I think most moms have a deep desire to put their family first. Even the ones who appear to be placing their careers or their hobbies in front of their children. Even the ones who rely on nannies or relatives to take care of their babies. Even the ones who are too tired at the end of the day to tuck their little ones in with a kiss and a prayer. (I have been this mom – the one who does all of these things – at one time or another. Yet, I truly intend to put my family first.)

We judge each other – and ourselves – on the things we see. But we don’t see the conditions of another mom’s heart. We don’t know if she’s putting her family first in a different way. If she’s setting an example for her children that all things are possible. If she’s pouring out her love for them by providing for them. If she’s showing them how important it is to use the gifts God gave her to serve others.

Putting your family first isn’t easy. And it doesn’t look the same for everyone.

It sometimes looks like you don’t care… I’m one of those moms who has no idea what her children are learning in school on any given day. My refusal to micromanage my children’s homework starting in the first grade was not received well by teachers who were probably hoping for parents who were more engaged in their child’s education. But I recognized then that I had precious few hours to spend with my child and I wanted to spend them doing other things – I wanted to help build character rather than teach math. I’m forever grateful for the wonderful teachers who so excellently manage my children’s education so that I can focus on my priorities. I do care. Just in a different way.

It sometimes looks like you can’t stick with a commitment… I’ve been known to let my child skip soccer practice so that we can enjoy a family dinner. I’m sure the soccer coach and other team members view that as a lack of commitment. But I view it as a commitment to family time. And my children are learning to honor commitments. It just may not look that way to others.

It sometimes looks like you have no ambition… When others around me are climbing the corporate ladder, getting promotions, being relocated for new opportunities and pursuing multiple post graduate degrees, I often think my career pales in comparison. But then, I remember why I treasure my home-based business as a freelance writer, marketing consultant and leader of the International Christian Mompreneur Network. It’s because I’m putting my family first. I actually think it takes a lot of ambition to achieve that goal.

Not a morning person? You’re not alone. Many moms are most productive after they put the kids to bed. That’s when they can finally focus on their work, and they stay up late to take advantage of the quiet. They are the night owls. I’m not one of them. I’m pretty much useless after 9 pm. In fact, now that I have teens in the house, they are usually the ones tucking me in at night.

That’s because I’m typically awake before 6 am. But I wouldn’t call myself a morning person. I’m not exactly pleasant at that hour. It’s just become a habit. And I’m grateful for the habit because it works for me – and for my family. I enjoy my quiet time in the morning. I get to see the sunrise. And I start my day off with a workout so I am free to focus on whatever comes my way the rest of the day.

It’s not easy to shift your natural body clock and become a morning person. But for most of us, motherhood forces us into a new sleep cycle, whether we like it or not. So, how do you stop fighting the urge to stay up past your bedtime? How do you stop hitting the snooze button and waking up feeling rushed and stressed? How do you create habits that will help your body adjust to a different schedule? Here’s how I do it!