Mixing up the blog content a little with some free-writing this morning. I love my slow, quiet, solo mornings.
Spoiler Alert! I am not that interesting. But it is full of doggy pets, snuggles, and kisses!
My Current Morning Routine
7:40 AM
When I wake up, the first thing I do is check my Google Analytics for the HF Blog and my email.
I know that phone time isn’t the best way to wake up, but pageviews still get me so excited, and I love seeing which posts are keeping traction and which ones are flops.
7:45 AM
Caleb says goodbye, kisses me, and then says, “What are you going to do today?” and I say, “Have a great day.”
Yep, this is our routine – we’ve been doing it for years.
7:50 AM
I roll over and take a photo or 10 of VÃk & Kenzo sleeping on Caleb’s pillow next to me. I love it when they both snuggle up with me in the morning!
7:55 AM
COFFEE TIME!!!
I am definitely a don’t-talk-to-me-until-I’ve-had-my-coffee type of person.
Lately, I’ve loves Anodyne Coffee – Press. Blend.
While I’m waiting for my coffee to brew, I feed VÃk & Kenzo. I squirt some Salmon Oil on their food, shake it up, and serve it.
And, full transparency, I pick up my phone and scroll aimlessly on Instagram while the coffee is brewing.
8:15 AM
I sit down with my coffee (and occasionally a small breakfast) and turn on a podcast or talk radio.
Occasionally, I’ll use this time to pay bills, check my bank account, and budget out any big expenses for the next week.
When I can easily tackle this boring/difficult stuff in the day, I feel energized and strong! Dealing with finances and seeing my success brings me so much joy. I love that I am financially stress-free.
8:40 AM
I usually find myself so deep into whatever I was blogging, reading, editing, culling, or answering that I almost forget that I need to get up and get dressed!
My makeup routine is super quick because it’s always the last thing on my list. Usually, I throw on a bit of mascara, SPF, and chapstick. Sometimes I forget the chapstick. I am so so so so basic when it comes to makeup. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I am not really into putting stuff on my face… other than lotion. I love lotion.
9:00 AM
And then it’s off to the studio, a beautiful park, downtown, or someone’s house for a photo session!
Or spending the day in my home office or kitchen counter editing and blogging the day away. My photography studio is in Bay View, and most of my clients live in SE Wisconsin, so I’ve got a short commute. If it is more than 10 minutes, I will pop on one of my Spotify playlists or a podcast.
When I have sessions starting mid-afternoon, allow me to get in lots of fetch time with VÃk. He could play fetch for hours and hours.
But, to be honest – running a business is hard.
I only post and share the glamorous parts, but truthfully, a lot of it is unsexy. Editing, invoicing, mile tracking, print orders, pitching bands and press opportunities, coaching programs, online training, and sending out quotes. I work a normal 9-7 like most people. I am not complaining; I am just honest. Long hours and full work weeks have remained the norm, despite popular entrepreneurial philosophies like The Four Hour Work Week.
Okay – that’s it, guys. I am pretty robotic. I love my alone time. I love my home office. I love being a hermit.
I am an introvert 100%, and I love alone time. After shoots, consults, and mastermind calls, I am so grateful to have my mornings re-charged before putting myself around people.
Despite being introverted, I tend to over-give my time and energy, and love, and I know that I need to work on that because over-giving doesn’t serve me and help me.
I am so lucky to have accumulated so many friends/peers. I appreciate and value that I have so many people standing in my corner that I want to divide my time between. And while continuing to nourish these friendships I’ve made in my life, I must also take care of myself by allowing myself the space I need. I attribute that sentiment to Celeste Scott; she is so wise!
This winter, I have been adamant about getting in the habit of taking my mornings slowly, allowing myself to carve out time for just myself, and not overwhelming myself by filling my schedule to the brim 7 days a week! I basically reached burnout in 2019, and I vow to never put myself in that pattern of living again.
PS: I am so in love and inspired by this article about working long hours as an entrepreneur.
PSS: DO you like my bedroom set-up? We did a master bedroom refresh last year. Here is the blog post with all the deets!