After reading Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus' blog, The Minimalists, I was immediately inspired to begin rising earlier. Being a full time high school student means tiring work and late nights, but this doesn't mean I couldn't attempt to awake earlier. But being one of those people who hate- and I'm talking burning passion here- hate mornings, I needed a game plan. My schedule used to look like this:
Not very productive. Clearly. I wondered if waking up earlier would help me to stay awake through my day and help me remain mindful, as well as more awake. So I set morning goals for myself, effectively eliminating my thirty minute half snooze. I made that time necessary to finish what I considered "have-to-do things" in the morning:
This is not to say that I am waking up as early as I would like. I still have days when I lay in my bed for a half hour before getting up. But those thirty minutes are the most mindful and relaxing of my day.
Keep it Simple,
Sarah
- Annoying knocks on door and my name being sung at 6:30 AM by my beautiful mother, who is always bright and cheery in the mornings.
- Rather disgraceful grunts and groans from the huddle of yellow and gray blanket on the bed. No distinguishable English or other intelligent language is spoken.
- The monster falls into a half-sleep.
- 7:00 AM- The monster is awakened by the calling of the bathroom toilet and stumbles to start the day.
- 7:10 AM- English is understandable, although not pleasant, and a half asleep tired high schooler- who has somehow managed to get dressed- stumbles down the stairs to breakfast.
- 7:30- Breakfast is finished, and the race to finish a twenty minute hair and makeup routine in six minutes begins.
- 7:38- I leave the house, late, without coffee, only half my hair curled, and with two different shoes on.
- 8:16- Two hours of Advanced Literature or a Finance lecture that I will inevitably "zone out" in.
Not very productive. Clearly. I wondered if waking up earlier would help me to stay awake through my day and help me remain mindful, as well as more awake. So I set morning goals for myself, effectively eliminating my thirty minute half snooze. I made that time necessary to finish what I considered "have-to-do things" in the morning:
- Read. I want to spend time reading my devotional and allowing myself time in the Bible. My relationship with Jesus means something to me and adds value to my life- thus, it is a part of my morning routine.
- Write. I want to empty my mind onto paper almost constantly. I would write for days on end, if I could, but I get hand cramps after a couple of hours. First thing in the morning, when all my muscles are relaxed and my mind is in a sort of gentle haze, writing generally produces crap. It produces crappy writing- bad style and language, weak grammar, and even misspellings. But the ideas, the concepts behind what I am trying to explain, are solid. My brain has ideas that I would normally dismiss if I was fully awake, but having no mindset to censor what I'm thinking of, I write it down. Reading some of my thoughts later has made me laugh out loud, cry with realization, and added an insight to my life that would otherwise be absent.
- Self- care. Whether it's sitting on the porch for a few minutes with some tea, stretching, taking a little extra time with my coffee and a book, or spending a few more minutes being mindful while I get dressed and eat, I enjoy this time immensely. It reminds me of the benefits that minimalism has brought me.
This is not to say that I am waking up as early as I would like. I still have days when I lay in my bed for a half hour before getting up. But those thirty minutes are the most mindful and relaxing of my day.
Keep it Simple,
Sarah