How I Slay My Weekdays
- Alarm goes off: 4:04am (ok, and a back up alarm clock in my bathroom at 4:08am, which forces me to
get out of bed!) - Coffee (with a couple splashes of almond milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon) and news (NBC, natch):
4:30am - Weight Training Workout: 5am (unless it’s Tuesday or Friday, then I spin)
- Gas, if needed: 6:05am
- Nikki Wellness social media post: 6:15am
- Grocery store, if needed: wait for the doors to open at 6:30am (plus I get the whole store to myself!)
- Get my three kiddos up and out for school: 7:00am
- Shower: 7:15am
- Make myself breakfast (eggs, smoothie, or yogurt bowl): 7:45am
- Catch up on emails and social media: 8am
- Work: 8:30am – 1:00pm
- Lunch (leftovers or something I prepped ahead): 1:00pm-1:30pm
- Work: 1:30pm-5:00pm
- Get dinner cookin’: 5:30pm
- Dinner with my fam: 6:00pm
- Dishes and clean up: 6:45pm
- Laundry/call my dad or sis/set up coffee pot and lay out gym clothes for next day: 7:00pm-7:45pm
- Collapse on the couch/TV: 7:45pm-8:45pm
- Head upstairs/wash up for bed/kiss the kiddos goodnight/grateful thoughts: 9:00pm
I strongly believe in the “magic” of mornings. I strongly believe that the early bird gets the worm. I strongly believe that a wheel in motion stays in motion. Yep…I’m a believer of all of the sayings. Now I realize we are not all morning people. Don’t get me wrong, I was the kid whose parents woke her up at 1pm on the weekends, the college teen that only scheduled herself afternoon classes, and the young parent who trained her babies not to wake up until after the sun had already been up for a couple of hours!
Now, as I sit here in my mid-40s (how did that happen?), I firmly believe that we have the power to set ourselves up for major success when we rise before the sun. It may not be fun when that alarm sounds off, BUT, there is just SO much we can accomplish by getting a solid jump start on our day. And since we as a people are busier than ever, it’s not a bad idea.
So, if you aren’t already an early riser, how can you become one? Simply decide! Don’t flip your whole
life upside down…start with these simple steps:
- Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than you usually do. Every few days, bump it up 15 minutes earlier, until you are waking up at your desired time.
- Once you are on a roll, you will wake up actually feeling rested (what’s that like??) and ready to slay your day!
- Listen to a guided meditation upon waking and set your intention for a kickass and fruitful day.
- Sign up for a great group fitness class (misery loves company, right? At least you can already be done with your workout before most people have woken up...winning!)
- Make yourself a healthy and filling breakfast (getting up early and having breakfast fuels you, your brain and your bod for a great day ahead.)
- Tackle one thing at a time
- Now you can’t go burning the candle at both ends. You have to go to sleep 15 minutes earlier every few days, as well. Remember - if you are getting up earlier, you need to hit the sack earlier, too! And since we create our own melatonin from 10pm-2am, the more of this window you can catch, the better your body can recharge, refuel and heal itself. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothin’! ?
- Repeat!