Breaking Up With Snooze

Four o’clock in the morning…a laughable time to be up doing anything but counting sheep. This girl is NOT a morning person, but not really a night owl either. I guess that makes me more of a loves-to-sleep kind of person.

But this morning, like most Tuesdays, I get up at 4 AM. I have a standing breakfast date with a dear friend each Tuesday at 5:30. Nothing like some Waffle House to start your day off right! I really look forward to these days, though. Once I get over the initial dread of pulling myself out of bed, I realize that I am blessed with something that we all wish for more of.

Time

You see, finding time to writing these blogs is sometimes a struggle, but here I sit at Starbuck (yes, Waffle House first, then Starbucks….) writing about how productive my day can be. If left to my normal sleep-hungry habits, I would just now be rolling out of bed. Which was a true story yesterday morning.

God has shown me how much more fulfilling my day can be if I give both Him and myself some time in the morning. Unfortunately, my habits are well-established by now. Breaking up with that precious ‘Snooze’ button on my phone is painful. Some mornings I can; but other mornings, I go running back to the sweet relief it provides.

Yesterday, I heard someone on the radio talking about his habit of getting up at 4 AM each day, how beneficial it was to him as a husband, dad, co-worker, and Christian. He expounded upon the subject further in his blog. CJ talked about his early rising habit here.

My personal favorite is the purpose he finds in making his family breakfast (ahem…Hubby, you reading this?). But he provides three practical tips that have helped make this easier in his own life.

1. Never hit snooze! The quicker you get moving, the better.
2. Drink a tall glass of cold water straight away. The inside of your body must work to warm that water up. Gets your blood pumping & your brain working! 
3. Get active! Workout, go for a run, take a walk… Anything! It’ll keep you accountable for waking up & it’s great to get over with early.

Break up with snooze. Drink water. Exercise. Seems pretty simple and attainable!

I have multiple reasons for trying to make this change in my life, but my biggest ones are to improve my relationship with Jesus and to work on my own well being.

As a believer, time spent with the One who sacrificed everything for me when I was a wretched sinner is vitally important. This world pulls in ten million different directions and warps our sense of priority. Before we know it, our time spent with the One who loves us more than anything else is pushed to the back burner. Then I wonder why I struggle with the things I do and fight the demons that I fight, many times losing. I’m neglecting to tap into the power source that is there for me, full of grace and strength. Starting my mornings earlier allows me time with my Savior and sets in motion a much more successful day.

Then there is my own well being. As someone who walks the line between introvert and extrovert, depending on the situation, my quiet ‘me’ time is pretty important. It’s taken me three decades to see this about myself, but I need the quiet and leisure of early mornings, not having to engage and talk to the world quite yet. My thoughts are more collected. I have a better vision for my day. I’m more compassionate to people. My soul is simply happier.

Early mornings may not be for everyone, but if they are, and you struggle like me, please be encouraged. Idealistically, this would be my every morning. Realistically, I’m lucky to make this work three days a week. The other two (or three) days are mad dashes out the door, just hoping I remembered everything I needed for the day. It’s taking baby steps, changing small habits- that leads to life changes.