Wow, Kat.  I am incoherent in the mornings until about 10, and previous attempts at getting up early have failed because it just doesn’t seem to be part of my genetic makeup.  I’ve found, though, that it’s really important to me to have a couple of hours at the end of the day to unwind and reflect.  And I’ve learned that it’s okay to say “no” to friends, commitments at church, and other distractions like tv and the internet in order to preserve that precious quiet time.

This is great, thanks for posting this. I could stay up all night (it’s 12:32 am as I write this) but that’s just not practical right now and I’m trying to get into a better morning routine. Very helpful stuff.

I kept excusing myself out of workouts after my employer changed our hours and it put me home at 6pm instead of 4:30pm.  In September I decided that I had to change that, because I was missing my workouts, and feeling very…blah. I didn’t know how I could get there in the evenings anymore.  I decided to discontinue my Y membership because the Y is 20 minutes away (and gas prices were CRAZY HIGH then) and I joined Curves, which is 5 minutes away.  I am NOT a morning person, so I then recruited my mom (who is an early riser) and a friend to meet me there at 5:30am M-F.  I now get out of bed faithfully every weekday at 5:10 and go to Curves, no excuses.  I have so much more energy, get to see my mom every weekday and my friend?  She has lost 17 inches in the past two months!  I do let myself stay in bed on Saturdays because they don’t open until 7am, but I usually still wake up around 5am and have a couple of hours to myself.  I still have my devotional time in the evenings, but I start two hours earlier now so that I can still get enough sleep.  Had you told me three months ago that I would consistently get out of the bed at 5:10AM, I would have said you were crazy.  It really does get easier everyday.  Too bad it’s getting colder because while it’s easier to get out of bed, it’s getting harder to walk out the door!  28 DEGREES THIS MORNING IN INDIANA!

I do the same thing in the morning minus the exercise. It is a great way to recharge for the day.

Hi Kat! Haven’t commented in awhile, but I’ve still been reading!

Thank you so much for what you said about starting small, and making your goal just “getting out of bed.” That’s always my struggle. Once I’m up I’m pretty good…but sometimes I will hit the snooze button a million times. I always try to do too much, thinking, “Ok, you’ll get up at 5 and read a chapter in this book and make your lunch and…” But for the next week, I’m going to make my only goal getting out of bed!

I really need to be better about claiming that time before the kids get up.  Lately, I’m lucky if I get up just ten minutes before them–which is barely enough time to stoke the woodstove.

I think I’ll aim for 20 minutes early to start with.  Thanks for the nudge. 

I need to start getting up early again too.  I used to do it but have slacked off.  I like what you said about not having an option … that’s good ! 

This was a very encouraging post for me.  Glad I stopped by.

Kat, I leave the house at 0530… It’s gonna be hard to get up any earlier than I already do!  But it’s not impossible.  I was just thinking today that I want to start trying to get up at least 15 minutes earlier, so I can spend some time in simultaneous prayer and weight-using.  I’ll give it a try, starting Monday! (I, like Kristin, am a night person, so it’s not going to be easy.)

I didn’t realize how much I need to just “show up” for my daily retreat. You’ve covered all my excuses, made them inexcusable. Hmm, sounds like God has me right where he wants me.