Busy Mama Fill Your Tank Challenge Day 7

I am STILL convinced: Get up first, period. It takes the "crazy" down to a dull roar. The extra 15 minutes or more will help you get your thoughts in order. In each family, the schedule is different, but for us, Saturday is a day in which I can usually "fudge" a little on this rule. "Sleeping in" today still did not seem wise, as my alarm clock turned out to be a "minor mom emergency." You know, the type of thing that has you sleeping soundly one moment, and launching out of bed like a missile the next? Yes, you know it! (I am having vague memories from when I was four and getting my brother to cut my hair! Since it was cut right where my cowlick was, it was a long time before my hair was back to normal......)

Around six months ago, I had a health issue come up which made me very low energy. Resting more seemed like the best choice at the time, but it resulted in my struggling until after the new year! to reinstate that habit for  OVERALL self care benefits.

Getting up early has a powerful effect on productivity. If you have a home-based business, high-focus tasks can be completed in the quiet time. Personal devotion is a great way to start the day. Some people exercise during this time.

I must admit that I lean toward working during the magical moments before the house is no longer quiet. However, during this challenge, I have found myself doing something for, well, myself. Cleaning up my nails, doing an extra beauty treatment, etc.

Recent circumstances in our family have made me familiar with a new kind of overwhelm. What I have known in the past has been strongly attached to emotions and frustrations. This was more of a mechanical experience, such as when a fire hydrant is burst and the water is pouring out. It cannot physically hold in the  water anymore due to the breach...

I am also reminded of a time in my life nearly two decades ago when everything was "going wrong." I was walking to an appointment, and suddenly stopped. I had unconsciously been humming a catchy tune of praise! Hunh?

Have you ever heard the illustration about being like a swan, and how they look so serene, but they are paddling like mad under the water? Well, I want to turn the swan on its head, because so often, the paddling is what we and others see.

With Established Ways (and God's grace), you can be serene on the inside.

Don't Just Get Organized! Get Established!