hour quiet time every day because the life we built isn’t like that, but dang does it feel great when you get one or 2 of those a week!  And it takes time to build up to that- at first 5 minutes of reading might feel like 6 hours, at first pushing play on a workout is overwhelming, at first writing to yourself (or God) feels like too much.

With Grateful hands-

Korin