The day begins with me slipping out of bed, pulling on a  sweatshirt over my pajamas, and heading downstairs to my favorite chair. I grab my laptop and a fuzzy blanket and sit in the dark.

The house is quiet and it’s so dark that I can’t see anything outside except the shadows of trees in our backyard.

I interact with friends on Twitter for a few minutes, as I wake, and then I start to write.

For about an hour, it’s this: darkness and quiet except for the sound of my fingers clicking across the keys.

As the sky begins to lighten, I hear the sound of my daughters, one by one, coming down the stairs.

I save my writing as a draft and close my laptop, setting it aside.

I greet each girl with a hug and we cram into my chair for a snuggle under the blanket. We talk and laugh, share “I love yous.”

By now, it’s light and I can hear their tummies grumbling.

We all hang out in the kitchen while I make breakfast. Today it’s pancakes, strawberries, bacon, and orange juice that I pour into a glass pitcher.

It’s warm, and sun is pouring across the deck. One daughter grabs a broom to sweep off leaves and sticks while another sets the table for breakfast outside. When they’re done, they cut some fresh flowers for the table from our garden and put them into a vase on the table.

My littlest girl sticks close to me in the kitchen. I lift her up so she can sprinkle chocolate chips into the pancakes. When she’s done, she turns to me and squeezes me tightly. Music is playing on my iPod and we sing along.

We all head outside to the deck to eat.

My husband, who has been getting ready for work on this summer day, joins us outside with his cup of steaming coffee. While we eat, he reads family devotions. We pray and he hugs everyone goodbye.

While the girls clear the table, I head upstairs to put on my running clothes.

By now, the girls are dressed, too.

They get their bikes and we head into the neighborhood. They’re on their bikes and I jog along beside them, then sprint ahead, stretching my legs. It’s not a linear run, and my pace varies as I circle back to keep them moving forward, but we are outside; the air is fresh and crisp; we’re moving, together; my heart rate increases and by the time we get home, I’m sweating and spent.

I get a tall glass of ice water for myself and the girls help themselves, too. We sit at the table and talk about the day ahead. I check email and respond to the most pressing ones before I head upstairs for a quick shower.

It’s before 9 am when I walk into my home office. I have enough time to publish my earlier draft and share my new post on social media channels. I write several tweets and schedule them to post throughout the day. Then I take a few minutes to prepare for a call with my first client of the day. It’s my favorite one. (If you’re reading this, and you’re my client — it’s you.)

I close my door to sounds of the girls playing happily together, knowing I will join them for a snack break mid-morning and and afternoon swim when my work is finished.

This: my ideal day begins.

My copy of Jason Womack’s Your Best Just Got Better arrived on Friday afternoon. It begins with Jason describing his ideal day. I love the idea! I am looking forward to learning from Jason’s book and discovering days like the one I described above. 

Tell me something! How does your ideal day begin? How would you describe it? (If you blog about your ideal day, please return here and share in the comments. I’d love to read about it.