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Make Over Your Morning: What Will You Wear?
When your feet hit the floor in the early morning, what will
you put on them? Your answer will depend, of course, on how you will use this time, but let me offer a suggestion.
If your morning plan is to get to work, to get something
done, putting on your comfy soft slippers will not get you motivated to get
moving. Instead, choose something that signals your brain that you are ready
for work.
My morning footwear of choice usually resembles running
shoes more than slippers. I do have a pair of slippers I often wear (and am
wearing right now, in fact) but they are more like supportive house shoes than
plush comfy slippers.
If I am too comfortable (fluffy slippers, sitting on a soft
sofa), I will go right back to sleep. It has happened many times! Choose your
footwear wisely.
What else should you wear? That depends on what you will be
doing, but I find that I am more productive if I get out of my pajamas and into
some real clothes. Usually, I will choose very comfortable clothes (jeans,
etc.) but I need to signal my brain that the day has started and that I am
ready for work.
What will you wear? Choose wisely for a more productive
morning.
Read more of the morning make over series here:
Intentional Spending: Freeset Offers Employment to Women Trapped in the Horror of Human Trafficking
If you read One Thousand Gifts
by Ann Voskamp, perhaps you subscribe to her blog. If not, you should, it will rock your world. Beauty and inspiration delivered right to your inbox. If you do read her blog, you may have read the story of what Ann's daughter, Hope, did in honor of her thirteenth birthday. She designed the beautiful "eucharisteo" bag shown above which was available through Freeset. It's an amazing story and you should stop what you're doing right now and go read it.
Freeset is a fair trade business offering employment to women trapped in Kolkata's sex trade. They make quality jute bags and organic cotton t-shirts, but their business is freedom! Read their story here.
The great news is that Freeset now has a limited number of the "eucharisteo" bags available. Hurry on over and get one before they're gone again. You will be supporting a great cause with a very special bag.
Monthly Motivation: My Favorite Books, eBooks & Audio this Month
Here are my favorite reads from the past month:
If you've already read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp you will absolutely love the One Thousand Gifts Devotional
that came out in November. The devotional consists of reflections for sixty days plus pages in the back to record your own one thousand gifts.From the back of the book:
Following the New York Times Bestseller, One Thousand Gifts -- a guide to giving thanks and finding joy in all aspects of life -- Ann Voskamp returns with this companion One Thousand Gifts Devotional. How in the world do we find real joy and experience grace in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and all these daily duties?While the devotional was what I read through this month, the original One Thousand Gifts
book was my top read of 2012. The book is truly life-changing. 
I had read so many great reviews of Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
and it had been on my "want to read" list for a very long time. I'm so glad that I finally got around to it because it really is the best of the personal productivity books I have read.If you want to stop procrastinating and get more done, this is the book for you. I actually didn't read this book, I listened to it! Read about why I love audio books and how I find time to listed to lots of them over at The Prudent Reader.
You will never think of morning time in the same way after reading What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast
by Laura Vanderkam. This "short guide to making over your mornings--and life" gives inspiring examples of how many successful people use the early morning hours to accomplish the things that are most important to them.This guide is available as a kindle ebook
(which I read), but I was thrilled to learn that it had been released as an audio book (through Audible.com) this past summer. I have listed to the audio over and over and have become more determined to make the best use of my morning time.
Treat your work as art and see how high you will fly. That's the challenge in Seth Godin's inspiring new book The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?
. From Amazon:
Everyone knows that Icarus’s father made him wings and told him not to fly too close to the sun; he ignored the warning and plunged to his doom. The lesson: Play it safe. Listen to the experts. It was the perfect propaganda for the industrial economy. What boss wouldn’t want employees to believe that obedience and conformity are the keys to success?
But we tend to forget that Icarus was also warned not to fly too low, because seawater would ruin the lift in his wings. Flying too low is even more dangerous than flying too high, because it feels deceptively safe.
The safety zone has moved. Conformity no longer leads to comfort. But the good news is that creativity is scarce and more valuable than ever. So is choosing to do something unpredictable and brave: Make art. Being an artist isn’t a genetic disposition or a specific talent. It’s an attitude we can all adopt. It’s a hunger to seize new ground, make connections, and work without a map. If you do those things you’re an artist, no matter what it says on your business card.
The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?Godin shows us how it’s possible and convinces us why it’s essential.
is a challenge for the new economy where a secure job is a thing of the past and finding your art is essential.
Make Over Your Morning: Start with a Reasonable Bed Time
A consistent habit of rising early requires a reasonable bed
time. This was the most difficult adjustment for me. As I mentioned earlier, I
love the time at night when the house is quiet and I am alone with my thoughts.
Finally some peace!
But rising early without a complimentary bedtime is asking
for trouble. You may be able to do it for a while, but eventually, you will
become so sleep deprived you won’t be able to function (ask me how I know).
My day begins at 4:30 am.
I know that seems extreme, but if you knew what my day is like beginning at 6:00 am, you would understand. The time before 6:00 am is my time to think, plan, and work on
my dreams. It’s the only way these things get done.
To maintain a schedule like this, however, requires a
reasonable bedtime and often weekend power naps. A consistent bedtime routine
is the first requirement of a successful morning routine.
For me, that means a warm shower, some inspirational reading
(usually a review of the morning’s devotional), and lights out by 10:00 pm.
With that, I’m ready to hit the ground when the alarm sounds
to begin the new day.
For more of the Make Over Your Morning series:
Make Over Your Morning: Drink Water First
If you are familiar with my original morning routine post,
you know that one of the first things I do in the morning is drink a large
glass of water. This was a habit that I had to cultivate since I don’t really
feel much like eating or drinking first thing in the morning.
But you don’t realize how dehydrated you are until you gulp
down that first glass of water. It makes a huge difference in how I feel. Even
before that first cup of coffee, I drink a full glass of water. It really helps me to wake up!
Recently, I decided my morning glass of water could use an
upgrade. Since I love low cost upgrades, this was right up my
alley. I recently discovered the pleasure of naturally flavored water and
occasionally enjoyed it during the day.
Why not make a pitcher of flavored water the night before,
for a refreshing treat first thing in the morning? It's a great way to make your early morning special.
This cucumber lemon water is especially refreshing. Give it
a try!
Make Over Your Morning: Choose Your Spot
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
Since you may not have yet decided what exactly you will do
once you get out of bed, you may want to include some planning time the first
few mornings. I mentioned here that I am following along with Money Saving Mom and the ebook Early To Rise
by Andy Traub.
Day 1 of Early To Rise
involves planning for success. Get ready to succeed!
by Andy Traub.Day 1 of Early To Rise
involves planning for success. Get ready to succeed!
Prepare for morning planning time by choosing your spot,
collecting your supplies, and setting everything out the night before.
While the idea of settling in on a soft sofa with a cup of
coffee sounds great (and I have tried this many mornings), I have found that I
tend to get sleepy again and the soft pillows are just too tempting so this is
not a good place for me to start morning time.
For me, the most productive spot is the kitchen table.
Another good option, if you have it available, is a desk. Whatever spot you
choose for your first early morning, it is important that it be cleared off,
made as pleasant as possible, and that all necessary supplies are set out the
night before.
Whatever supplies you use for planning should be set out and
ready to go. Many people use some type of computer program but I still prefer
paper and pencil. The act of writing out my plans cements them in my mind. For
me, typing into an electronic device just doesn’t have the same effect.
I have a planning binder where I keep sections for my daily
schedules, weekend plans, short term and long term goals. I use a mechanical
pencil because I often tweak and change things.
These are the items I have ready on a clean and cleared off table the
night before.
What spot will you choose for this important time? Give it
some thought so you will be ready to go in the morning.
More in the series:
Make Over Your Morning
When my children were younger, it seemed that the only time
I could think straight was after they were in bed for the night. I tended to stay up (very) late enjoying this
quiet time.
The problem was that I then had a difficult time getting up
in the morning. And getting up later was not an option. I had to get the
children to school and myself to work.
I now realize the error of my habit. I had it backwards. The
quiet time that I relished was available not only at the end of the day when my
children were sleeping, but also at the beginning of the day, before they got
up.
Now that my children are teens, their bedtime consists
usually of “whenever the homework is done” and I have more freedom to establish
my own bedtime routine.
Of course, in order to enjoy the quiet morning hours, my own
strict bedtime is a requirement. As it turns out, this was the hardest habit
for me to change when I decided that I wanted to wake earlier.
I have found the early morning hours to be priceless for
getting important work done. By important, I mean the things that are most
important to me.
But a productive morning requires a plan.
About a year ago,
I wrote about my morning routine and I have, for the most part, been faithful
to this habit. But over the past several months, I have given much thought to
how I use my mornings and what I could do to make them more enjoyable and
productive.
Thanks to Crystal at Money Saving Mom, I found the ebook Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days
by Andy Traub. The ebook has really got me thinking about ways I can become more intentional about how I use my precious morning time.
Throughout the month of March, I will be sharing some enhancements I have made to my morning routine. I hope these will be an encouragement to you as you make the most of the special quiet time at the beginning of each new day.
by Andy Traub. The ebook has really got me thinking about ways I can become more intentional about how I use my precious morning time.Throughout the month of March, I will be sharing some enhancements I have made to my morning routine. I hope these will be an encouragement to you as you make the most of the special quiet time at the beginning of each new day.
What do you do to get the day off to a great start? Please leave a comment and let us know.
Intentional Spending: Toms Shoes (Sale through today only!)
When my daughter wanted a pair of TOMS shoes, I thought the price was a little steep. But when I read about the company and how they give a pair of shoes to a child in need with each pair purchased, I was hooked.
TOMS has given over 2 million pairs of shoes to people in need. Head on over to the TOMS site to read about their giving philosophy and how a pair of shoes can help break the cycle of poverty.
The shoes are a little pricey (with good reason) and I have never before seen them on sale so I was floored when I came across this deal (good through today only).
Zulily, a daily deals site is running a deal on TOMS shoes! Since TOMS sale is such a rare occurrence, many styles and sizes are already sold out, but there are still some great deals to be had!
When you visit the Zulily site, click on the deals ending today to find the TOMS deal.
Check out other intentional spending posts: My Morning Coffee.
Intentional Spending: My Morning Coffee
As times get tight, most of us are reconsidering how we spend our money. That's a good thing, since we are called to be good stewards of all our resources.
While much is written these days about reducing spending using sales, coupons, and the like, I prefer to focus on what I call intentional spending.
When I do part with those hard-earned dollars, I want to know that those dollars are going to a good cause or a business that I can feel good about.
I really enjoy my morning coffee, and good coffee can be expensive.
Which is why I was thrilled to learn about onecup.org and the work that they do. When you purchase from onecup.org, the full amount of your coffee purchase goes to change lives around the world. How great is that?
From Onecup.org:
The One Cup Project was born when Silver Cup’s owner and founder, Christian Kar, read the book “The Hole in Our Gospel” by World Vision President Rich Stearns. In his book, Rich lays out a host a major problems that beset the third world, AND how utterly solvable they are, if given enough resources and time.
Christian called World Vision and asked how we could help. Together they came up with a plan to leverage donations from the sales of Award-Winning Silver Cup Coffee with existing multiplier matching grants.
With the help of these grants, we are able to send the full dollar amount of your coffee purchase to World Vision. That’s right, every last cent.
While good coffee can be expensive, this is one purchase that I feel good about each morning.
Do you have an intentional spending story to share? A favorite business that you support? I would love to hear about it!
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