Over the last 18 months I have felt that I need to make more of my time.  This need is a little confusing as part of it is the wish to relax and have more me time, and the other part is to get more organised and fit in some learning.

 

Since becoming self employed a few years ago I haven’t missed the early morning commute to get to the office, or the slog home with hundreds of other equally tired drivers.  I have enjoyed some slightly more leisurely mornings, fitting in housework whilst working from home, then

the ability to walk to work most days. However I don’t feel as motivated as I used to and I don’t feel that I am getting much done.

Planning Time Concept

I was at a networking event and started chatting to a personal trainer who suggested I read Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning.  She has read it and adapted his idea to suit her own lifestyle,and is now feeling more energised and in control of everything.  I am a bit sceptical of self help books but thought I would give it a go. As feared the book was quite evangelical and salesy in that way that Americans can achieve – a bit like having an over excited puppy to make sense of,  however the underlying message seemed good, and from further online research, it turns out most of my Llinked In contacts are trying it/swear by it.

 

The main thrust of the book is that you need to get up earlier.  Something which kind of grated against my new found freedom of a leisurely morning.  However I knew that something had to change.  So I tried Hal;s advice.  It quickly became apparent that I don’t really enjoy exercise that early in the morning, and I can’t concentrate enough to learn anything/  I didn’t get any overriding feeling of wanting to get up any earlier so i could do more either.  Even the lovely warm weather we had in June/July couldnt get me out of bed and feeling motivated.  The meditation and affirmations sections didn;t really appeal either.

 

So after  a few weeks I remembered that you need to make your morning routine fit for you.  I still wanted to make more of the mornings and need to find out a way to do this.  I am a weird soul who craves routine and variety so whatever I end up doing it will need to fit this.

 

I spoke to a friend who said that she had read the book and was now getting up at 5.30 each morning and was was going fir a run and then coming back and starting work.  This way she was completing a lot of work before the family was up, leaving her with more time when it came to the afternoon school run.

 

So this week I have come up with a compromise.  I am getting up at 6,15, getting a drink and then going back to bed, where I am catching up on social media and doing more networking  on Linked In In until 7am.  At this point I am going off to do a task for half hour or so..  Today it was filing and tidying my office. When I finished at 7.30 I felt good.  I had achieved a lot, my office was tidy, and I felt awake and in a positive mood.  I also achieved a lot more during the day than I thought I would, and this energy continued into the evening.

 

So perhaps I need to be doing mundane tasks in the morning – filing, laundry, sorting, decluttering.  We will have to see.  This is after all day one, and there are seven days to fill.