1. Q: How many years young are you and what is your living situation?
1. 41. I MOVED IN WITH MY PARENTS LAST YEAR WITH MY DAUGHTER, LEAVING MY HUSBAND AND SON IN ANOTHER STATE IN ORDER TO BE WITH MY MOM DURING HER ILLNESS. SHE HAS SINCE PASSED AND I'VE RELOCATED MY SON. NOW I LIVE WITH MY DAD AND BOTH KIDS AND WE SPEND WEEKENDS WITH MY HUSBAND. IT IS A CHALLENGING LIFE SITUATION BUT I WOULDN'T TRADE ANYTHING FOR HAVING THOSE LAST MONTHS WITH MY MOM AND BEING A SUPPORT TO MY DAD. THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY SOULMATES AND I KNOW THE KIDS AND I HELP TO FILL HIS LIFE WITH A BIT MORE JOY. EVENTUALLY WE WILL MOVE OUT, MY HUSBAND WILL JOIN US, WE WILL FEEL MORE SETTLED AND THEN THE ROUTINES WILL ALL BE A BIT EASIER FOR EVERYONE.
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. WOW. THAT'S HARD TO SAY. I GOT A BOOK CONTRACT AND AS A WORKING PARENT WITH A SPOUSE IN A DIFFERENT STATE, I KIND OF HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FIND MORE HOURS IN THE DAY. AT THE TIME, MY SON NEEDED ME TO LAY WITH HIM AT BEDTIME AND AFTER THAT I WAS PRETTY MUCH USELESS. I STARTED WAKING UP EARLY TO WORK ON THE BOOK. I GRADUALLY SHIFTED THE TIME AND MANAGED TO MAINTAIN THE ROUTINE THROUGH MAJOR LIFE CHALLENGES, INCLUDING MY MOTHER DYING FROM CANCER AND MY CAR ACCIDENT THAT RESULTED IN A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. I AM PROUD THAT I MANAGED TO FINISH THE BOOK THROUGH ALL OF THAT, AND I WOULD NEVER LOOK BACK WHEN IT COMES TO THE MORNING ROUTINE. I'M NOW WORKING ON ANOTHER BOOK, BUT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SPEND 5-7AM ON THE BOOK, I AM TAKING BETTER CARE OF MYSELF IN THE MORNINGS (EXERCISE, MEDITATION, ETC) AND PROBABLY WRITING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. IT STILL ISN'T EASY TO WAKE UP SO EARLY, BUT IT IS EASIER AND IT DEFINITELY RESHAPES MY DAY AND THEREFORE MY LIFE.
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 THE BOOK CONTRACT, I WAS WAKING UP AT 630AM TO GET THE KIDS UP AT 7 AND OUT THE DOOR AT 8. THEY'VE CHANGED SCHOOLS NOW (WE MOVED IN WITH MY PARENTS WHEN MY MOTHER WAS DYING) WHICH GAVE US AN EXTRA 40 MINUTES IN THE MORNING BEFORE SCHOOL. NOW I WAKE UP AT 5AM (OR MORE OFTEN 5:30AM IF I CAN'T MANAGE TO GET TO BED AT 9). I KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP TO COMPROMISE IT, SO IF GETTING 8 HOURS MEANS WAKING UP LATER, SO BE IT. I KNOW I DO BETTER ON 8 HOURS. IT ISN'T TRUE FOR EVERYONE, BUT ITS TRUE FOR ME.
4. Q: What did your mornings look like before you started using the Morning Sidekick Journal? What do your mornings look like now?
4. HONESTLY, I HAD STARTED WAKING UP AT 5AM BEFORE I FOUND THE JOURNAL. I WAS WAKING UP, HEADING DOWNSTAIRS TO MY DESK, AND WRITING UNTIL 7 WHEN I'D HAVE TO START PREPPING SCHOOL LUNCHES, MAKING BREAKFAST, AND WAKING THE KIDS. NOW I HAVE 5 TASKS TO ACCOMPLISH EACH MORNING AND WRITING IS JUST ONE OF THEM. BUT NOW IT INCLUDES THE LUNCH PREPARATIONS AND MORE SELF-CARE PRACTICES THAT WILL HELP MAKE MY MORNING WRITING MORE SUSTAINABLE. I DON'T WANT TO COMPROMISE MY HEALTH IN ORDER TO BE A WRITER, ESPECIALLY WHEN MY WRITING IS ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLBEING! I KNEW IT WAS TEMPORARY BUT I ALSO KNEW IT WAS A COMPROMISE I DIDN'T WANT TO CONTINUE INTO THE NEXT BOOK.
5. Q: In one sentence, what's your favorite thing about the Morning Sidekick Journal?
5. HONESTLY, IT'S JUST THOSE 5 LINES WITH THE TASKS FOR THE FOLLOWING MORNING. I LOVE PLANNING IT THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHICH TAKES ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF THOUGHT, AND THEN MY MORNING IS ORGANIZED FOR ME SO I DON'T NEED MOTIVATION OR DISCIPLINE TO MOVE DOWN THE LIST.
6. Q: How long have you been using the Morning Sidekick Journal?
6. SINCE 10/25/18.
7. Q: How has using the Morning Sidekick Journal and doing your morning routine impacted your life overall?
7. I THINK I MAY HAVE ANSWERED THIS ABOVE, BUT I HONESTLY TAKE BETTER CARE OF MYSELF. I WON'T GET THE NEXT BOOK WRITTEN AS QUICKLY AS WHEN I WAS WRITING 2 HOURS EACH MORNING, BUT I AM STILL PLUGGING AWAY AT MY WRITING WHILE ALSO ENSURING THAT I PRIORITIZE SELF-CARE PRACTICES THAT WILL MAKE MY MORNING WRITING AND MY LIFE OVERALL MORE SUSTAINABLE. I FEEL MORE ALIGNED WITH THE MESSAGE OF MY WORK, MORE AVAILABLE TO MY DAY JOB AS A PROFESSOR AND MY ALL-THE-TIME JOB AS A MOM. I NO LONGER FEEL THAT I HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY OWN WELLBEING FOR THE SAKE OF A BOOK ABOUT WELLBEING. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THE POWER OF GRATITUDE, AND HAVING THE GRATITUDE SECTION IN THE SAME BOOK IS ALSO A NICE PRACTICE. AND I HAVE LOOKED FURTHER INTO SOME OF THE TIPS AND RESOURCES THAT ARE ON THE CONTENT PAGES. SOME ARE JUST NICE REMINDERS AND SOME ARE POWERFUL TOOLS.