So here I am. It’s 5:00 a.m. and I’m up, on my computer, with my coffee.
This is a routine I started about a month ago. Back in January, I told y’all about my friend Beth who inspired me to start waking up early. So I started waking up at 6:00 to make time for writing blog posts and responding to emails. And then I’d do my quiet time and my Bible reading.
Then Crist and I started going to the gym. And those classes begin at 5:30 or 5:45. That’s early. But I realized I’d have to get up even earlier if I wanted to make that happen and write my blog posts and respond to emails.
So that’s been my new normal. And I’ve really enjoyed it.
I was really excited when I got to BlissDom because the wonderful, hilarious, and relatable Jon Acuff spoke about the importance of being selfish with your time. But being selfish at the right time.
It’s totally fine and normal that I want to blog. And it’s normal that I want to correspond with friends and blog readers via email. But I don’t need to put my children and husband on the back burner because I’m trying to get these things done.
It’s great that I want to exercise. But my children really dislike the nursery at the gym. So I can’t go to the gym with them. And if I want to go to the gym I need to do it in the morning.
But this is about more than just crossing things off my list. And it’s more than about fitting things into my day.
It’s about doing things for myself during a time when I can really focus on myself. No one else is up. I’m all alone. I can think, I can pray, and I can breathe. I get to see the sun come up and I get quiet moments to reflect.
I’m not watching the clock or worried about anything else going on at the house.
This all sounds a little “kumbaya,” I know, but I’ve been looking for these quiet moments for a couple of years. And here they are. And I don’t even need a babysitter to get them. I don’t even need to make a plan to get them! I just set my alarm for a little bit earlier in the day and, for two hours, I have the whole house to myself.
By taking care of the things on my daily wish list early in the morning, I’m able to spend the rest of my day serving my family. I’m able to relax when I’m down on the floor playing with my boys. I don’t have a to-do list running through my head.
Instead of running to the computer while they nap, I can prep dinner. Instead of blogging when the boys go to bed, I can sit with Todd and we can talk about our day.
And don’t even let me get started on the personal benefits I’ve gained just by deleting Twitter from my phone a month ago. Not to mention the benefits my children have received from this.
At BlissDom, Jon Acuff really reinforced all of these ideas for me. Except he was hilarious and so great with words.
Because we’re all entitled to having passion and finding our passion. I just have to make sure it’s not at the expense of my family.
I love that I have this little bit of time to myself every day and I can do whatever I want with it. We all deserve the chance to cultivate our hobbies. I can’t believe that this is the time of day that I’ve chosen to cultivate mine, but so far it’s working.
Me too, friend! I’ve really come to enjoy my early, quiet mornings and find that I really regret it if I don’t get up. What a great accountability too with your friend at the gym. I’ll imaginary cheers my coffee to you and all our other 5am moms ever morning.
Go you! It sounds like you have found the perfect way to start your day!
great post! so eloquently put and sounds absolutely divine. Definitely sounds like you have your priorities right where they should be.
One of the most difficult things to do as a Mom is to find balance. I think we often find ourselves putting everyone’s needs above our own and that is not good for anyone. While it is sometimes difficult it is important to take good care of ourselves so that we can take better care of our families! It sounds to me as if you have found your balance. Brava!
Great post, Erin. This has been one of my aspirations for a while. Quick question — do you go to bed early or take a nap during the day? That was my difficulty, was that I wouldn’t be able to spend my normal night-time with my husband because I was so tired! Thanks again.
I posted on facebook at 5am and a bunch of mom friends thought I was nuts. I told them why and we’ve all started doing it. Coffee, alone, with my blogs – couldn’t get any better. It is the ONLY alone time I ever get anymore so I cherish it.
Good morning! I have been getting up early too. I’m slowly pushing the time earlier. Right now I get up early enough to get ready for the day and have my quiet time. I’m in a group that has joined the Hello Mornings Challenge at InspiredtoAction.com to encourage one another to do this. That has been a huge help! We all text one another in the morning, with Bible verses, prayer requests, etc. Loving that!
The morning hours are great, aren’t they? I have been getting up before dawn to exercise and get my quiet time in since I was 23–I am 31 now. Those early morning hours have become so much more important since I became a wife and a mother. When I made the decision to begin getting up earlier, I read somewhere that it takes 6 weeks for something to become a habit and 6 months for it to become a lifestyle, so I made sure to stick with it for 6 solid months. I have found that to be true and I now feel like something is missing if I don’t get up and do all of those things for me for a couple of days. That said, it’s worth investing in a copy of Jillian Michaels Thirty Day Shred so that you have a 25 minute workout option on those mornings that you do need a little more sleep. I would rather cut down the workout time than the quiet time, and Jillian Michaels gets it done quickly!
Wow, good for you. I know it must be hard to roll out of a warm bed at that hour when you don’t have to leave the house, but it sure sounds like it’s working for you!
This makes me so happy for you! Everyone needs that time to themselves & I’m so glad that you’ve found a way to have it!
I am so inspired by this!! Getting up early would be so worth it if it allowed me to be able to focus solely on the kiddos during the day and not constantly feel like there is something else I need to be doing. Thanks (as always) for being so open and honest with your readers- I have a feeling this will impact a lot of them 🙂
I love this post – it speaks to me so much! Even though I don’t have any children yet, my days have become so chaotic that I never seem to have the time for what I want to do…meetings, cleaning, laundry, gym time…it alls get in the way. I’ve been thinking all week that I’d love to start getting up early to tackle some of these things before the work day – I think this is just the push I needed!
Man, you inspire me. I so WANT to get up at 5 or 5:30 and head to the gym and come home and do my Bible study after. But GAH I sure love sleep and am so selfish with it. HELP ME 🙂
Id love to wke up early to get my workout done and a head start on chores for the day. I’d have so much more time to spend with my little boy during the day. Unfortunately I stay up late and I wouldn’t be able to get through a whole day with that little sleep 🙁 I’m taking advantage of snuggling in closer to my hubby in the mornings while I can because inthe fall I’ll be going back to school and I’ve a feeling those early mornings won’t be a choice anymore.
I’ve always known there was beauty in the 5:00 am hour, but I have never really tapped into it…. nor ever really wanted to. This post is the closest I’ve come to thinking, “this might be something to consider”. Were you a morning person already when you started this, or did you have to struggle through it?
I used to be an earlier riser before I was pregnant and had my baby boy, but now I’m having a hard time getting out of bed by 7:30, so I totally understand the sacrifice you’re making by getting up at 5:00. I think you have an amazing perspective on the benefits of getting “you time” while everyone else sleeps and then being able to serve your family the rest of the day. I am really working on that myself, and especially on making sure to save some time for my husband, so thanks for the (possibly inadvertent) encouragement!
I love it! Getting up early is totally my thing (most of the time), and its even better in the summer when its light out!!!
Do you find yourself so tired in the evenings? I have a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch around 9pm 🙁
Yay for you, Erin! You sound very happy and very at peace. 🙂
That’s awesome that you’re getting up early, this was a great post! I am not a morning person, but I can totally see how the benefits of waking up early to have that alone time would outweigh that…thanks so much for sharing! xoxo
I know that I am so much better for it when I have a little time to myself before I start my day. Everyone benefits and enjoys me so much more 🙂 (and I them!)
Whew! I don’t know how you do it, but that’s amazing 🙂
I’ve deleted FB for a while (and decided to give it up for Lent), and I’m shocked at the amount of time I now have 🙂
I think it’s amazing that you manage to fit it all into your day, Erin! I don’t know how you do it. I don’t even have children yet, and by the end of a long day at work, after making dinner, and trying to spend some time with the husband, I am so exhausted, I have no energy left for anything else. Even blogging – which I so enjoy – has taken a backseat this week. I just can’t seem to find the time! After reading about the benefits you have found since finding that right ‘you’ time, I think maybe I need to try a little harder to shift my own schedule around and carve a block out somewhere…Wish me luck!
Amazing post Erin!!!! I think you’ve inspired me to make the most out of an earlier hour as well!!! Thank you!!
You know, this is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile now. I had someone very wise tell me that the definition of “introversion” is not actually about being anti-social, it’s about needing to “retreat” into yourself and get some time for you…and only you…away from other people, to recharge. It’s amazing when I get an hour or two of that time to myself, away from my baby and even my husband. IT doesn’t mean that I don’t love them or want to be around them, it just means that I have other needs that aren’t being met when I don’t’ get alone time. And I’m not a good parent, friend, or wife, when I don’t get that “me” time. I have been thinking about getting up at 6 AM, every morning, to just sit with coffee, and read, or watch my DVR, or whatever.
You go girl! I LOVE your blogs!!! Kiss those sweet boys for me XO
Thanks for sharing this! Such an encouragement! I’m not exactly a morning person, but it’s been weighing heavy on my heart that I need to get up earlier and spend time with God then instead of pressing snooze on my alarm. I even wrote about it last week. http://the-things-im-learning.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-every-morning.html
Good for you! I am sooo not a morning person, but having children has forced me into it. I still don’t get up early enough and know I would feel better if I did. Thanks for the inspiration! By the way, I love your blog!!
Once #2 arrives and we get on a schedule I’m definitly gonna be on this schedule. Thr gym nursery is not good for my kiddos either. Gonna bite the bullet and become an early riser. What time do you crawl in bed?
I really wish I were better at getting up early. The mornings I do, I love that quiet time and the time just for me. I’m just so bad at it. Good for you for sticking to it. You deserve some Erin time. 🙂
That’s actually a pretty brilliant idea (with kids especially) to wake up way earlier than they do. I always wondered why my parents used to wake up so early when we were kids and now sleep in – but I get it now 😉
So true Erin! I really need to try and wake up early and do this. I keep saying I will, but never actually do it. Maybe this post will just kick my butt in to gear!
Hey Erin 🙂
This was a breath of fresh air for me to read this (just read my last post “Blah”) bc I was overcome with feelings of wanting “me time” but no matter what I did I never really felt like I got it and that lead to me feeling blah all day long. It makes a huge difference starting out my day in peace and quiet enjoying my coffee and Jesus Calling devotion rather than being flung into the chaos of being a mommy. I try my best to get up before my kids but Brynley still isn’t consistent sleeping at night so I never know what each morning will bring. I love getting to workout early while I have lots of energy and enjoy that time to myself to focus on me.
It’s encouraging to hear its ok to have “me time” as long as its spent at the right time. I do struggle with deciding how to spend my time when I do get a few minutes to myself. Do I want to watch Real Housewives of Orange County or do I want to browse Zulily lol.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Laura
I almost feel like I went to Blissdom, because I’ve had the same “selfish time” epiphany over the past week! Would that I could have had the realization and gone there to meet you all too. 🙂
It has really been helpful to me to read how you all are getting this balance sorted out . . . I’ve started getting up early too, as well as staying away from my iPhone more. This naptime is my designated writing/Twitter time, and I’m trying (emphasis: trying) to shift that to early morning & naptime so I can focus more on the AH when he’s home at night. It’s a moving target, getting this balance right, but I feel encouraged just from getting started and seeing how you all handle it.
This is such a great post, Erin! And I think it speaks to the hearts of so many women looking to find balance with each passing day. It sounds as though you have truly found a sweet spot in creating such balance – as a child of God, a wife, a mom, a friend. I always find inspiration in your posts, and this one is no different.
While I’m not a mom, I too, enjoy waking up a little earlier in the mornings – it gives me a sense of calm before chaos of the day unravels!
Thanks for the encouragement 🙂
I would LOVE to do this! Once I’m up, I’m good. It’s just the waking/getting out of bed part that I struggle with. It also doesn’t help that my girls have been crying/talking in their sleep several times a night, which wakes me up. Every. Time. Maybe once they can sleep peacefully through the night…
thanks for this great post erin! two things you wrote today really resonated with me: (1) this idea of being selfish at the *right* time and (2) the idea of serving your family. i started getting up early to go to mass every morning (a practice i adopted for lent) and have been blessed by this in ways i could never have imagined. i’ve begun to really cherish this time…to gather my thoughts, plan for the day, read and respond to emails…you name it. with regard to serving your family, i’ve begun to discover that my purpose in life is to help heal the broken family i married into. to serve this new family. i do find that i stop speaking in complete sentences at about 8:30 or 9pm. do you go to bed super early too?
I loved this post…quite possibly because I too now find the beauty in 5am. 🙂 It’s not always easy to het up but it’s definitely always worth it once you do.
Ugh. I know its true. I KNOW I need to get up earlier.. and I’m SO much more productive when I do… but dang. It’s hard! 🙂
Very inspiring post. You definitely make me want to get up early, too! But, I have to ask, don’t you end up sacrificing some evening time with your husband since you must be going to bed earlier now. If you’re up at 5am, I would think you must need to be asleep by 10pm at the lastest, no?
Considering that the last two days, the husband and I had a big discussion about me needing “me” time, this post’s timing in my reader is quite perfect.
I’m a new mom to a 6 month old and I work full time and I am having a very hard time finding any “me” time in my days because I get home so late (6:30) and then feel like I spend my whole weekend cleaning and tending to everyone else that I don’t do anything for me anymore. I am soooo not one who likes getting up that early, but this may be the best way for me to take my “me” time to myself and get myself going every day. I think I’m going to give it a try because you really do sound SO at peace and I truly need that in my daily life these days!
Thanks for sharing.
by the way, I’ve been reading your blog for a while, I just never really comment, but your boys are so cute! 🙂