Happy New Year!

I pray your holidays were wonderful and as stress-free as possible! Having a month-old baby, we naturally spent them at home and let family come to us! I admit, it was a bit of a bummer missing out on Christmas parties and church events (even introverts like me occasionally enjoy celebrating alongside other humans …), but staying cozy at home gave us ample time to truly bask in this special season of transition and soak in a nutmeg and ginger-scented sea of joy and gratitude.

I’ve never been one to set New Year’s resolutions, but I wanted to share with you something very simple, yet mind-blowingly transformative, that I resumed a few days before the new year (starting this on New Year’s Day would’ve made it seem like a resolution, which it totally is NOT lol…).

Have you heard of Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning? It has like a bazillion five-star reviews on Amazon, so it must be decent, right? I personally haven’t read it, but after hearing so many endorsements of it on various podcasts and YouTube videos, I feel like I have the gist down, which is that we can radically change our lives by changing our morning routine.

Before I had kids, I stayed up late (or technically, I stayed up early since I’d often go to bed after 2 a.m.) reading and often rolled out of bed no sooner than 10 a.m., at which point my own version of a “miracle morning” was finishing up around non-vampires’ lunch time. I would pray, read my Bible, stretch, make breakfast, then sit down with a piping-hot French press and start my creative work.

Then, in March of 2019, my miracle morning was replaced with a miracle human, my son, Isaiah.

Having been a night owl my entire adult life, you can imagine how difficult it was for me to even think about getting up early to enjoy my quiet time before the day got started. And so, my mind-clearing, blood-pumping, soul-centering habits flew out the window as I succumbed to sleep and accepted a morning “routine” that was largely dictated by my newborn. No more before-anything-else time in the Word. No more devotionals or journaling or child’s poses and downward-facing dogs.

I’m ashamed to say that this unfortunate lack of a morning routine persisted until just recently. This was due, frankly, to a lack of discipline. I had grown accustomed to staying up late reading or watching a show, then setting my alarm for just a half hour or so before my son typically wakes up so I could get dressed and put on a bit of makeup (yes, I’m one of those silly stay-at-home moms who wears makeup nearly every day…) . When Elliana was born just six weeks ago, I re-entered the postpartum fog of around-the-clock feedings and diaper changes and said to myself, “I’m going to be tired no matter what, so why not wake up a little earlier to get some time to myself?” If I’m going to be tired, I reasoned, I might as well be tired and peaceful versus tired and anxious.

So, I set my alarm for an hour earlier, forced my heavy legs over the edge of my oh so cozy bed, and got started on my miracle morning, which looks something like this:

6:20 a.m.: I first open the blinds and light the candle on my nightstand because #candlessetthemood. Then, because I am exclusively pumping breastmilk for my newborn, I go into the bathroom and pump for about half an hour while putting on my makeup and getting dressed for the day.

7 a.m.: I take my freshly pumped milk into the kitchen and do a very uninteresting routine that involves freezing unused milk and cleaning bottles and pump parts. I let our dogs outside, then take a hot mug of peppermint tea into my bedroom and sit on the floor beside my “morning backpack,” which contains my Bible, gratitude journal, kids’ journal (a journal in which I basically keep a diary of what the littles have been up to lately), latest Christian book I’m reading, planner, and Bible study journal.

7:50 a.m.: I pick out and perform a five-ten-minute stretching video on YouTube.

8 a.m.: If my daughter isn’t awake yet, I cook breakfast for my son and me, and our day is off and running. Whereas I used to feel lethargic, weighed down, and unbecomingly Shrek-like in the mornings, I now feel awake, energized, stress-free, and most importantly, motivated to live out the day with Christ-centered joy, a long-term perspective, and deep-seated intentionality.

I admit, it’s still hard getting out of bed; even with going to bed as early as I can, which is between 9:45 and 10:15, I feel like a zombie at 6:20 a.m. But, all it takes is lighting that candle and walking into the bathroom to generate some morning momentum.
Morning routines are a lot like physical exercise, I’ve noticed. There are plenty of times I don’t feel like working out, but once I put on my sneakers and turn the music up, my resistance melts away.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s email and am praying your year is productive, peaceful, and fueled by the grace and love of the Lord (and a generous amount of coffee, too 😊).

If you’re in the market for a devotional that will build both your body and soul, check out these books by yours truly:

Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness

Perfect Fit Couples’ Edition: Workouts and Reflections for a Rock-Solid Relationship

Immeasurable Fitness Challenge: 18 Days of Total Health for Spirit, Soul, and, Body

If you’d like some more New Year’s motivation, I invite you to check out a few of these pertinent posts I’ve penned over the years:

5 Healthy Resolutions
Pray It Off
The Best New Year’s Resolution