What Can You Do with an Extra 45-Minutes in Your Day?

I have been studying people’s morning rituals for a few months now. Unless I looked at certain people, like Tony Robbins, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey or even J-Lo, most of the typical morning rituals were similar comparatively:

·        Rise early

·        Drink water, straight or with water

·        Exercise

·        Plan your day

·        Eat breakfast

·        Spend time with family

·        Connect with your spouse

·        Meditate

This list looks pretty typical to any morning ritual I’ve ever had or seen of my friends. Over time, we rise early because we find that if we get up when we actually want to get up, we are late for school or work. We drink water in the morning because we’ve been asleep for 7+ hours and we’re thirsty. And so on, and so on.

But three years ago, I started looking at my own daily routine with the desire to find a little more time for myself. If you are a mom, you know how consuming your role as a mom can be:

6:00am – Get the kids up and ready for school.

6:15am – Make breakfast, fix lunches, check for homework, have intentional conversion with kid, etc.

6:45am – Get the kids out the door, on the bus, or in the drop-off line at school.

And, do all of this while getting yourself ready for your own day! Additionally, the afternoon ritual seemed even more daunting particularly during Daylight Saving Time when we have less daylight.

It can be overwhelming, right?

Add to that, our role as a wife, or caretaker to our parents, or woman with multiple jobs with multiple shifts, or volunteer committee member, or student, or teacher, or professional. The list can seem endless with possibilities that consume our time and energy, and it definitely did for me.  I was forty-seven years old and I was not spending enough quality time with my family; I didn’t have the occasional day off to rest because I had to fill it with things that had been put on my virtual to-do list; my house was a wreck most of the time, and life just seemed to be going on circles as if I were a dog chasing its own tail.

Side note: Did you know that dogs chase their tails in most cases out of boredom or anxiety? Vets regularly prescribe antidepressants for dogs who chase their tails. Who knew???

So when I took a deeper dive into my time for an entire week, the only answer I could come up with was to get out of bed earlier in order to have this “me-time” I wanted.

And that’s exactly what I did.

I was already getting up at 6:00am, so I set my alarm for 5:03am. I set it for 5:03am because subconsciously I told myself I was getting up AFTER 5:00am, and if I were to hit the snooze button at least I could still rise before 5:15am, which would then give me 45 minutes to do whatever I wanted.

45 minutes, ladies.

What could you do with an extra 45-minutes each day?

Over the course of several months I tried a little bit of everything to fill up my time. I did laundry, journaled, made coffee, cleaned the kitchen, watched Big Bang Theory without interruption; I checked emails, wrote do-to lists, planned family vacations, did social media, re-arranged furniture, played video games, tried yoga, went for walks, read bible studies, and I prayed. And out of all those things I did to fill my time, the one thing that made my day clearer, more productive, and more focused was prayer.

Prayer each morning gave me back my relationship with God. Our heavenly Father.

Oh, the relationship was always there, but it was a little flat, much like the relationship I had with my own dad. Like my relationship with God, I knew Dad was always there when I needed him. We would talk a little every day – mostly about nothing in particular; he would force me to help him with our family garden; and, we did hang out at the pool together. After all, he was the one who taught me to swim. But as I grew older, I started spending more time with friends, started dating, and I eventually moved out, our relationship thinned. It became a relationship by blood rather than a relationship by any other name. And so, at the age of forty-seven, and nearly seventeen years after my dad passed, reconnecting with my heavenly Father felt amazing.

After Paul identifies for us the various pieces of The Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-17, he goes on to write, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the Lord's people."

Written November 16, 2019

It has taken more of the past three years to finesse the morning routine I now have, which always starts with prayer. I called it the PIVOT routine. In reality, my morning routine may seem elementary when compared to those of society’s elite.

I’m still trying to conquer making my bed every day like Navy Seal Admiral William H. McCraven.

I’m still trying to incorporate a cold shower each morning to maximize my productivity like Tony Robbins.

And, at the advice of every athletic and personal trainer out there, I am still trying to convince myself that morning exercise, instead of doing it after work, is “my thing”.

But I can share this with you ladies: PRAYER WORKS.

Not only has my 45-minutes in the morning evolved, but my relationship with our Heavenly Father is too. I’ve lost 40 pounds. I’ve landed my dream corporate job. I’ve fallen in love with my city, my community, and my friends and family. And, I’ve discovered my ministry.

Every day is more focused. I’m much more productive at work and at home than previously.

Every day sheds light on the joy that surrounds me. I’m more positive in my attitude and approach to so many of life’s distractions.

Every day brings more opportunities and passion projects. Purpose, ladies! I have purpose and a ministry that was designed by God Himself. (You have one, too!)

Every day is better than the previous day.

Are there days of struggle? Absolutely! But having re-established my relationship with my Heavenly Father through a morning prayer routine helps me walk through the struggle instead of me walking into the struggle and staying there.

Start with your mornings, Ladies.

What would you do with an extra 45-minutes every morning?

The PIVOT project is now being turned into a book, 40-day devotional, and PIVOT journal in 2020! For more information about how you can pre-order your copies, send Shelley an email with the Subject Line: I Want That Book!

Shelley now leads 40-Day PIVOT Challenge Groups which incorporate the PIVOT Routine. For more information about the next 40-Day PIVOT Challenge in 2020, go to Shelley’s Contact Page and send her an email.