Morning Day One – Starting With A Plan

Day One: Getting up was easy as I had a Morning Plan. I had three items on my to-do list that I wanted to complete before the girls woke up. Because I woke up with those three tasks in mind, I was motivated to get out of bed and get started. In the past I have always had a vague to-do list, but waking up with only three specific items in mind helped me to focus on getting up and completing the tasks before I moved onto anything else.

I even started in on the tasks before coffee was started. What?!?

I believe that this helped me immensely. Other mornings when I get up at 6:00, I may throw in a load of laundry and then spend the first 30 minutes with coffee and my phone. While it’s a relaxing way to start the morning (e-mail, facebook, twitter, and news) it kills my productivity from the start.

I have no intention of giving up on ALL peaceful, relaxed mornings like that. I think that it has a part in some mornings, just not all.

Here is my tip for an early morning wake up:

Create a short to-do list or schedule of your first hour of the day. Be specific. Be realistic.

Make the list the evening before. You can wake up, make your coffee, and start in on your tasks for the morning.

Read more about how to use your evening when making a plan for tomorrow.

I cannot take full credit on my productive morning. My girls slept in until 8:00, so I had two Bonus Hours this morning. I can get used to this.

What a beautiful way to start my morning.

This post is from day 1 of my journey to make the most of my mornings by creating an early morning wake-up habit. Read all about it here: How to Enjoy an Early, Joyful, and Productive Morning.