A Day in the Life: A Habit Makeover

Confession: I read a lot of articles that sound something like this - A Day in the Life of a Successful Female Executive, A Day in the Life of a Working Mom, or A Day in the Life of a Young Professional. Well, I am not an executive or a mom yet, but I think I fit the category of young professional. The others just give me something to which to aspire in the future. I started thinking how an honest article on a day in my life would read in hopes that it would expose areas that need to change. So...here goes.

Anywhere between 5:00 - 7:00AM: That is an honest range. I wake up at 5:00A if I am going to a 6:00A Pure Barre class or walking with my friends. I wake up around 6:30A if I need a shower, blow dry and make up. I wake up around 7:00A if I showered at night or plan to go to work in wet braid. I don't eat or drink coffee at home. I don't take the dog out. Literally, I get myself presentable and drive 5-minutes to work.

Potential Improvements: Make the 5:00A-6:30A wake-up calls the norm. Let's be honest, once Baby P gets here, there will be plenty of sleep sacrificing going on. I'd rather get in the habit of waking up earlier and having me-time or prep-time or work-out time before I go into mom-mode. I cannot wait to write those future blog posts, because I think expectations and reality are often very different when it comes to predicting motherhood.

8:00A I arrive at work. We have an on-site cafeteria at AutoZone, so I use that daily. I buy two eggs with cheese. I am pretty sure that is some sort of instant eggs, but I will choose to remain ignorant on that one. I have a Keurig at my desk, so I brew a Folgers "1/2 Caff" K Cup and add some Italian Sweet Cream creamer. I also drink a 20oz Propel Fitness Water in the AM. I eat, check email and quickly browse CNN, ESPN, Real Clear Politics, and Levo. The first three give me news - election, business and sports. Levo gives me inspirational articles like A Day in the Life of a Successful Female Executive. Sometimes I just need to set the tone for the day on a motivational note.

Potential Improvements: While getting to work at 8:00 is fine, I get more wind-up time when I arrive at 7:30. Getting to work earlier is a goal of mine, and I am hoping I can accomplish that after Baby P is born. Also, although the breakfast at work is cheap, it is cheaper and more time-saving to cook and eat at home.

8:30 - 11:30A: Work. That might be research, writing or meetings.

11:30A:  Lunch. That could mean a lot of things. Sometimes the team eats together. Sometimes I try to squeeze in a lunch with Lucas. Sometimes I run somewhere with my iPad and have a me-lunch. Sometimes I eat at my desk. It really depends on my mood. I eat a lot of the same things over and over again. Cough cough Lenny's.

Potential Improvements: Pack. A. Lunch.

12:30 - 5:00: Work.

5:00 - 6:00: Lucas and the dog are usually sitting on the front porch when I get home, which is a welcome sight. If there is a Grizz game, we change, go grab food and head to the game. If there is not, we discuss dinner. While we have started to cook more (due to a conscious choice), there are still plenty of nights when I either hit up my mom for meals - she is down the road - or we choose our favorite takeout.

Potential Improvements: Plan more dinners. Crock pot meals go well usually, especially if they yield enough food to eat again another night. I'd like to go on more walks. I'd like to be less useless once I hit the couch. So often, dishes and laundry get put off for days until it piles up more than I'd like to admit.

6:00 - 9:00: Watch things. Right now, that's Mad Men or Grizz games. Occasionally, we will take the dog on a walk after dinner. We sit on the couch, each on iPads, half-listening to the TV. The pets crowd around us. Anytime after 8:30P, I am a great candidate for passing out on the couch. Lucas eventually wakes me up to tell me to go to bed and I stumble through taking my makeup off (if I have any on), brushing my teeth and giving myself insulin. I crawl in the bed. My dog insists on cuddling up to my left armpit, and I cuddle my Snoogle pillow as I fall asleep to Friends.

Potential Improvements: Get ready for bed and in bed earlier so as to stop falling asleep on the couch. I really savor these evenings with my husband and pets and being allowed to fall asleep whenever my body tells me to, but I know those days are numbered. A good evening routine is just as important as a good morning routine, and right now, mine is governed by my own lack of energy and fatigue. These hours are by far the least productive of my entire day, and I think I could rearrange some things  to get more done at night.