Early Bird Gets the Worm
Or gets two loads of laundry folded, dinner determined, and her first cup of coffee in peace and quiet.
I am writing up this post at 5:16 a.m. curled up on the couch. If I liked cats, or if my allergies could even tolerate them, it would probably be snuggled up beside me purring, emitting a sound that is very similar to the hum of the refrigerator. People say, "You're crazy. Why do you get up so early?" Even on the weekend, as much as I would sometimes welcome the unexpected gift of my internal alarm clock of running out of batteries, I am still up before the rest of the house...the rest of the block.
It's pretty simple. This is one of my "Happy Hour(s)." From 4:30-5:30 is my time. As a woman with a deep appreciation for multitasking, I crave the calm of the storm of the day and the productivity it brings. Do you know how much you can get done without the demands of dinner, homework, cleaning, playing, bathing, reading, "whacking" (Whack-A-Mole from Glennon), and then pleading all between 5:30 and 8 pm?
I recently read an article where another woman was sharing her tips on getting more "Me Time." I thought her entire perspective couldn't have been written more on point, so I will pay it forward.
"It's like the emergency instructions you get at the beginning of a flight: In case you need oxygen, put on your own mask first before helping other people with theirs."
I have two Happy Hours that I don't always get to experience every day, but one is my early morning hour to do exactly this amongst other things, and the other is my hour to rev up the endorphins and burn the mental energy on a run. It's not selfish, it's smart. When I face the day prepared, calm, and collected, having spent this hour doing what is important to me. Taking care of the necessary work tasks, writing, sipping on my cup of coffee, and taking care of whatever left to greet me the night before.
Recently I have had a meeting of the mothering minds. Momma Robin has been working extremely hard to build her nest in preparation for laying her eggs. In the mornings she gets startled when I turn the light above the sink to make my first cup of coffee. This is her view inside to me.
I am writing up this post at 5:16 a.m. curled up on the couch. If I liked cats, or if my allergies could even tolerate them, it would probably be snuggled up beside me purring, emitting a sound that is very similar to the hum of the refrigerator. People say, "You're crazy. Why do you get up so early?" Even on the weekend, as much as I would sometimes welcome the unexpected gift of my internal alarm clock of running out of batteries, I am still up before the rest of the house...the rest of the block.
It's pretty simple. This is one of my "Happy Hour(s)." From 4:30-5:30 is my time. As a woman with a deep appreciation for multitasking, I crave the calm of the storm of the day and the productivity it brings. Do you know how much you can get done without the demands of dinner, homework, cleaning, playing, bathing, reading, "whacking" (Whack-A-Mole from Glennon), and then pleading all between 5:30 and 8 pm?
I recently read an article where another woman was sharing her tips on getting more "Me Time." I thought her entire perspective couldn't have been written more on point, so I will pay it forward.
"It's like the emergency instructions you get at the beginning of a flight: In case you need oxygen, put on your own mask first before helping other people with theirs."
I have two Happy Hours that I don't always get to experience every day, but one is my early morning hour to do exactly this amongst other things, and the other is my hour to rev up the endorphins and burn the mental energy on a run. It's not selfish, it's smart. When I face the day prepared, calm, and collected, having spent this hour doing what is important to me. Taking care of the necessary work tasks, writing, sipping on my cup of coffee, and taking care of whatever left to greet me the night before.
Recently I have had a meeting of the mothering minds. Momma Robin has been working extremely hard to build her nest in preparation for laying her eggs. In the mornings she gets startled when I turn the light above the sink to make my first cup of coffee. This is her view inside to me.
The outside looking in...
Memo: Moms boardmeeting at 6 am
I wonder if it will be two boys?!?
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