For the past…entirety of my life, I’ve been the kind of person who sleeps until the absolute last minute, hitting snooze at least five times. I roll out of bed stressed, and then find myself barely able to stumble out the door on time. As I rush off to work, the traffic is worse than I imagined. I arrive late and frazzled, and the entire day seems to follow suit.

These days, I have an almost-two-year-old. I realized pretty much week 1 of motherhood that just rolling out of bed at the last minute wasn’t going to work anymore. Children take a lot of time in the morning, and you can quickly find yourself thirty minutes late to everything if you don’t wake up a lot earlier and come up with a solid routine.

A few months ago, however, my desires went beyond just needing more time to take care of Trippe in the morning. I also found myself craving some peace and quiet before I start the day. I had been wanting to establish a workout routine, but was unable to find any time in the day to do it. Trying to work out with Trippe awake? Well, let’s just say I have a video of me trying to do some ab work on the floor while he is jumping on my face.

There seemed to be only one solution to these two problems: wake up earlier. I won’t lie, I hate it. I am a morning person once I take the first step out of bed, but that first step is a mental battle unlike anything else. Once I pull myself out of bed and hear the first drips of coffee hit the bottom of the carafe, however, I start to feel much better.

Before I list my routine, I want to first be sure to say this: when trying a morning routine, give yourself a lot of grace. I have been slowly working my way back to 5am since the start of January. Just set your alarm clock back 10-15 minutes each day until you get where you want to be. If there’s a day you need sleep more than you need peace and quiet, sleep. You will probably end up feeling worse throughout the day if you push yourself too much than if you had just stuck with the snooze button.

Also, be willing to try a different order of doing things and see what makes you feel your best. I worked out first thing for the whole month of January, and I’m just now starting to do my quiet time first. So far, I like it better. It gives me a chance to get some caffeine in me before I die by burpees.

Here’s what my morning routine looks like:

5AM – My alarm clock goes off. I jump out of bed before my brain has time to talk me out of what I’m doing. I head straight to the coffee pot and get the goodness going. Then, I sit down on the couch with my Bible, journal, and collection of PaperMate Flair pens (the best pens ever, FYI). I frequently use the She Reads Truth daily devotionals. You can access them directly on the web page daily, and they’re free! I read from whatever book the study is going through at the time. It usually takes about 10 minutes to do so. Then, I read the devotional, journal, and reflect. Finally, I spend about 10-15 minutes in prayer.

5:40AM – Workout time. I am currently doing T25, which I would highly recommend. It’s essentially a 25-minute version of Insanity (same coach, Shawn T), and claims to provide an hour’s worth of results in 25 minutes. It’s definitely challenging, but I’ve gotten a lot stronger since doing it consistently for about 5 weeks. Plus, you can’t beat that it’s only 25 minutes!

6:10AM – Drink water, make protein shake (I drink it while I get ready)

6:20AM – Time to get ready – shower, dress, makeup, hair

I finish my routine by 6:50/7:00, and I’m ready to start the day! This gives me time to spend quality, unrushed time with Trippe when he wakes up, and we’re always ready to go on time.

The difference that I’ve noticed since taking the time first thing in the morning to focus on Scripture and to get a little exercise is huge. I feel better throughout the day, I’m happier, and I’m able to recall the truths that I read in the morning as I face situations throughout the day. I highly recommend establishing a routine of your own! It really does change how you feel and how you respond to various situations and circumstances. Quiet time to think is crucial, and this is a great way to prioritize it in your daily routine.