Morning Messes…
It’s a messy morning
It’s 8:30 AM and walking into my house after dropping off the kids at school is overwhelming. My eyes jump from one disaster to the other: breakfast plates, books, and hairbrush on one part of the counter, craft supplies for a last-minute teacher birthday card, and mail on the other.
Looking down at myself, the theme is reiterated - hot mess express. Non-matching gym clothes that will not see the light of the gym today.
Moments like this, when I can so easily slip into the familiar pattern of self-judgment, are the best opportunities to choose gratitude instead. Although I’m not much for making New Year’s “resolutions” there are two commitments I made in 2023 that have already made a huge impact on my life.
The first is a daily gratitude list
More than just thinking about what I’m grateful for, I’ve committed to writing it down and sharing it with others daily. The beauty of this practice is not only that I am constantly looking for things to be grateful for, but I’m also able to be witnessed in my daily life and held accountable by a few people near and dear to me. Friends that I don’t see every day stay connected by knowing what’s going on with me on a daily basis. A coach of mine once said, “complaining is not conversation.” It reminds me of how many times we get together with our friends or family and spend our time complaining or gossiping. This gratitude feels like the opposite.
The second thing I committed to this year
is using a filter to be crystal clear in my decision-making process. The filter is simple and ties back to my goals and values. You can make a decision-making filter for yourself too.
Think of what’s most important for you this year and also think of the qualities that you want to nurture within yourself. Then, make a simple flow chart, if the decision ahead of you doesn’t meet your criteria, then your answer is clear. My 2023 decision filter must answer yes to at least one of the following criteria to be a “yes” in my life. Will this give me more free time, better health, more wealth, or make me happier?
You can use this decision filter for decisions on social, work, or extracurricular activities.
Back to my messy morning and a house that looks like a bomb went off in it. Reminding myself how grateful I am to have had a morning without kids arguing or feeling stressed leaving the house, being able to pack healthy lunches for my kids and make a healthy breakfast sandwich for them, and having the luxury of not needing to get dressed up to rush to work today and having time to clean this all up later.
Wishing you friends a grateful day and patterns, and habits that light you up!!
XO Coach Marcy K
