Why I Make My Coffee First, NOT My Bed
Freedom is creating a daily routine that works for you, not against you
No wonder folks with 3-hour morning routines have so much anxiety.
They know they have to get up at 4 AM to finish their routines before heading to work. That would stress me the hell out too.
My morning routine is simple: I wake up, make my coffee, and get to work. I take care of my mindfulness while doing high-ROI activities.
Routines are double-edged swords
A morning routine is (mostly) a scam.
TikTok is all over a trend right now that shows people's routines. They’re so enticing. I hate them.
I can’t help but watch carefully edited videos of peoples’ dust-free homes, $1,500 espresso makers, and eucalyptus hanging from the shower head showers, all the while, going through a routine of yoga and cold showers.
The problem is that each video is a lie.
Film hides what’s happening beyond the scenes, just like a 3-hour morning routine hides what’s truly going on in one’s head.
The problem with routine is that when the day inevitably comes, you can’t keep to the routine.
When your kid forgets his lunch, you must return to his school to drop it off. That can shatter a strict routiner’s world.
Think about it…
A 3-hour morning routine might look something like this:
4:30 AM: Wake up and stretch
4:45 AM: Take a morning walk
5:15 AM: Hop in for a cold shower
5:30 AM: Meditate in the livingroom
5:50 AM: Write in a journal
6:10 AM: Practice gratitude
6:30 AM: Make and sip on coffee
6:45 AM: Go to the gym
7:45 AM: Start getting ready for work
Listen, if anyone could do all that before starting their typical work day, every day, I’d admit…it’s impressive.
It’s a testament to consistency and pure willpower.
But you shouldn’t feel any inkling of pressure to do any of this before work. Because the fact is, these three hours of your nonworking life are meant to do things you enjoy.
Spend your time your way
Let’s face it, 40 hours of most of our weeks are spent at a 9–5.
Your boss, or maybe more like society, controls how you spend one-third of your life. It’s quite sad, really. So if you sleep another eight hours a night, you only get to own one-third of your time on earth.
Mix in an office commute, and you get even less.
3-hour routines use their time the way they like it. You should follow your flow. My routine doesn’t take me hours in the morning because I split it up throughout the day. It starts the night before.
I write what tasks I need to do in my planner before I go to bed.
Then I wake up, make my coffee, and do a quick writing session before I start working for the day.
This works for me.
I work from home, so I have the freedom to get out of my chair and stretch between meetings. My morning writing session acts like writing in a journal.
I work out after work instead of before because my mind and body feel stronger later in the day.
You have the freedom to create the routine you want. Quickly write that down.
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