Inside: the 3 reasons you should STOP trying to use your mornings to be productive, and what they should be used for, instead.
If you have been working and striving to build a productive early morning routine - stop.
If you are waking up before the kids so that you can check a few more boxes off the list, you are doing your mornings all wrong.
Early mornings weren’t made for completing checklists, folding laundry, and scrubbing that sink full of dishes.
Early mornings were made for hot cups of tea, cozy spots on the couch, quality time in the Word, creative outlets - the mornings were created to bring you joy.
If the whole point of waking up early was to get a head start on a long list of tasks, I would probably just stay in bed a little longer. Wouldn’t you?
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We are all a little too caught up in being busy -- with having a house that looks great, being a best friend to everyone we met, saying yes to all the activities. But it has gone too far.
It’s time we start recognizing the value of being still. And instead of doing things that make us busy we need to start taking time to do the things that make us full. We have to start taking care of ourselves the right way - knowing the dangers of self-care while understanding the truths.
What if your mornings weren’t meant to be productive? What if instead a morning routine was meant to fill you, motivate you, and inspire you for the day? Would you be more interested in getting out of bed?
For me, the answer is always yes.
Here’s why:
The “non-productive” morning routine: 3 reasons you should resist being productive early in the morning
1. You will be able to see your true purpose in motherhood more clearly
“Mama, there is something nasty on the floor by the fireplace”, my son ran out to tell me one Sunday afternoon.
I walked inside to see what he was talking about.
Just some rice that got dropped on the floor from lunch, I think to myself. But with a closer look…
No, that is definitely not rice. Yes, I am pretty sure that is ant larva. Pilled on our floor. That 30 minutes ago was not there.
Gross.
We examined the room, combing the walls, fireplace, and floorboards with our eyes. And then we saw them - a group of ants methodically, and diligently, carrying eggs from a crack in the ceiling all the way down a wooden beam, and releasing the larva to be dropped on the floor below.
And they were making the voyage over and over again.
In fact, they were so focused on moving their young, that they didn’t notice the giant creature (my husband) coming at them with the black can of death.
Those ants were so focused on getting the task completed that they didn’t see the end was near.
Far too often you and I can be just like those ants. We make ourselves busy with the things of life - we focus on “good” things (getting the house cleaned, volunteering for a cause, scrolling through Pinterest looking for wall gallery inspiration, sorting through our kid’s clothes) that we miss out on what we are really supposed to be doing as moms.
As mamas our ultimate purpose is not to get more done (though how we spend our time would often indicate differently). Our goal is to raise little people who love God and love those around them.
Yes, those other tasks need to be done. We have to cook dinner and make lists and fold clothes. But when we start our day off focused on getting tasks checked off a list we are missing the whole point of motherhood.
We get lost in the doing, and forget to just be and enjoy.
A morning routine for moms should be a time to be quiet, reflect, and appreciate. Your early morning routine should help you to recognize and cherish your calling as mama.
It shouldn’t drain you before the day even begins.
So stop doing and start remembering why you decided to be a mom. Use your mornings to focus not on the duty of motherhood, but rather on the calling of motherhood - and the privilege you have been given to fulfill that calling.
2. You can take time to be filled and re-energize
Being a mama is about service. Serving your kids, your husband, and giving your life for the needs of those around you.
But that doesn't mean that you should be a martyr - it doesn’t mean that you can’t have passions outside of your family. And that doesn't mean that you should drain yourself completely dry every day.
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I love to plant flowers. There is something about using my hands to fill up our flower boxes with fresh soil that brings such peace.
The flowers that I plant always look so full and vibrant those first two weeks. I sit on my patio and marvel at the beautiful place that I call home. I think about watering them, but then don’t because they just look so great! I’ll do it tomorrow.
Then one day I look up and they are wilting and brown, as if overnight they decided their time was up.
I think we mamas can be like that, too. We feel great and accomplished and successful when we have a checklist of things that we can mark off. But then one day we wake up and we are exhausted and depleted. Like the flip of a switch, we are done.
An early morning routine that focuses on what fills and energizes you is the daily watering and nurturing that must happen. You may feel like there are more important things to do than sit down and be in the Word, or camp out and work on the drawing you have been meaning to finish.
But just like my wilting flowers, the water will slowly drain out and the weariness will creep up and take over faster than you can recognize it.
So don’t use your mornings to get more done. Use them to do something that gives you energy. Use them to do something that fills and motivates you.
3. You will be a more relaxed mom
When you can
- take time to see the bigger picture - the purpose underlying why you do what you do every day,
- set aside time every day to get rejuvenated
you will be a more relaxed, peaceful mama.
And when your kids wake up early they can either be confronted with an irritated, and rushed mom, or they can be welcomed by a relaxed, peaceful mama. When the later happens - that’s when it is beautiful.
Because our mood does affect our kid’s mood.
If we are groggy, sluggish, and unmotivated when they wake up we are missing out on an opportunity to show them what a privilege it is to joyfully live another day.
“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.” - Henry Ward Beecher
Your attitude and demeanor in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. And not just for yourself, but for the rest of your family as well.
By beginning the day with a list of to-dos, you are putting the emphasis of the day on the “things” that need to get done, rather than the people and relationships in it.
Spending time in the Word, working on projects that you love, taking care of your body, ect. has the power to remind you that there is so much more going on in your life than your to-do list.
So spend those first minutes alone doing those things that bring you life, excitement, and energy.
And then welcome those babies to the day with joy, enthusiasm, and a big ole’ smile.
The Key To Having a Non-Productive Morning Routine
Mama, I know there is a lot on your plate. I know there is a lot you have to get done. And spending 30 minutes (or an hour) doing things that aren’t “productive” seems frivolous and wasteful.
But oh mama, I can assure you that it is not wasteful at all.
So this week, wake up early and spend that time doing things that will truly fill your soul.
Because doing that will:
- Help you see the bigger picture of motherhood more clearly
- Give you time to be filled and energized (so that you fully can pour into your children)
- Make you the more relaxed, calm mama you crave to be
So you have permission - stop being productive. And start doing the things that will prepare you to be more productive, loving, generous, and joy-filled.
You’ve got this mama!
I’m rooting for you,
