Only two short years ago, I had a morning routine that began at 5:30 am on the dot and ended with me picking up Dunkin Donuts coffee on my way to the office. Now that I work from home, my process for getting ready has changed dramatically. But I’m not complaining.
My day begins at 6 am. The alarm blasts in my ear, and I feel around my nightstand for my phone to hit snooze. I fall back to sleep. I repeat this cycle at least twice before I get up to let the dog out.
Once the dog does her business, she takes her treat and goes back upstairs to her dog bed. I guess the steps and backyard is tiring enough to warrant another nap. Lucky dog! On the other hand, I grab my favorite coffee mug and have a bowl of cereal.
Around this time, I scroll through my Facebook page. I know (I know!) all of the productivity articles say not to do this, but some habits are hard to break. And anyway, some of those same articles think I can get my email inbox to zero every day. 😉
After breakfast, I settle onto the couch with my yellow notepad and pen and write out what I want to accomplish that day. I also take a few minutes to jot down blog post ideas. I’ll start writing out the blog itself if I have time, but most mornings, I have to put it off until later.
Usually, I try not to let anything come between me and my writing time, but then the best part of my day happens, and I put down my pen. My son, Andrew, comes downstairs to make his breakfast and lunch. Like me, he is a morning person and a bit of a talker. I love our brief conversations, even if they are only to talk about his scout meeting or swim practice. The fact that my 18-year-old son still likes to check in with me and tell me about his day is something I’ll never take for granted.
When he leaves for school, he yells out, “Love you, mom!” Then I start my day with my heart full and in a good mood.
From there, the rest of my day begins. I loathe doing my hair, but I recently splurged on a Hot Tools hair dryer/brush, which is the best thing EVER! It’s easy to use and my hair almost always comes out looking good. At least it does in the front. No one ever sees the back because I’m on Zoom calls all day long. As a bonus, I get a bit of an arm workout because that thing is hefty!
I take the much faster commute down two short flights of stairs to my home office. I turn on the computer and smile because I know that between the coffee, the writing, and the daily kitchen chat, it has already been a great day.
I have a problem. As a full-time writer, it is literally my job to create content. In my day job as a non-profit communications manager, I compose e-newsletters, tell impactful stories, post on several social media platforms, update website copy, send press releases, and do similar tasks, all to engage people in our work and raise money. At night, I love to read books, listen to podcasts, download today’s New York Times on my Kindle, read through some of the blogs I follow and write my own blog posts.
Dearest Family,