Why I Started Morning Activities

"90% of Your Life Changes with Habits Before 8 AM"
— The reason I started morning activities was one book!

On November 13, 2019, I finished reading a book. The book was titled "90% of Your Life Changes with Habits Before 8 AM," and it resonated deeply with me. At that time, I was on maternity leave after giving birth to my second daughter. I happened to come across it on Kindle and finished reading it. I was busy with childcare every day, often staying up late to do housework after putting the kids to sleep, or dealing with night crying while neglecting my own needs, and it was a period when I felt a vague sense of frustration in my heart.

The day my desire to change became stronger

When I thought, "If I were to die tomorrow, what should I do?", I realized that I didn't have enough time. With more children, I had no time for myself, and although I wanted to cherish my own time more and do the things I wanted to do, every day just passed by in a rush. The book I encountered at that time suggested a lifestyle habit of "going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at 4 AM."

At first, I was anxious about whether this would really suit me. But I decided to give it a try. It was a determination to reclaim my own time, thinking, "I have to create my own time myself!" I made up my mind to go to bed early and wake up early.

The Challenge of Waking Up Early: A Record of Failure and Overcoming

At first, I didn't realize that waking up early would be this difficult. I was someone who originally loved sleeping! I loved the night! I was even fine with pulling all-nighters.
After giving birth, my physical strength declined, and I often ended up falling asleep along with the kids during bedtime, so I felt it was too painful to wake up again once I had fallen asleep.

I almost gave up on waking up early many times. Even so, amidst the days of accumulating frustration, I felt, "I can't go on like this," and "This isn't the kind of parenting I want to do!", so I gradually incorporated the habit of waking up early.

What I wanted wasn't just time, but peace of mind.

There were days when I could wake up in the 5 AM hour, and days when I just couldn't. Still, I continued to go through trial and error, wanting to somehow create time in the morning.

The reason why waking up at 4 AM became established

Entering 2021, I decided to just go to bed along with the children's bedtime, moving to the bedroom at 8 PM and sleeping right away. Once I started that, the habit of waking up at 4 AM accelerated, and finally, waking up at 4 AM became established. Even now, there are times when it's hard to get out of bed in the morning. Still, I have become a captive of that pleasant time, and I have come to feel that the quiet time in the morning is more precious than anything else.

When I wake up at 4 AM, I can have time just for myself before the family wakes up, which creates room in my feelings. I gained confidence that I could wake up early in the morning, to the point where I could think, "It's okay, I can do it slowly tomorrow morning."
By cherishing my own time, I was able to spend my days with peace of mind without being crushed by the busyness of daily life.

Specific changes brought about by waking up early

Looking back, the decision to take the plunge and start waking up early at that time became the catalyst that greatly changed my life. Now, cherishing the morning time every day has become a part of a comfortable and calm life. The fact that I always have composure is conveyed to those around me, and not only my children but also the people I interact with have come to say things like, "You are always so calm," and "You seem to have so much composure."

By having this morning time, I was able to cherish myself even while juggling childcare and work, and it created peace of mind. And I feel that continuing that habit even now is the most important thing for me.

In conclusion

In the days of being chased by childcare and work, having peace of mind is not easy. But I realized that by having even a little bit of time for myself, every day feels richer and more comfortable.

From now on, I want to continue to cherish the time I can have for myself in the early morning and live a calm daily life. If you also thought, "I want to cherish my morning time more," why not start together with me?

Without pushing yourself, little by little.

Just a little bit more than today,
May you have a pleasant morning...
Let's cultivate peace of mind together!