Getting Back Into the Routine

Teacher workshops started this week, which means it is officially time to start getting back into a routine.

The nice thing about teacher workshops is that they gave me an opportunity to practice my morning routine without having to worry about getting my own kids through their morning routine. One person to get out the door should be pretty easy, right?

I attempted to be prepared. I picked out my clothes the night before, prepped my coffee, set my alarm and even washed my hair. That last one is a big deal because my curly hair takes some work to get out of my summer windblown ponytail look, and I knew I probably should show up to a teacher workshop looking like I had made at least a little effort.

My alarm went off at 5:00, but I tried to ignore it and rolled out of bed at 5:03. I pushed the start button on my coffee maker, read my Bible and prayed for the day. Then I decided I needed to go for a morning walk.

Walking or running most mornings is one of the summer routines I really enjoy,

and I don't want to give it up just because school is starting, so I went for my walk.

After that, I attempted to look human.

Wearing real clothes rather than a swimsuit, doing my hair and putting on a small amount of makeup took much longer than I thought it should. By the time I was mostly ready, I inhaled my breakfast and wrote a few quick paragraphs of the Bible.

I still needed to fill my water bottle, grab an extra water bottle and find my LMNT. (I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Amazon affiliate.) I'm trying to keep the headaches away, and yes, I should have done all of that the night before.

I finally pulled out of the garage with less time than I should have had before the 8:00 meeting, so I sent a quick text to my partner in crime: Save me a seat.

I pulled into the parking lot with several of my last-minute coworkers and walked through the door at 7:53. Thankfully, I found my saved seat. Right up front.

As I sat down, I realized that getting back into a routine is going to take a little practice. I had planned ahead, but I still managed to hit snooze without actually hitting snooze, underestimate how long my hair would take, inhale breakfast and leave the house wondering what I had forgotten.

But I also did the things I really wanted to keep with me from summer. I walked. I read my Bible. I prayed. I wrote. It wasn't a perfect morning, but I kept the things that were important to me. That's the part of my routine I want to protect as the school year gets busier.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

Psalm 143:8

I don't think the point of a morning routine is to have a morning that looks perfect. At least mine certainly doesn't. For me, it's starting the day with some things that help me remember what matters before the emails, meetings, schedules, students and everything else that comes with a school day take over.

One of my goals going into the workshops was to learn at least one thing I could take with me. The speaker talked about protecting your peace, and my practical takeaway was to set my out-of-office response on Thursdays and Fridays. I also know that I need to work on not checking my email when I'm not working, which is probably going to be harder than setting the out-of-office message.

I think the same idea applies to my morning. There are things I can't control once the day gets going, but I can choose how I begin it. I don't need to recreate my summer mornings exactly. I just want to keep the parts that have been good for me and figure out how they fit into this school year. I also need to figure out how much time it actually takes to make my hair look like I didn't just spend the summer in a ponytail.

The rest of the workshop day gave me a few more stories that might be better told than written, including one involving an award, a shoe and a skirt.

I'll save that one for the podcast.

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About Make Monday Matter

Make Monday Matter is my weekly Christian devotional where I share reflections on faith, running, and the small ways God shows up in everyday life.