The days are packed and seem to speed faster than we’d want even if we’ve done the lunch prep and the crockpot meal and the carpool scheduling and the…and the…and the. Two girlfriends and I wanted to read a ‘dig in’ book this summer and one of these foxes suggested Hello Mornings. I moved very slowly through this. Very. Kat Lee’s Hello Mornings is an incredible read if you’re looking to say goodbye to the morning tornadoes. If you’re looking to hit the ground running with a slightly clearer head on your shoulders, a better perspective, or purpose behind the pandemonium this book is for you. (This is me raising my hand very high.)
Full disclosure: I love a self-work book. I research them like a paying job. But. I prefer fiction any day of the week over non-fiction. Maybe because I know it involves looking inward when it’s just easier to unplug by escaping through a book. I dunno. Therapists would probably have a clue on this.
Nonetheless, I’m a super type A gal. I love a list, I aim to feel feel uber-prepared (so I can be flex-y when the plans shift), I set goals all. the. time. I thought by this DNA blessing (or curse?) plus positive nuggets gleaned from The Miracle Morning and 5 Minute Habits meant I had my bases covered.
Wrong-o. Hello Mornings was such a great look at where I could be helping myself find purpose behind my ‘get ‘er done’ attitude. And that is a beautiful thing, friends.
The premise of Hello Mornings is to make a ritual from the mundane. Mundane still makes history and memories and turns into tomorrow in a blink. Mundane matters. So turn something mundane – like your mornings – into something that will help focus your head and your heart?!
Kat’s idea is to take three minutes (you read that right) for God, to plan and to move. Simple as that.
- God time: pray Psalm 143:8.
- Plan: review your day, highlight your top three to-do’s.
- Move: drink water.
See? Simple. By these three minutes (one minute for each habit) you can focus your day with purpose and set the footing for a good day. Pickin’ up what I’m putting down? Say hello to your mornings and say goodbye to your tornado days.
Not because she’s waving a magic wand or promising unicorns to fall from your planner. But because it shifts the perspective.
Her tips to get organized so that those three things can happen are simple, but even better, DOABLE! Sure, I was previously getting coffee prepped the night prior, but she also suggests having a basket of morning time stuff ready (be that your bible app, bible study, journal, whatevs) where you’ll actually use it. Love.
Kat suggests taking a free online personality test as well to better structure a purposeful morning routine. Brilliant! What works for my personality type clearly wouldn’t work for my husband’s.
She also offers us the idea to extend grace in our lives. Our season or situation might mean a different interpretation of the morning routine. Should I be a rag with myself when Hope wakes up seven times a night because of teething and my morning routine consists of slugging coffee staring out the window like a robot? Heck no. Kat is saying to take a better look at the whole picture and focus on progress, not perfection. Love.
Kat talks a lot about triggers that derail people from making positive moves. Hello, screen time at the end of the day. It is SO satisfying to delete emails, reply to texts I forgot about during the day, send funny GIFs to my sis (that in itself is such a great wormhole – a time suck for sure – but great nonetheless) and so on. Her tips are again, simple and doable. So I took it from the pro and set an alarm. Including a not-pleasing-to-me alarm melody to hammer the point home.
Give this book a go. And buy a second one for a mama near to your heart and needs a boost in the AM. 🌞