I love my mornings now, but for the majority of my adult life (my mom would argue this hasn’t started yet) the morning was the first bad thing that happened throughout an inevitably painful personal existence of a day.
You’re first alarm goes off. Mental math ensues to lengthen your bed as long as possible. You get up at the last moment, and your day has started in a panic. Have you ever had a morning like this?
Yea, me too. More than 6 years worth of panicked, fuck this morning kind of wake ups, spread out over the last 8.
Personally, this has been one of the cornerstones of adaptation to a new life that I embrace and so can you. There are a million articles (9 mil plus, actually) involving famous and successful peoples wake-up routines, but every time I would read these (more like glance over them thinking “yea fucking right”) my mind would tell itself, one day.
That one day has come. 6 days out of the week. I have been called an arrogant, cocky, self-centered person in past lives, but guess what, in this instance, I will wear that ribbon proud.
I wake up early for no one else but ME. My sanity. My confidence. My understanding that we all die someday so let’s get after it at our own pace.
There are 2 seconds when getting up early hits you…pulling off the covers and sitting on the edge of the bed before those feet hit the ground. It’s not real until the feet hit. But, to my surprise, this is now my favorite part of the morning. Knowing that most people aren’t up yet, and even fewer are getting up to read, poorly write a blog post, or get in some cardio at 5:15 am.
I feel free and at ease when it’s just me.
Now, I am not and more than likely will never be a famous CEO (although, it would be great if my future wife was... Anyways, I digress. Back to rambling about waking up in first place), but guess what, in my mind I am my own CEO for that 60–90 minute window in the morning where it’s just ME.
It only takes one day, but that’s the Everest.
Day One.
After that it’s usually bunny hills and self-confidence. Usually. If it wasn’t a little work somedays, everyone would do it.
Here’s the pieces that I have found that help:
- Set out your clothes the night before, right next to your bed (Per #1 badass Jocko Willink). Work out clothes, a robe, sweats, anything comfy. Not your suit or dress yet.
- Have something to do when you get up. My routine is turn on the water pot, bathroom, then my recliner to read. If it’s a cardio morning, I get dressed and out as quick as possible.
- Music (my preference, wordless jazz cafe playlists) or a Podcast you enjoy (JRE, Radio Lab, Jocko, TED Talks Daily, Sam Harris, Hay House)
There are a million other variables that have worked well for others. Run your own tests, but Day One is all that matters. Ease into your day before the inevitable shit storm that can be life is thrown in your face.
You can handle it and I believe in you.
“Give Happiness and YOU will end up happy” -Yogi Tea-
What is your mourning routine?
