If you’ve been here for very long at all, you’ll know that I’m a big believer in the power of a morning routine.  As an introverted homeschool Mama, I thrive on being up well before my children are awake.

I need that time to connect to God and to myself. I have a wide range of ages around here, so I have to change up the routine frequently as my kids’ needs change.

My morning routine has changed and grown over the years, and right now I honestly feel like it’s the most life-giving it’s ever been.  Before I share the nitty-gritty, please understand this: I am NOT perfect at this.  There are plenty of days that I choose to sleep late and have to cut out some of these activities.

Also, I’ve been doing this for a long time.  I did not wake up one morning and decide to do all these things, after never getting up early before.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what my mornings usually look like:

5:15 My alarm goes off.  Before I get out of bed, I try to take a few minutes and offer up a prayer purely of gratitude.  I try to list as many things I’m grateful for as possible, as well as why I’m grateful for them.  I set intentions for the day and try not to ask for much, other than for guidance throughout the day and how I can be of service to others.

I stumble to the bathroom, grab a drink of water and my “bed sweater” and settle back into bed with a huge pile of books. (My husband calls this bed litter 😉 . He’s an even earlier riser than I am, and is usually long gone by the time I get up.)

I am studying the New Testament this year, so I study the lesson and some additional General Conference talks or scripture passages.  I make notes in my wide margin New Testament, sometimes I doodle a little.  But I save the prolonged art projects for later.

Next up: Gratitude Journaling.  I take just a few minutes to write down 3 or so things I’m grateful for from the previous day.  I’ll elaborate some, but this is not pages and pages of writing.  I also try to record funny things the kids say and milestones we reach (lost teeth, advancements on their teams/music lessons, etc.).

I move on to reading an uplifting book.  Usually this is non-fiction, and most often lately it’s a biography or memoir.  I try to read a chapter, if I have time. (find my monthly book review here)

6:00 is my hard deadline for moving on to writing.  I try to write for the blog every morning for 25 uninterrupted minutes.

6:30 is my hard deadline to put the books aside and move on to art.  I sit in my little art nook and listen to a podcast or audiobook while I complete my daily art challenge.  I am painting or drawing something daily, as I have been doing for the last 4+ years.

By 7:00 I try to be done and ready to exercise.  Lately I’ve been using the Fitness Blender FB30 challenge.

I do all of these things before I leave my bedroom.  Our boys sleep in the room right next to us and I swear they have ultrasonic ears in the early morning hours.  I try to walk past their bedroom door as little as possible in the morning.  Usually my 5 year old is up by 6:30 so while I exercise, I get him set up with a little art project or an audiobook so I can finish my workout.

By the time I’m done exercising the kids are usually up.  I shower/dress and head into the kitchen to start breakfast and our read aloud time.

By then I’ve done enough to fill my tank enough to be in Homeschool Mama mode for a few hours. Once our homeschool day begins, it’s a flurry of reading, writing and arithmetic, snacks and bickering kids, as well as helping a 5 year old in a Flash costume practice violin.  {I’m assuming things are pretty similar at your house 😉 }

If you don’t already, I highly recommend getting up earlier than your kiddos, especially if you’re a homeschooling family. But start slowly, build the habit over time so it can be life-giving, rather than stressful.  Also, it goes without saying that all of this goes out the window if there’s a new baby, or sickness in the house.

What does your morning routine look like?