Can We Please Stop It With The Morning Routines?
About 6 months ago I wrote about how I stopped liking morning routines. I’m proud to say that nothing has changed! I still have the same annoyance whenever I read another life-changing, blow your mind, make-you-productive morning routine.
This has turned into Medium’s version of clickbait articles. There’s even this one writer, who has written about his amazing morning routine for more than 5 times in the past year.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had my fair share of morning routines and rituals. And let me tell you, things did not happen for me. I did not become a productivity machine like what most of these folks (influencers) are claiming.
So naturally, I asked myself what is it that I’m doing wrong?
I realized that I was aiming for perfection.
I’m in it for all the wrong things. I’m waking up early because Elon Musk wakes up early. I ask myself the same question Steve Jobs asks himself every morning. I tried to “Eat that frog first” like Mark Twain. I’ve practically tried everything, only to find out that I won’t be the same level as these guys (ever).
Following a set of routine doesn’t make you great, it just makes you good at following orders.
I was mentally ticking off each box waiting for my “morning list” to be complete. Constantly panicking if I have done the sequence right.
Have I meditated?
Have I exercised?
Have I said my affirmations?
Where is my Journal?
Am I really grateful for this?
Should I have my 3rd coffee now?
Am I late for work?
But, I’m not yet done with my 50 morning routines to jumpstart my day
If you’re a regular guy just like me. I’ll save you all the trouble and tell you right now that it’s going to be hard (and sleepless). But, if you’re really serious about giving it a go, here are my suggestions.
Experiment, experiment, experiment
What works for him will never work for you. Shop around for different morning routines. Tweak them and make them your own. Give it a run for a week or two, tweaking the routines as you go. You’ll never find the perfect recipe just by reading an article. You have unique needs and so does Elon Musk.
Do you think Elon Musk has the same set of needs as you? Let’s face it, you’re someone who has a very nice and calm life, no need for you to hype it up.
Forgive yourself
If you fail at one of your morning routine experiments, cut yourself some slack and move on. If you didn’t wake up to the alarm at 5 AM, it’s no big deal. Life will continue to exist for you even if you forgot to say your affirmations. You will can still accomplish things even if you didn’t go for a morning jog.
It’s impossible to get it right all the time. Don’t buy into that idea. Stay realistic and focus more on the outcome.
Stay genuine
Like what I said, you are not some productivity guru, coach, mentor, influencer (well, not yet). Don’t give yourself the same pressure. Or else you’ll see yourself posting morning selfies on Instagram only to realize that the validation you receive from it isn’t worth anything. Stay true to yourself. Don’t do it for social media or for appearances.
At the end of the day, we’re all the same. We’re humans and we make mistakes and we are imperfect. We have good and bad days (or mornings).
Find what works for you and stick to it. No amount of morning routine articles is going to magically transform you into a productivity machine.
I understand that I may get some flak for my unpopular opinion. But, at least I’m keeping it real.
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