Hi Reader,

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My oldest son is about to turn 15 (!)

Raising 5 kids has been a journey full of all the peaks and valleys. Over these 15 years, I've personally experimented with all kinds of lifestyle approaches including working full-time from home (waaaaay before working remotely was all that common), being a full-time at-home parent, doing freelance work on the side, homeschooling, sending kids to school, and now working in an office about 30 hours a week.

I appreciate that this audience is full of people who have done a variety of the above. Everyone's choices and experiences are valuable for their families in different ways.

With this in mind, I wanted to share something that I was reminded of this week: the value of habits no matter what season you're in and what your life looks like.

As I share in Motivation Masterclass and elsewhere, habits are a key ingredient to living with purpose.

I have several habits in my life that have held steady from the time my big kids were little, through the homeschool years, and now through the transition to working outside the home.

My morning routine is one of them. Most days it includes:

• Devotional/prayer time
• Exercise (even a quick walk with the dog or some stretches)
• A glass of water
• Coffee (non-negotiable)

I'm not 100%, but these practices are so ingrained that it feels weird when I have a day without them.

My morning routine contains components that some experts call keystone habits:

Another way to understand a keystone habit is that it's like a domino. Once you establish it, it becomes easier to "stack" other desirable habits on top of it.

I'm not sure what part of my morning routine is the keystone that triggers all the others; maybe it's the whole thing? The point is, it's ingrained, it gets me going, and it sets me on the trajectory I want each day.

Reflection Questions: Do you have a morning routine or keystone habits that point you in the direction you want to go each day? What are they? If not, what do you want them to be?

If you want to dig deeper...

James Clear is a no-brainer. You can find his book, Atomic Habits, pretty much anywhere or subscribe to his newsletter below for quick, helpful thoughts each week.

James Clear 3-2-1 Newsletter Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits. I write about building better habits. Over 2 million people read my free email newsletter. Click subscribe to join. Subscribe​

Redeeming Productivity* is another resource that I've been enjoying recently, written from a Christian perspective. Last week's newsletter talked about keystone habits and reminded me of the whole concept. So hats off to Reagan Rose.

Plus if you sign up, you get a free printable to help you build and refine your morning routine.

Check out Redeeming Productivity here.

That's all for now. Enjoy!

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