Inside: Mama, are you tired of feeling scattered, directionless, flustered, irritated, and desperate for a minute of quiet? This is for you.

“I just need a quick minute to scroll through Facebook”, I thought to myself. And before I knew it, like a zombie crawling out from the dark (or an addict about to get a fix), I was headed to hide behind a nearby bush.

I was not in the mood to play. But my husband had an important work call, and having your office in the same 1,100 square foot house that your wife and two kids live in leaves little wiggle room for toddler fights and loud voices. So we were out climbing trees and blowing bubbles.

I was trying my best, as the chilled wind ripped through my tangled hair, to be present with my kids and play and laugh. But I was struggling. I wanted to be in the comfort of my warm kitchen cooking dinner. Not starting a new adventure when normally the day would be coming to a close. 

But there I was, trying to have fun as my kids stomped through the hard, crunchy ground and clawed up trees. 

I “needed” some mind candy to get me through it. 

Just as I was letting the urge to scroll take over - just as I was pulling my phone out of my coat pocket (while hiding behind a bush)....

What am I doing??? This is not the mom I want to be. I do not want to be sneaking off to hide so that I can browse Facebook and avoid my kids. 

So I slipped that baby back in my pocket and came out from behind the bush.

I don’t want my days to look like that - a struggle to be present, a fight to get through the hours, a battle to have a positive attitude. 

Inevitably some days will still be a struggle (we are all humans living in a fallen world), but I have found ways that help me be more intentional, more purposeful, and more joyful with my kids. And I want to share those with you, today.

How To Start Every Morning with Intentionality, Purpose, and Joy

Have goals:

Goals are what keep us going - what motivate us to push forward and grow. And without goals, it is pretty hard to wake up excited about the day. 

If you have never been in the habit of setting goals, don’t run away yet! I know talking about goals can be scary. And I have a sneaky suspension as to why: it’s not that we are afraid of goals themselves, but rather it’s that we are afraid that we won’t do what it takes to get the goal accomplished. And the potential feeling of failure is not worth the effort. 

Here’s a little secret for you: any goal can be accomplished (within reason, of course 🙂 ), if you break it down into small, doable chunks. When you set a big goal (or even a little one for that matter), breaking it up into smaller chunks is a must. 

I listened to a Ted Talk just yesterday by this guy Stephen Duneier. Stephen has had a really low attention span his entire life. He cannot concentrate on anything for more than 5 minutes. Destined for failure, right? Not at all. He realized that he could accomplish just about anything he set his mind to if he broke it down into 5 minutes chunks. Once he broke it down, he took action on the first 5 minute task. And once the first 5 minute chunk was done, he went onto the next. 

This little technique has allowed him to accomplish some pretty crazy adventures (including holding the Guinness World Record for the largest crocheted granny square. Whaaaaaaaat????).

You can set and accomplish goals, mama. And if you want to start your day with intentionality and purpose, you need to have some goals. Yes, you need big goals. But you also need small, bite size daily goals.

Practice gratitude:

“Gratitude” is quite the hype these days, is it not? Gratitude journals, gratitude worksheets, focusing on gratitude - but I have to say for all this talk about gratitude, one glance around the world and it is apparent that all the talk is not translating to actual life.

There is a lot of talk, but not a lot of people are actually doing the work of focusing on thankfulness. Because talking about gratitude is cool, but doing it and actively practicing it takes discipline and effort. 

Listen, I don’t know what your day holds. But, because you and I are both mamas, I know there will inevitably be some  crying, spaghetti sauce to scrub off the wall, attitudes (yours or theirs? That is the real question 🙂 ), poop to fish out of the bathtub, and too many little decisions to count. In the midst of all of that, it can be hard to stop for a sec and be thankful for what is around you. 

There may not be time in the day to quiet your mind and focus on gratitude, but you can always carve out time in the early mornings. You must start the day focusing on gratitude. You have to begin the day reminding yourself what is good, what is true, and what is most important. Otherwise those things will get lost in the humdrum routine of life.  

And that gratitude will bring joy--even in the midst of ordinary life.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Write down your intentions

The crux of the matter is this: if you are craving a change of attitude, mind, and heart, you have to be intentional about it. I wish I could say the fact that you want to start the day off better means that you will. But it just won’t. 

• You are going to have to put the work in. 
• You are going to have to grab that pen and paper. 
• You are going to have to force your brain to quiet for a minute and breathe. 

So how do you set daily intentions? Having prompts is helpful, but you don’t need them. It just takes sitting down and writing out some things that you want to be true about your day. 

What do you want you kids to see in you today? What do you hope your neighbor feels when they talk with you? What do you want your husband to know is true? What attitude do you want to have?

There is no magic in the writing. But the act of writing those things down will solidify them in your brain - so that later in the day when you are about to go off the rails, that little “I choose to be joyful” will pop up and steer you in a better direction.

Take time to reflect

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” - Margaret Wheatley

That pretty much sums it up right there! If we are not willing to take stock and reflect on how our day went - what mistakes were made and what we can do tomorrow to learn from them, we aren’t going to make any progress. 

After a long day with little ones it is SO tempting to fall onto the couch and flip on the TV or whip out the laptop and turn on our favorite show. But you aren’t going to wake up renewed and energized if you are not ending the day with some reflection about the current one. 

So mama, take time each night to jot down your thoughts about your day. What went well? What do you wish you had done differently? What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

A Guide To Help You Practice These 4 Ideas

Knowing what we should do - knowing what will help us start each day with intentionality, purpose, and joy, is just half the battle. Because we can “know” all day long, but without action that knowledge doesn’t really mean much. You aren't going to see change from the knowledge alone. 

And that is why I created the Mama’s Morning Journal. Because I know I can’t be the only mama out there who needs a little direction when it comes to goal setting, gratitude, intentionality, and reflection 🙂 

We can all have the best of intentions, but sometimes we need a little guidance (and a kick in the pants), to actually take action on what we know to be true. 

This journal is that guide - and mama, you are going to love it. I promise!

You can start every day with intentionality, purpose, and joy!

Every day will not be roses and rainbows. But every day has the potential to be better with better habits, better decisions, and intentionally. 

You, mama, can start each day with intentionality, purpose, and joy. With clear goals, dedicated time spent focusing on thankfulness, setting specific intentions for the day, and spending time in reflection, you can change how you approach your day. 

Yes, that means waking up earlier to get the quiet you need, and that also may mean changing your habits at bedtime so that you can still get the sleep you crave. But it can happen! 

Don’t go through your day like I have so many times - scattered, directionless, flustered, irritated, and desperate for a minute of quiet. 

Be intentional about setting aside time every morning to work on goals, focus on gratitude, and write down daily intentions. And then spend time every evening reflecting on what was good and what could be improved. Once you have quieted your soul and adjusted your perspective, then you can get up and love those kiddos and that sweet man of yours with all that God has given you. 

You’ve got this mama! I’m cheering for you, and rooting for you all the way.