Inside: You hate waking up early? You're not alone. But with just 15 minutes of quiet, before the kids wake up, you can change your entire day.
That corner was driving me bananas. The little basket tucked away in the nook near my boy’s picnic table - with white printer paper, pencils, and half used slips of stickers spilling out over the edges - was getting the better of me. Doodles and mazes and coloring sheets were strewn about the ground because there was nowhere else for them to go. Every time I looked that way, I inhaled deeply and turned the other direction.
“I need a different solution for those drawing utensils and paper.” I would tell myself every time. And then try to avoid looking in that direction altogether.
When it was time to clean up, my 4 year old would cram everything he could back into that little wicker basket. But as soon as he pulled himself away from all that stuffing, “artwork” would pop up and out (not unlike that Curious George jack-in-the-box that drove me crazy for years).
It was like that for months. Until one day I finally decided to do something about it. I grabbed my phone, got on Amazon, and ordered a set of rolling plastic drawers.
It arrived in two days. Fifteen minutes after it arrived my son had everything transferred and organized (he gets it from his daddy 🙂 ).
That was it! The chaos was gone. And that little activity/art corner is wonderful now. Papers and doodles have a place. Pens and pencils have little compartments. Finally the floor is clear of all art work. Hallelujah!!
Why did it take me 6+ months to finally do something about that? I don’t know. Laziness? But I do know the solution took almost no effort. It just took a little intentionality and action.
The Power of 15 Minutes
Fifteen minutes doesn’t sound like much. Nothing can really change in just 15 minutes, can it? Oh yes mama, it can.
In fifteen minutes your house can metamorphose from Joanna Gaines worthy material to the site of a tornado touchdown.
In fifteen minutes the hope and excitement about the new life forming in your belly can be ripped out of you, leaving a grief that you cannot explain.
In fifteen minutes you can watch the deep black sky usher in a new day and transform into brilliant purples, pinks, oranges, and blues.
Fifteen minutes can be transformative - if you are intentional and take action.
It’s so tempting to ignore the small steps - if we can’t climb mountains why step over this tiny bump? I felt that way for a long time about spending time in the Word - if I don’t have at least 30 minutes to study, why even open up the Bible? But amazing transformation can happen if you first take a small step.
The 15 Minute Morning is not about getting more done. Rather, it is about shifting your focus and adjusting your mindset for the day, so that you can be a better mom for those babies God has given you to love and nurture.
In fifteen minutes you can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) . You can direct those thoughts to what is good and true and change the trajectory of your day.
The Most Impactful 15 Minutes Of Your Day
I like to find shortcuts - I don’t like wasting my time working on tasks or projects I do not like. Cooking can sometimes fall into that category. So one night I decided to make beef tacos in the crockpot. The recipe said to brown the meat first, but who has time for that??
A couple greasy, canned-dog-food like textured tacos later I decided browning the meat was an important first step.
You can practice the principles of the 15 Minute Morning at any point in the day. But, if you want to make the most of those fifteen minutes, mama it is all about the first fifteen minutes after getting out of bed. Because what you choose to do first can alter the trajectory of your entire day (remember those mushy beef tacos?).
So how do you get the most bang out of your buck for those first fifteen minutes? Just remember H.I.M:
H: Hydrate (3 minutes)
We tried to go sledding the other day - we have had glorious snow for days! But the snow was starting to melt, and grass and dirt were peering out from underneath the white covering. The sled just wasn't as smooth as it should have been. We kept getting stuck as we tried to shimmy down the hill.
After 7 or so hours of no fluids, your body is dehydrated. And just like a sled can’t slide smoothly down a hill whose snow has mostly melted, your body won’t run smoothly without proper hydration.
Mama, take a minute every morning, before you have your coffee or tea, and drink a tall glass of water. Pronto. It will do your body good.
I: Intentionally reset your perspective (6 minutes)
If the goal is to be a better mom (and I am not saying this is your only goal in life, but this is the one we are talking about here), then these 5 questions will help guide you in shifting your mindset for the day ahead.
- What am I thankful for today?
- What matters the most to me today?
- What do I want my kids to feel today?
- What do I want my husband to know today?
- What do I want my community to see today?
If you can, I recommend writing your answers down in a journal or just on a slip of paper. They might just be one word answers, or maybe you have a sentence or two that comes to mind. Either way, take action and answer them.
I have been doing this for a few weeks now, and when I ask myself “what do I want my kids to feel today?”, the answer has been fairly consistent: I want them to feel that they are valuable and what they say matters. Maybe your answers look the same every day. That is OK! Reminding yourself of the answers to these questions is where the value really is.
M: Meditate on Truth (6 minutes)
Being curled up alone with your own thoughts can be dangerous though...I don’t always trust my thoughts and feelings, do you? So it’s important that we always get a little wisdom from outside.
As a Believer, I want that wisdom to come first from God. And while I don’t trust myself to accurately listen, hear, and understand what He says to me every morning, I thankfully have His Word to keep me grounded in Truth.
If you are a Believer in Christ, then grab your Bible and spend just a few minutes reading some verses and meditating on them.
If you are not a Believer you can still do this - grab that book you are gleaning wisdom from or read a few quotes that are encouraging to you. But spend time listening to those you trust outside of yourself.
15 Minutes To Being A Better Mom
Waking up early can be daunting. The thought of setting the alarm when it’s dark and cold outside and everyone else is asleep quite frankly just doesn’t always sound fun - I get that.
But the benefits outweigh the initial discomfort. We can each be disciplined enough to get out of bed fifteen minutes early to drink a tall glass of water, intentionally reset our perspective, and meditate on truth.
It doesn’t take much to be a better mom with better habits and a better attitude - it just takes intentionality.
Don’t let your days get the better of you. I let that basket crammed with art supplies get the better of me for too long. So be intentional about taking your day head on and make small adjustments to change how you walk into motherhood fresh every morning.
Use the H.I.M method to reorient your brain and prepare yourself for the day ahead.
Remember:
H - Hydrate
I - Intentionally reset your perspective
M - Meditate on truth
Just 15 minutes mama! You can do it. Take action tonight by setting that alarm. It doesn’t take much to be a better mom, it just takes a little intentionality.
I'm rooting for you!
