1. Q: How many years young are you and what is your living situation?
1. 43. I have a husband who wakes at 3 a.m., leaves at 4 a.m. and comes home at 6:30 p.m. due to work. I also have a 7 year old son who goes to school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm. So my schedule is not just for me but also supporting my family and setting good habits for my son.
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. Having enough time and getting up early enough to do it.
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. Before I started, I woke up about 6:45 and rushed me and my 7 year old out the door. I’ve been getting up about 6 since starting my morning routine. This gives me enough time to drink water, exercise for 15 min (always a struggle in the past) and shower (also a struggle since I work at home about half the week.) I am going to try to move it back by about 15 min each week.
4. Q: What did your mornings look like before you started using the Morning Sidekick Journal? What do your mornings look like now?
4. This also has changed my night routine. I think of what would help me in the mornings (I set up my water bottle and force my husband to pick pants out because he always complains about not having pants in the morning.) My son has even gotten into the habit of picking out his clothes the night before. I do seem to have more restraint and discipline for the rest of the day.
5. Q: In one sentence, what's your favorite thing about the Morning Sidekick Journal?
5. My favorite thing about the journal is the different notes and stories each day. All the other journal I just got accustomed or bored with because it was the same thing day in and day out. Even the smallest notes were helpful. Oh and in usual fashion, I can’t just say one thing because I also love the reality of the instructions. Hell week is a great description and readied me for the work involved. Thank you for mentioning I may not get everything done, but learn from it and carry on.
6. Q: How long have you been using the Morning Sidekick Journal?
6. I’ve been using the journal (via PDF) for about a week but it’s already been so useful. I do use the journal slightly differently than you suggest. I usually fill the entire page out at night. My mind focuses on what I need to do better at night. Attached is a sample page. Every morning has been pretty good up until today. I missed my alarm and had a rushing morning, however still productive. Still took a shower and drank water, so I call that a win. Even on my roughest morning, it was still an improvement. Thank you!
7. Q: How has using the Morning Sidekick Journal and doing your morning routine impacted your life overall?
7. I was skeptical about this journal. I am obsessive over my to-do lists. I’ve tried just about everything. Franklin Covey, ToDoist, Panda Journal, Excel, Outlook tasks, Weight Watchers, My Fitness Pal, all to try to accomplish my goals of being a successful manager, parent, wife, friend, lose weight, be healthy, you name it. This only tackled morning routine, but I have always struggled with mornings, so I figured I would give it a try. The journal anticipated every struggle I deal with in establishing new routines. It told me the first week would be hell and just push through it. It told me that even though I may fail, just note it and try again tomorrow. It even addressed if I started on a weekend and asked if I was going to do this 7 days a week. It always spoke to the issues I have encountered in the past, but none of the books tell you. The first day (Sunday) I woke up and did my 15 minutes of exercise (do it in small chunks), took my shower and made breakfast. I felt so great! I did it! I missed a couple of things, but like the book said, note it and move on. I also changed my morning routine. I used to try to make my husband lunch in the morning, but at 4 a.m. that’s near impossible. So in addition to my morning routine, I reinforced my night routine. I may not be perfect, but it’s helped me feel good about myself and set a great tone for the day.