1. Q: How many years young are you and what is your living situation?
1. 32. I live with my husband, 4 step-children, 2 cats, and a snake.
2. Q: What's the biggest challenge you faced in changing your morning routine? How have you dealt with it/got over it/are still dealing with it?
2. Biggest challenge when it came to changing your morning routine and how you dealt with it/got over it/are still dealing with it: Not getting to bed on time, not having family members committed with you (like my husband not getting into bed or turning out the lights when I had planned to go to bed), wanting to stay in bed when it's warm (especially during the winter). Having your family be aware of what you are trying to accomplish and support you through it has been a huge help. On those cold mornings when you want to just stay snuggly warm in bed, you fight between wanting to be happy for the next 20 mins but then rush around all day, unfocused or being uncomfortable for 5 mins but starting your day off right and having that feeling last all day. Having a power partner who you are accountable to has been another powerful motivator. Every morning, I Voxer my power partner, whether I have completed my new routine or not. Some days I love to tell her, "I was up at 5:30, had my coffee, did my devotional, and wrote in my journal." Other days, I share "Today, I am on the struggle bus. I didn't want to get up/ I overslept/ I'm running late." Either way, I end my message with "How can I be cheering you on today? How can I help you be successful?" Even if my morning didn't go as I had planned, it always helps me to help someone else to get right back on track.
3. Q: What time did you wake up and go to sleep before you started using the Morning Sidekick Journal, and what time do you wake up and sleep now?
3. What time did you wake up and go to sleep before you started using the journal, and what time do you wake up and sleep now. (Doesn't need to be different, just want to get as much information as possible!)
Before: Sleep around 10pm, midnight, 1am (never consistant) and I would try to wake up at 6am since I leave for work at 7am. Usually I would get up at 6:45/7am and run around trying to get out the door. Now, I am up at 5:45, take my time, actually ENJOY my coffee, not just slug it down to power me for the drive into work. I start my bedtime routine around 9, and I am in bed by 10pm.
4. Q: What did your mornings look like before you started using the Morning Sidekick Journal? What do your mornings look like now?
4. What did your mornings look like before you started using the journal? What do your mornings look like now? My mornings used to be hitting the snooze button on the phone over, and over, and over again. Quick fly out of bed, slap on a face of makeup to hide the circle under my eyes, make my coffee, rush out the door and 3 out of 5 days of the week, I would forget my coffee on the counter. Now, I take my time. Enjoy my coffee at home while I am journaling and reviewing my day. I go and do my makeup but I now enjoy trying new looks in the morning. I check in with my power partner before I pick up my bags and calmly walk out of the house.
5. Q: In one sentence, what's your favorite thing about the Morning Sidekick Journal?
5. One sentence - what's your favorite thing about the journal? I love that this journal isn't pretentious; it reminds us that we are all human and make mistakes but that we can get right back on track.
6. Q: How long have you been using the Morning Sidekick Journal?
6. I have been using the journal since December 26th.
7. Q: How has using the Morning Sidekick Journal and doing your morning routine impacted your life overall?
7. I bought the journal for myself as a Christmas present. I started using it while I was on break from work to ease myself into waking up earlier and starting a new routine. Hell week wasn't as hellish as I thought it might be. I was motivated; this is something I wanted and NEEDED to do for my life. To calm my anxieties, help me get in focus at the beginning of each day, and take a much-needed breath. Phase 2 has been much harder. Just like a New Years resolution, you start off strong, then life kicks in and you lose motivation. I will admit, there are some days when life seems to be against me and I miss doing my new morning routine...and I can feel it throughout the day. Having a new Pro-Tip or suggestion or story each day makes me motivated to fill out my pages. I don't skip ahead even though I often want to. On the days I stick to my new morning routine (or even if I have to do a truncated version of it because of timing), I feel myself less stressed, less likely to become overwhelmed with the unexpected. I have become stronger emotionally, spiritually, mentally. I haven't added in a physical aspect to my routine yet, that will come next. I've also noticed that when I wake up earlier, I find myself physically tired at bedtime, not just mentally shot. At bedtime, my mind is quite because I either dealt with everything flying around my head earlier that morning, or I know that I can write about it in my journal the next morning. I have even seen a difference in my husband, too, even though he doesn't do the Morning Sidekick Journal. He sees me trying to better myself, to take control of my life, not just be swept up in the current. I've seen HIM try harder to do the same. I also really like stopping to reflect on the Magical Moment of the day. Some days it is REALLY hard to come up with even one. But knowing that it will be on the next page the next day, I have become more aware of them as I go throughout my day.