5:30 am- alarm goes off. I hop out of bed to turn it off. Jeremy’s alarm went off but he is still in bed. Normally if he decides to sleep in then there is zero chance that I am going to get up. I even briefly pondered if I specified in my challenge the specific time I would exercise. All this sleepy mental bartering going on. I realize that I did say before the kids wake up and I know realistically that the chances of me doing jack squat once my youngest is up is very slim. So it is now or never. I choose now.

Jeremy is often my rock when it comes to getting up early because it is hard to sleep in when I see his commitment. But I understand him sleeping in because he is juggling so much right. Tuesday he leads middle school and high school youth group in the evening and does staff meeting during the day. Thursday he leads young adults in the evening. During the day he subs at the high school while working on getting his notary license and being a Realtor. Oh and he helps to coach the high school baseball team Monday through Friday.

Last year from September to June I did this thing called the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius. I meet with my spiritual director every week and had daily reading and writing to do. But it was that accountability that got me up every day at 5:30am. But I am finding that without that external accountability – I struggle with being disciplined. So this writing about this experiment in a mild way gives me external accountability even though I made up the challenge. I am hoping it helps to cement the habit of getting up at 5:30am.

• I did the elliptical for 25 minutes while listening to Domestic Monastery. I am listening to it again because it was so good.
• I drank 25 ounces of water but just barely. So I am glad this is my goal and not a gallon.
• I forgot most of the day to do the weights after I used the bathroom but managed to do it a few times. And when I did I would do more than 5 reps. It is like once I am in motion, I just keep it going.
• I took my probiotic.
• I ate well and within the diabetic guidelines. Mostly. My struggle is late afternoon then also once my youngest is in bed. My oldest is in college and middle 2 are teens so we only have 1 who needs us to do a bedtime process with him. But most nights once I tuck him in- I am in munchie mode. Tom Petty- Free Fallin’- “now I’m free…” It is like I live like nothing has a carb count. So that is dangerous. A whole day of discipline often gets unraveled by this free for all. It is rarely hunger but just cravings and I can feel like I deserve it after momming all day. It is better when I channel those cravings to what I really desire like some silence, solitude, a hot bath, or snuggle up with a good book or some tiny house watching.

Tomorrow is another day. 🙂