Prepare Your Day

posted in: Writing | 6

bike ride 

Recently I’ve been toying with using writing prompts. Between my For The Love writing group and Oklahoma Women Bloggers I’ve had the chance to spend more time writing about things that I normally wouldn’t explore. This week I’m linking up with Oklahoma Women Bloggers for the theme “prepare your day”.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to start my day with some sort of quiet time or meditation. And as long as I can remember I can’t seem to make it work out. Starting my day off with quiet time means I would have to get up before everybody else. I’ve come to accept the fact that I love sleep too much to get up that early and early morning quiet time just isn’t in the cards for me. 

Now that school has started and both boys are in school I’m slowly trying to establish a morning routine. Last week Addison decided that he wants to ride his bike to school. He has never been excited about sports or strenuous physical activity so I’m thrilled that he wants to do this. He knows that riding up the hill can be a challenge but he wants this bad enough that he is willing to do what is hard. Riding his bike to school means that I ride as well. I don’t consider myself a helicopter parent and feel like I give him free range to explore the neighborhood with his friends on their own. However, riding through a neighborhood twice a day that is not in our normal radius of safety makes me a little uneasy. My mind can go to dark places if I think too much about it so I ride with him to and from school for his safety and my sanity. There will come a time when he doesn’t want me there nor need me. Now is not yet that time. Seeing him safely off to school, the little chit chat on the way, encouraging him to keep going, giving a high five as he heads off to the wild world of 5th grade; all of these things seem to prepare me to face my own day as send him off to his.

Preparing for my day has gone from a typical morning to exercise followed by coffee. Because the day hasn’t really started until coffee is consumed. Even if I accidentally buy decaf and drink that for several weeks before realizing my mistake (that has only happened the once) I still need the smell and the taste. It’s even better if I have a few minutes to sit quietly and enjoy it rather than rush through it as I put on makeup.

Preparing for my day also involves reviewing my calendar the night before and the next morning. I tend to overlook things or double book myself so I am making a concerted effort to stay on top of what I have on the calendar.

How do you prepare for your day?

6 Responses

  1. Sarah Shotts

    (On a good day) I start off with a morning walk*, a cup of tea and healthy breakfast, and if I’m not rushing too much some free writing in my journal. I totally crashed last week after AWBU and barely did any of this, but getting back into the groove this week. I feel SO much better when I start my mornings this way.

    *I am NOT a morning person, but this helps me ease into my mornings and makes me way less grumpy. My husband calls it my morning commute.

    • Stephanie Clinton

      I’m not really a morning person either. I’m trying to get back into my groove too. After AWBU and then the holiday weekend, I’m hoping to find a regular schedule.

  2. Mae

    I love that you bike your son to school. I hope to do the same some day. The best way to help our kids be active is to do it with them.

    • Stephanie Clinton

      Thanks. So far it has been fun and I you will love doing it w/ your kiddos someday.

  3. Melissa Corrick

    I think it’s great Addison gets to ride to school. We don’t live close enough and elementary school already starts so crazy early! I get up at 5 am to get my day started. Yes it’s early and I would love more sleep but I need my time. I’ve started using the First 5 app to do a little devotional and then I workout. By that time the little is probably up and I’m trying to get a showered before the other munchkins have to be up. I want to add in meditation and yoga but no time for that.

    • Stephanie Clinton

      5 am?! Wow, bless you. I’ve never heard of the First 5 app. I’ll have to check it out.

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