My last blog post discussed my morning routine and how it added efficiency to my life. The next few blogs I am going to break down how I built the habits into that routine and how long it actually took to build it. Because, it doesn’t happen over night. The first thing I do daily is read my devotional… and let’s just say it took years to get it into my life, but the reward is so great.
For years my mother-in-law bought me a Daily Guidepost for Christmas. Most years it would sit in the bathroom, and though I had intentions of reading it every morning, I wouldn’t touch it. Then about 3 years ago, I started reading. Yes, I would skip days, sometimes weeks… heck, sometimes months. Looking back, of the 365 days that year, I probably read half of them.
Then, the following year, she didn’t gift one to me for Christmas. I was curious and asked her why. I week later one showed up. Since that day, I have worked this daily reading into my morning routine.
It is the first thing I do in the morning, without exception… even when I am out of town or have to be out the door at 4:30 in the morning to teach a 5:15 am kickboxing class.
I choose a devotional every morning because as a human I have a choice when it comes to how I start my day. Many people choose not to read, browse Facebook, scroll through the news, or dive right into their email. While I am guilty of grabbing my phone and checking this stuff at some point in the morning, I would rather start my day with something happy and allows my mind to be filled with joy and gratitude instead of negativity and despair. As a mom, if I can start my day by getting my head right, I am helping to promote these qualities into my kids’ lives and that is a wonderful mindset for them to grow up with and learn at a young age.
Secondly, it is not digital. Yes, I have signed up for motivational and inspirational daily quotes to be emailed to me, and they get “lost in my email.” The act of physically touching a book is freeing for me. It makes me more connected to my reading. With each day I can physically turn the page and look how far I have come and how much more I have left to go. This gives me a sense of achievement that I don’t get from digital books.
Third, the Daily Guidepost is a quick one page read, and though it centers around a Bible verse, it is not “preachy.” It is a collection of small everyday moments, composed by nearly 20 different authors. These short autobiographical stories take less than 2 minutes to read and are ones that almost anyone can relate to if you slow down and pay attention to small moments of your day. I am particularly fond of the young mom who writes about finding joy in the crazy day to day with her kids, the delivery driver who navigates the non-sensible streets of Pittsburgh and notices the people he sees to help him avoid his road rage, and the lady from Ohio who talked about small town life.
It has taken years to build this devotional into my daily life. The most important thing to do was find a time I could consistently add it in. Making time in my morning ensured that it would get done and not put it off or forget. With time and the practice of picking up the book, it became second nature, part of what I “just do.” I don’t have to think about it. With this reading in my morning routine, I am in a better place mentally as I start my day and that allows me to be more efficient and aware throughout my day.
If you are looking at a fresh way to start your day, I would recommend a positive reading (it doesn’t have to be a devotional), that you can read in under 2 minutes. Put it somewhere where you won’t miss it (hence my bathroom), and work it into your routine. You will pay attention to the world a little differently, perhaps be more present, self aware, and grateful upon doing so, and doing so will make you feel a little more empowered.
As always, feel free to share one positive thing you do in the morning to set your day up right and make you more efficient in how you start your day.
