I think there are a lot of definitions of “success” out there, so why don’t I start off giving you mine?
For me, a successful day means one thing: When I get in bed at night I can say, “I had a day” not “My day had me”.
See what I did there? Notice I didn’t qualify whether the day was good or bad. There will inevitably be both.
If you read this blog, you probably read this post and know that I’m coming out of a pretty rough season. A season where more times than not, my days had me. In coming out of that season, I’ve made a few small changes in my daily routine that have had a huge impact on my day.
I heard somewhere that it takes 3 weeks to make a habit and 3 days to break one. For the following 9 things, I am 5 days shy of 3 weeks and already I see a significant difference.
1. Harboring A Love For God’s Word In My Heart
While not everything on this list I could confidently say applies to every stay at home mom, this one is unquestionable to me. For as long as I can remember while being a Stay At Home Mom, my times with the Lord and in God’s word have been inconsistent and sporadic. As the year rolled over, I just decided I was going to change that and be consistent. I thought about my daily schedule and set aside 30 minutes that I fiercely guard as my time in the word. My kids are in room time, I turn off my phone, and have decided short of a real, genuine emergency, nothing in my day is more important than that time.
And more than just walking through the ritual of reading my Bible and praying, I am begging the Lord to penetrate my heart with his word. That it would change me. And by doing so, I am relating with Him on an intimate level that carries me through the rest of my day. There is power in His word because HE IS THE WORD.
2. Waking Up Before My Kids
So yeah, this Mama? Not the morning Mama. But after a constructive conversation with my man over Christmas, we came up with a game plan for me to wake up, have a cup of tea and have time to get dressed before my kids wake up and I am “on” for the day. So I get dressed, do my hair and put make-up on. Then I walk out of my room and face my day.
3. Put On Shoes Every Morning
I seriously believe there is a direct correlation between wearing tennis shoes and productivity. I am a thousand times more productive when I wear tennis shoes. Seriously, a thousand. You should try it.
4. Make The Bed
Every morning, I make my bed. This helps me fight the temptation to get back in only to sleep 20 more minutes. Plus it just makes the room seem cleaner and ready for the day.
5. Make A Significant Effort To Love People More And Need People Less
I don’t know about you, but it is really really easy for me to fall into a pit of fearing man way more than the Lord. It takes so much mental and emotional energy to fear man and there is so much FREEDOM in fearing the Lord. Some one very close to me gave me this nugget a couple months ago and it is something I have latched onto to help me keep the right perspective. Focus my mind on loving people more, not needing approval from them.
6. Have A Good Belly Laugh With Each Of My Kids Every Day
I got this idea from my best friend. And it is AWESOME. One of my favorite sounds in the whole world is the laughter from my children. That good ole belly laugh. They need it and I need it.
7. Open All The Blinds And Curtains In The House And Let The Light In
One of my biggest triggers for grumpiness, laziness, and discouragement that is so easily fixed is when there isn’t light in my house. When its dark in the daytime. So every morning I have started to raise all of the blinds in all of the rooms in my house. Sunshine streams in, or even when it has been rainy it still helps bring in more light.
8. Read More, TV Less
Honestly I’m still working on this. But the amount I have cut back on screen time in general (especially FB) open up so much more time to read with and play with my kids. And screen time of any kind is such a time sucker!
9. Freely Give Grace
Grace on you. Grace on me. Grace on them.
Give it to the kids. To the people who cross your path in your day. And most importantly to yourself. One of the best things I have read in recent years that penetrated my heart as a mom the most was that mom’s of young kids need to give themselves grace for the things they didn’t get done in the day, and grace to still be in survival mode. I really believe that so many days of raising these kids is lived in survival mode. And I honestly think that as long as we are still submitting our survival days to the Lord, then that’s ok. I heard a speaker in college say this line “The place that God has you is the best place you can possibly be because HE has you there”. I know for this Mama, it’s encouraging to remember that HE appointed me here, in this home, with these babies, and with this man. And if HE has me here, then it carries great significance for His plan for my life.
So what about you? What habits do you have to help you have a day? Would love to hear your list!
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