Hello Mornings! The Maximize Your Mornings Challenge

{Photo Credit: Torley}

(A note from Kat: Today’s post is from my friend Michelle. Last month she hosted the Maximize Your Mornings challenge on her blog and led a wonderful group of women as they worked to create life giving morning habits. I’m super excited to tell you that she’ll be doing the same for us each month right here on Inspired To Action. Please make her feel welcome!)

A Note From Michelle

I am so, incredibly excited to be joining the crew here to work on tackling our mornings routines together! I promise this exuberance has nothing to do with the abnormal amount of caffeine I’ve consumed today! ahem.

Hello Mornings!

During the month of August, I hosted a challenge, calling all my fellow reluctant risers to join me in getting reacquainted with the AM. Working our way through Maximize Your Mornings together was a fantastic experience! And since I know an amazing community of inspired women exists here, I could just jump on a couch thinking about how much fun this is going to be!

Along the way…

I gained so much just from the first month of putting this new routine into practice. I got the first taste of how smoothly my days could run. It was a little addicting! I saw the contrast between those days and the ones when I let the kids be my wake-up call. That was… alarming! (sorry) I had time to linger with my Heavenly Father, which filled me and overflowed and trickled all over the tender hearts of my children.

The Beauty of Community

Throughout the challenge, we supported each other in a variety of ways – comments, Twitter, Facebook. We said, “Hello!” and “Goodnight!” to each other. We discussed strategies for keeping the kiddo’s in bed while we tip-toed downstairs. Together, we marveled when morning didn’t feel so… “early” anymore! We pushed and cheered each other through the tough days, when it seemed easier to stay snug under the covers. We lavished grace on one another for the (oh-so-many) times we each said, “Whoops!”

Practice Makes Permanent

Changing a way of life isn’t something you have to master in a 30-day challenge. If it’s a drastic change, I’m not sure that you could, outside of divine help. This morning thing takes practice. Small, achievable steps. Success layered on success.

For me, It was easy to slip out of the new routine that started to take root. In fact, I’ve been doing terribly this month. So, let’s do this thing together! Let’s keep practicing till we get it right. Let’s not give up until this unfamiliar routine becomes our new way of life.

I’m game!

Are you ready?

::

Here is the HelloMornings button.

Just copy this code to add it to your site:
<a href="http://inspiredtoaction.com/2010/09/hello-mornings-the-maximize-your-mornings-challenge/"><img src="http://inspiredtoaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/HelloMorningsButton.jpg" width="200"></a>

::
Update: Here are the links for the challenge. Follow along:
Week 1
Week 2

---

Michelle’s a crazy-dancing, Jesus-loving, undomesticated transplant in Amish country. This teacher & eternal student enjoys biting off more than she can chew & sharing the juicy bits at So, I married a Mennonite…. When she’s not goofing around on Twitter, you can find her keeping stride with two lively boys & wondering where she put her phone.

::
(If this post inspired you, will you consider sharing it and inspiring someone else?)