This makes me laugh every time.

Mornings are a time some people love, but others beg to differ (ehem me).

Currently, 2023 mornings.

• Get up. (Easier said than done. Maligator cuddles are the best!)

• “Dog” clothes. (No yard = many “short” potty break walks. With that being said, the question of “Will I be reported for indecent exposure?” Needs to be a “no.”)

• Fill up the dogs food and water bowl. (It’s what works best for everyone. I’ll get distracted and forget otherwise and remember in the late afternoon. Also, if they eat and drink a little before taking them out they tend to relieve themselves more quickly during our potty walk.)

• Potty walk (Tends to take 5 to 20 minutes. Sometimes takes me longer should the last person to have taken them “forgets” to refill their Earth Rated Lavender Scented poop bag containers. Non-morning person here is still struggling with being up let alone noticing what should be full is actually empty. )

• Meds and hydration time for myself. (If I don’t do both at the same time, I’ll forget. Have many times.)

• Finally, assess the To-Do’s for the day. (This is where I stop to relax. My new game is Raid Shadow Legends. Very passive but still plays like progress is being made. I’ll play this while I start figuring out the day. Mentally, my list is categorized into: Actually need to do; Will need to do; and maybe squeeze it in, what I want to do if time allows, but not necessarily have to do. I’ll breakdown this method in another blog.)

There are several “Actually need to do’s” I do before planning but it helps considerably because it’s now off my To-do list. This allows me to have a little bit of breather time and helps me focus better.

Having stopped to plan out the day I find it easier to keep up with tasks. I’ll take care of what has to be done and if energy, time, and motivation are up to take care “Will need to do” tasks I’ll be ahead of the game and get a bit of a dopamine boost too. Always a plus.

In short, I plan to take care of daily mandatory work, and if I can get more done, it’s a perk with residual benefits. However, it’s all about keeping a good pace to help prevent burnout.

Many times, I’ll choose to do “What I want to do” over “Will need to do “. It’s better for my mental health, and if it keeps me from derailing into a pit of cyclical feelings of burnout, it still forward progress. May not be fast, but it’s still faster than being at a full stop.

So, with all that being said…