More and more, I am convinced that most people mess up their days before they even begin. 

Now, let me preface everything that I’m about to say with the fact that I am a morning person in every sense of the word. But… this wasn’t always the case. A few years ago, I was the kind of person who got up 5 minutes before I had to be out the door for school or work (and it was often obvious to those around me that this was how I lived my life due to my appearance and abundance of eye boogers). 

Part of what forced me to change my outlook on the morning was having kids. Naturally, when you become a parent, you end up getting up earlier and learning how to function on less hours of sleep which makes you a morning person in a sense (but this doesn’t mean you enjoy it by any means). The other thing that pushed me to change my outlook was reading the book, “At Your Best” by Carey Nieuwhof early on into my full time career and being challenged to make my day work for me, not against me as a young professional. 

Over the years of partly being forced and partly being convinced, I have fallen in love with the mornings. 

In fact, I have begun to view them as the most important part of my day. 

Slowly but surely, I began to adjust my schedule to go to sleep earlier, and therefore wake up earlier as well. I started to add little things to my morning here and there in order to accomplish more before I arrived at work and got “started.” 

Let me pause before I go any further to state the obvious, this isn’t inherently a Biblical idea (even though I do believe a case could be made for it) but that doesn’t mean it isn’t wise. I know that there are cases of people who simply cannot fit anything into their morning routine without getting up at 3am and not getting enough sleep or something, and if that’s you, then some of these ideas may be unwise! 

But people in that category would be the exceptions. I’m convinced most people can grow in their love and discipline in the morning, and therefore grow in what they are able to do in their day to day life. 

For me, this looks like my alarm going off at 5:30am (I’d like to say I pop out of bed every single morning, but this is hardly the case). Once I’m up and alive, I go downstairs and get to my spot that has my Bible, journal, and C.S. Lewis quote book and I spend time with the Lord. 

This is the most important piece of a “successful morning".” If you let your phone get in your head before God does… you are setting yourself up for an anxious, fearful, angry day. Begin with one on one time between you and Jesus, whatever that looks like. 

For me, after this my wife and I get both my kids up, dressed, fed, and out the door for school by 7am. And as soon as they get out the door, I head to the gym. After the gym I come back home and shower, get ready, and often clean the kitchen or get dinner in the crockpot. 

I’ve been doing this for years. 

And I’m starting to realize (from looking back over these past couple years) that it’s changing my life. 

I’m becoming a more disciplined person. And when I fall out of this routine or don’t protect my morning, my day kind of spirals.

I’ve started to call this principle in my life, front-loading. 

By the time you get to what you “have to do” that day (work, school, the demands of life) make sure you budget and protect time for what you need to do (time with God, taking care of yourself, maybe even hobbies like reading, etc.). 

The effects are incredible. 

When you get home from work, you have nothing hanging over your head. You can relax on the couch with no guilt of a “wasted evening” because you’ve already accomplished some big things. If you’re a parent like me, you can slow down and fully be present with your kids and family without the need to rush to the next thing. You can spend time with friends or watching tv without sacrificing your spiritual or physical or mental needs.   

The big idea is pretty simple. 

Front-load the important so the urgent doesn’t own you.

The urgent tasks of life will always show up and demand your attention. So front load the things that really matter to you, and watch how it begins to shape you over time. 

Like I said, this is simply an aspect of my life that has changed me, that I wanted to impart to you, but I don’t think Jesus’ life looked too far off… 

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Mark 1:35