Routines. How I Hate To Love Them.

In My Mind, this is me:

Because I went to bed at 9:30 the previous night, I always wake up refreshed every morning at 6am just so I can sit in the silence of my room for at least half an hour praying and meditating about what God has in store for me and thanking Him for everything that I have been given.  

After my prayer and meditation session is done, I leap out of bed with great excitement. I then proceed to make my bed, pick up my room, and make my lunch before hopping in the shower.

Next I eat a healthy breakfast (because it is the most important meal of the day, you know) of eggs, toast, a piece of fruit, and some juice. 

Then I hop in the car and drive the speed limit all the way to school. *Sometimes I even drive a little under just so I can take in the beautiful scenery and still arrive 10 minutes early for class so I don't have to rush.

Once I'm at school I am attentive and engaged in class activities and I ask questions when necessary.

After school I go to work at the daycare where I always have a positive attitude for my school age kids and they never push me to the breaking point.

When the night is over, I go home to eat dinner. I never procrastinate on my homework assignments, that's why I even have time to do my laundry and clean the bathroom before I hit the hay. 

Another successful day in this wonderful, organized life that I have created for myself. 

Too bad this is how my life really works...

In Reality, this is me:

Most of the time I have nightmares, at least 5 to 6 times a week. I also wake up frequently during the night so I hit the snooze about 10 times before my mind actually starts to function. By that time it is usually about half an hour before I have to leave for school. Because of this, I feel rushed. When I feel rushed, I get anxious. When I get anxious, I drop things. When I drop things, I have to pick them up and with how many things I drop and knock down that now leaves me about 25 minutes to shower, dry my hair, get dressed, put my make-up on, and pack my lunch. 

This is me racing the clock... every morning:

 25 minutes- total

-10 minutes (shower + dry hair)

-10 minutes (get dressed)

- 5 minutes (make-up/ brush teeth)

- 5 minutes (pack my lunch)

- 5 minutes (put shoes on, pack my backpack, search for my phone, get in the car)

That's right.

10+10+5+5+5= 35 which means, I am already 10 minutes late to start my day so I don't eat breakfast.

Luckily, I give my self some cushion time so I make it to school at the last second, but that's too close for comfort.

Once I'm in my first class, I generally spend the first 5 minutes catching my breath from running up the stairs and wracking my brain for whatever it is that gives me that nagging feeling that I've forgotten something. I'm not as attentive as I should be because I'm tired and it's winter so I keep thinking about my warm bed. 

After class I go to work at the daycare and I'm sure there are some days when the kids probably wish they had a different teacher because I tend to be a lot more serious when I'm tired. But, for the majority of the time they handle it well and I do my best to have fun with them. 

And finally, when I come home, I usually put my pajamas on and leave my clothes on the floor then crawl into bed and watch a movie on my laptop or go on facebook, you know, anything besides doing my homework. I start to think about doing my homework around 9 or so and if I have a lot I don't get to bed until 11 or 12. And since I have nightmares and wake up frequently, the whole cycle starts over again the next day.

But Here Comes The Good Part:

Like my title says, I love routines! I Love, Love, Love them! But I hate that I can't keep a routine to save my life. But, that's all going to change because I'm going attempt to turn the life I have right now into the life I want. In order to do that I'm starting a...

Why 21 days? Well, I recently read that it takes approximately 21 days for something to become a routine or a habit. I also read that in order to have better success in the 21 day challenge, you should make yourself accountable by telling someone. Hello, my wonderful someone. :) 

Right now I am thinking that 21 days doesn't seem like a very long time, but I'm sure once I get started I will change my mind.

Here are a few things I would like to make routine in my life:

1. Weekday Bedtime : 10:30pm

2. Weekday Wake Up: 7:30am

3. Make Bed After Getting Out of Bed

4. Pick Up Room Every Night

5. Pack Lunch Every Night

6. Clean Off Kitchen Counters/Dishes Every Night

I will do my best to keep these goals and I will update once in a while, but now I need to finish my homework since it's 9:42pm and bedtime is at 10:30! Goodnight!