As the wife of an entrepreneur, mom of 3 and business owner, I’ve learned that routines are sacred. While some people may find routines boring or monotonous, I find that they actually give me more flexibility throughout my day to be present, be efficient, be spontaneous and have fun. Who would have thought? Once I learned to embrace that, routines stopped feeling constricting and started feeling freeing. If you’re working towards cultivating your own routines, I highly recommend the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. I’ve read it at least 3 times and it has completely transformed the way I think about the art of productivity and consistency.
I thought it would be fun if I broke down a few of my morning, evening, and weekend routines for you to inspire you to create a few for you and your family as we find ourselves closer to entering a new year! But why wait? You can start today! Let’s dive in.
Evenings
At this stage of life, our evenings are filled with sports, homework, and dinner which require me to be present and flexible with 3 kids. I typically find it most beneficial to begin implementing my evening routines once the night is winding down and I begin thinking about what needs to be in place for tomorrow. Here are a few things I focus on to ensure my family and I are set up for success.
- First, I “put my kitchen to bed”. I learned this from the Food Nanny and have found joy in the process because I’m so thankful for my kitchen and what joy it brings me. This is like the “making of my bed” habit for nighttime that makes me feel automatically ready to conquer the next day. Plus, it sounds so much more manageable than “clean the kitchen”. Sometimes it’s all in how you look at things.
- I like to set out my workout clothes and work outfit for the next day. My mind is still fresh and I find that if I don’t take 5 minutes to do this the night before, I’ll waste 15 minutes in the morning and end up feeling rushed and unsatisfied.
- I help my kids set out their outfits for the morning while they tidy up their rooms before bed. Prepared kids equal a calm mama, am I right?
- Every night, without fail, I set my do not disturb on my Instagram to turn on at 10pm and off at 7am. This allows me to turn off for the day physically and mentally.
- Lastly, I brain dump my to-dos for the next day into my reminder’s app on my phone. This allows my brain to REST instead of holding onto what should be left for tomorrow.
Mornings
I can honestly say that we have eliminated chaotic mornings since I started keeping to these routines. It has made SUCH a difference for my kids, my mom guilt, and my overall well-being. They aren’t complicated, but they are life changing.
- I try to workout first thing at 5 am so that I’m home from the gym by 6:10 am with plenty of time to tackle the rest of the morning.
- I wake up my kids with enough time for them to get ready without feeling rushed. I’ve learned that I have the power to set the tone for the mornings. If I’m organized and efficient, so are they. If I’m chaotic, so are they.
- I always make my kids breakfast. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it makes them feel loved and makes me feel like a good mom.
- I spend about 20 minutes on my beauty routine. Again, we are aiming for efficiency, not perfection to keep my family on track.
- We ALWAYS listen to music on the way to school and that is the best part. Remember, routines should allow for JOY and FUN.
Weekends
I truly believe the weekends are to play, rest, and reset. I try to intentionally let go of my weekly morning and evening routines during this time so that I can be fully present and flexible with my family. However, that requires a new set of routines to ensure for the best weekend possible.
- On Friday evenings, I pick up and declutter so that my house is prepared for the rest of the weekend.
- I clean Saturday mornings and or Sunday mornings and because I’ve picked up and decluttered the night before. Cleaning feels enjoyable and happens a lot quicker when I have the necessary time and space.
- Sundays are all about meal prep. I like to make bread, cut up fruit and plan my meals for the week so that I’m prepared and ready for any groceries I may need.
In “Atomic Habits”, James Clear said that he is actually really lazy and that he has created all these routines to make his life easier.
I guess you could say that reverse psychology did its magic on me.
But I’ll tell you one thing, life is so much sweeter with a little structure.
