Any Hootie fans in the house?
“I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”
– Isaiah 49:4
For 2012, the big thing I’ve been focused on other than trying to quiet my heart and mind is doing good things with the time I’m given. I want to be a good steward of my time.
Not necessarily going out and changing the world things. But things right here in my home. I want to make wise choices when it comes to how I spend my time. I want to feel at the end of the day like I got things done.
I have a lot of responsibilities at home and there are lots of things that have to get done. And there are a lot of things that I want to get done.
I want to read a little every day. I also have a goal to read the Bible through in 2012 and I make time every time to finish that reading plan for the day. Blogging is my outlet and I like to make time to get that done, too. Then there are the emails and phone calls and just the little responsibilities that take up time.
This weekend, we attended a wedding out of town and I got to spend some time with a mom that I really look up to. She’s not much older than I am, but she is so wise and is so willing to share her wisdom with younger moms.
She’s a runner and I mean a marathoner. It’s so impressive. But because her hobby is running and it takes so much time, she gets up very early (way before her children and husband wake up) and does her Bible study and goes for her run. She doesn’t want her hobbies and outlets to interfere with her family’s day.
This really convicted me because my kids are my alarm clock. I love to sleep. They wake up at 7:30 every morning and I am still sleepy when they wake up.
In 2012, one of my goals (and I’ll share my others later) is to wake up an hour before my babies wake up. During this time, I want to finish my Bible reading for the day and work on my blog posts for that day. I hate to put my blog “in a box” like that because the words don’t always come to me at the same time every day. But I want to make sure my hobby (and part time job) doesn’t interfere with my family life.
“Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” – Psalm 90:12
I definitely still need just as much sleep, so I just need to get to bed earlier. I don’t even like many things on television anymore, so I may as well just go to bed after putting Hudson and Hayes to bed. I can read a little bit and then fall asleep.
We were all given talents and I want to be sure that I’m using my talents for good, but also want to make sure that they don’t interfere with my responsibilities.
Going to bed at night with the satisfaction that I completed the things I needed to is a priceless, satisfying feeling.
By waking up just a little bit earlier I can accomplish so much more during the day and be a more relaxed, patient mommy.
That mom sounds pretty awesome. I’m always inspired by women who are able to do so much and still be great wives and mothers (you are like that too). What a wonderful way to start your day on the right foot with a bible study and a run all before the “day” starts. I’m like you, a sleeper, Rob calls me a champion sleeper. I’ve been trying to be better about just “shutting down” and going to bed earlier too. Good luck with your goals in 2012! xoxo
I wake up early to read my Bible, put on my face (I shower at night), fold whatever I put in the drier the night before, and get breakfast going before my 3 year old wakes up. This means that I get up at 6, and yes, some mornings I am more like, “Shoot me now!” than “Oh goody, I get to be productive for an hour and a half at o’dark thirty…” 🙂 But you know what, so worth it! I start my day with quiet time and I feel like I have a real handle on whatever is coming next on that day’s schedule.
I think you’ll notice a real change when you start waking up earlier than your kids. Please keep us updated on how this goes for you. I so love how honest you are on your blog and the direction your writing has taken in the last year. Thanks for sharing!
I need to use an alarm clock too instead of relying on my kids to wake me. It is so much easier to start the day when I have had a few minutes to gather my thoughts before beginning mommy mode. Excellent post! I have this same goal for 2012!
Your friend sounds like the Proverbs 31 woman…someone I strive to be like but some days it seems impossible. 🙂 Amelia is my alarm clock too. I need SO MUCH SLEEP but I’ve been staying up much later these days. I would love to get up before her. I’ve made my list of goals for 2012…I need to add GO TO BED EARLIER to the list. And I’m reading my Bible all the way through this year too! I’m using a Chronological Bible and it has been great for me!
Great post, Erin.
Have a good week, friend!
I am the same way – I use my baby as my alarm clock and than my whole day is about catching up and I never really do nor do I end up having any quality me time. I really enjoyed your post and it inspires me to be more careful with my time and using it wisely. Something I will definitely put on my TO DO list of becoming a better ME.
What a very inspirational mom you speak of, but you too are quite inspirational! Every post I read I always think ” wow, she put so much time into this” and I often wonder where one finds the time to write things so well, and I am learning too that in order to have that “me” time I need to get up before my girls and I find that quite challenging as well- I will definitely be following your footsteps though in making a concerted effort to do it! Thanks for a great post!!
I am almost 6 weeks into this whole mommy adventure and I am no where near trying to wake up before my baby BUT I do know that eventually I want to do it and will make it a goal at some point. I think it is so important to have quiet time to yourself during the day and not feel guilty for having it take time away from your family. Good luck to you!
I’m with you on needing to get up earlier. I have been thinking for a while that I need to get up at 5 a.m. to exercise and get everything done, Logan fed and out the door to work. But I LOVE sleep. It’s so hard for me to think about getting up this early, but I know in order to get in shape, I have to do it. Good luck! And thank you for helping reinforce in my mind that I can do it! 🙂
I agree wholeheartedly with this post. I need to wake up earlier so I can get everything done that I need to. It’s so hard because I love to sleep in but I agree that I would feel so much better if I stopped wasting time on other things that aren’t important. I know that I can do it, it takes more self-discipline from me. That’s my problem. I have been struggling with not making time with God and allowing other unimportant things to take that place. My pastor preached a sermon about pursuing God and how God does amazing things when we pursue Him. I haven’t done much pursuing and it’s because I have allowed other things to distract me. Thank you for reinforcing what I already know I have to do! 🙂
I know what you mean about loving sleep. I am the exact same way! I need my quiet time everyday to spend reading my Bible and working on my Bible study, and just spend time in prayer, but I have found that if the girls don’t take their morning nap, then I don’t get my quiet time. I have struggled with the idea of getting up before the girls do, because I just haven’t been disciplined enough in the past to do it. Let us know how it goes!! 🙂
waking up before your babies will change your life! I love to get up, drink my coffee while I pray/spend time with the Lord..and then I still have time to prep breakfast before they wake up at 7:30. Makes for a much more peaceful and intentional day! I’m confident the Lord will bless your discipline!
I get up before my kids most days, and it really is a nice way to start things off. It isn’t easy, but it is worth it to have a quiet moment before they get up to collect myself and wake up. I read Living Faith in the morning and it is a great way to begin things.
I need to make more time to do the things I love such as reading my bible and working out as well. I am NOT a morning person, so if I decide to do this in the morning I would really have to start getting to bed much earlier! AHH the sacrifices!
I totally agree! Waking up early is part of our routine, and so we made a resolution to go bed earlier. And it has been fabulous!! My husband and I get in bed around 9, and we lay there and read and talk about our days and what is going on the next day. It is so nice to unwind and get to bed early. I get SO much more done in the morning… I am a zombie in the afternoon. I think we all struggle with making our “free” time productive, but still not working ourselves to death.
I actually always try to be up and ready before my babies get up… but I’m spending all my time getting ready… as in showering, blow drying my hair, throwing on make-up, getting dressed, etc just in time for them to wake up. Sooo even though I’m ready and presentable for my day, running errands, taking my oldest to preschool ,etc. I haven’t been productive with my quiet time or things around the house or blogging. Then I try to do all that stuff during the day and it takes away from my boys. Ugh. I too need to wake up earlier and strive to be more like the Proverbs 31 woman. Thanks for helping remind me! =)
In church yesterday, our pastor talked about how we all have talents and we need to pray that God reveals His plan for us to put the talents He gave us, to good use. This post couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you!
I’ve been thinking about waking up earlier to get things done as well. I’m just not sure how my sleep schedule would like that! And yes, Hootie fan here. I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to be a Columbia resident if you’re not a Hootie fan 🙂
My son turns 1 this week and I would love nothing more than a good night’s sleep. However, I see the importance of prioritizing and putting God first. Waking earlier would also allow me to be a better wife and mother. Becoming a Proverbs 31 wife is one of my goals too.
Things would definitely be easier if I could go to bed earlier, too! Great post. Good luck!
Hey Erin-
This comment is not related to your post but I couldn’t find an email address to email you directly. I was wondering if you might be willing to share your thoughts on neighborhoods in Columbia with me? My husband is strongly considering taking a job there and we just spent a long weekend there touring around different neighborhoods trying to figure out where we would want to live. I would love your perspective since you will be unbiased and bc you have young children (we’re expecting our first this spring). If your willing just email me at your convenince and I’ll let you know what our top areas are and you can let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance!
I am totally with you on feeling like you have completed things. That is my goal this year…to finish all the projects that I started and when i start a new project to finish that too! Here’s to you and me keeping up with that.
I’ve followed your blog for a while even though my children are now grown and having babies of their own. I find it interesting to see how young moms are doing things as opposed to 25 years ago when I was having babies. I’m continually telling my daughter she should get up earlier, that she can accomplish so much before her daughter awakes (her baby is a late sleeper, too). I think stay-at-home moms do better to adopt a work-like schedule. You wouldn’t wake up at 7:30 to get to your office so why get up that late to work at home? Over time you will adjust to the earlier wakeup, earlier bedtime but the difference in what you can accomplish with your own time is amazing. Like one response said, if you wake up when your kids do, you are always playing catch up.
I still get up earlier than I need to. I use the morning time to tend to some of my household chores, catch up on e-mails, etc. After working all day, coming home to few (or no) chores is relaxing. Plus my hubby & I have more time for ourselves in the evenings, we aren’t spending the whole night doing chores. I must confess I watch almost zero tv, I find it a complete time-waster. But, if I am watching tv (football, a special show) I always have a cross stitch or sewing project in hand so that I am accomplishing something at the same time!
I think you will find getting up earlier will be quite effective! Good luck!
Love that song. I hate ending the weekends, or Sundays really, without feeling like I got everything done that I wanted to. It’s unsatisfying. But at the same time, a good weekend to me is spending time with friends/family so I don’t want to spend the entire time cleaning or staying up super late. Weekends just need to be longer. Good luck with your resolutions!
I really need to take a page out of your book. I need to stop letting my son be my alarm clock, and even more so, I NEED TO GO TO BED EARLIER! I am so not a morning person. Love this post, made me think a lot about my 2012 goals and realize there are still quite a few things I need to add to that list!
I am also reading through the bible this year. I downloaded “The Bible” app by Life Church and I’ve been using that as my guide. Obviously you can read in the app itself or just use the guidelines to read in your bible. I like that it reminds me everyday and I can read if I have some down time or wait time away from home.
I feel exactly the same on waking early! I struggle with it too but once I’m up drinking coffee and accomplishing things I feel great. I love some “me” time before my boys wake up. P.S. I have a Hudson too!!! I love the name so much;)
I am most definitely not a morning person, but ever since being laid off from my job in November, I’ve been struggling with being purposeful with my mornings. I don’t have kids yet, but your post really struck a chord with me. Then, as I continued through my Google Reader that same night, I stumbled across this post from Inspired to Action. Thought I would pass it along. The ebook is free if you subscribe to the blog. Thanks for making your site a fun place to stop by!
http://inspiredtoaction.com/ebook/
Oh, I need to start working toward this myself. I’m not married or a mother, but I work part-time and go to school full-time. My classes start later in the morning and I work into the mid-evening at a tutoring center, which means when I come home to blog and do homework, I stay up well past midnight, rendering me at best impatient and at worst nearly useless the entire next day. My alarm clock is the startling realization that I shouldn’t have slept those extra fifteen minutes and a flash of anger that I didn’t go to bed early enough the night before, and I don’t want to spend those formative moments of the day lamenting what I should have done.
I rarely comment but I do read your blog and find it beautifully written and honest which is so appreciated.
I read this yesterday and it hit close to home. Despite getting a decent number of hours/night, I wake when my kids do and drag my sad butt out of bed, often insisting my husband watch them for ‘just five more minutes’. I am sick of it! This post inspired me- this morning I got up a bit earlier than they did, had a cup of coffee and did some reading for pleasure. It was lovely and I feel MUCH better this morning. For this I thank you!