Morning routines are important. Yet sometimes we don’t realize how important they are.
When you’re regularly doing a morning routine, life just seems easier. It’s easier to get out of bed, easier to do chores, even easier to tackle working in a cubicle.
Sometimes we decide life is going well and we forgo our routine. Life is great, our job is great, and our financial situation is great. Everything is great.
But sometimes, in those moments, we cannibalize ourselves and destroy what had been going well.
Our morning routine – the walking, journaling, praying – is the single element that made life go right to begin with, yet it’s the first thing to disappear once we have our act together.
Morning Routine Fail – Skipping
I’ve chronicled my wife’s walking success. She has a really great routine of walking around the park in the morning. It’s wonderful to see how happy she is because of it.
The other morning she failed to pursue her routine. She slept in, had some business issues to deal with, and spent the entire day in front of the computer. By late afternoon she was burnt out, tired, and suicidal-crazy.
Luckily, she quit what seemed important and went for a walk instead. Suddenly her life was filled with sunshine and daisies. Everything felt back in control and not so overwhelming.
I do the same thing too. I pretend to have my act together and like I’m a morning routine master. I especially need exercise to feel well and think.
But I’m not an expert. Most weekends I don’t like doing my routines. And every few months I stop doing my morning routine for whatever reason.
I feel like life is perfect, like there’s nothing else to achieve. And inevitably I don’t have to do my morning routine any more.
My morning routine takes effort. I get up an extra hour early to journal and listen to music. It’s a pain in the butt sometimes and I’m exhausted. It’s just easier to sleep in and get more rest.
Morning Routine Fail – Example
Doing my routine feels like this = Being a little tired all day, but having lots of motivation.
Skipping my routine feels like this = Well rested all day, but no motivation (like utter terror that life is horrible).
Usually, within a week or two, I’m sick of feeling terrified all the time, so I immediately do my routine again.
You’d think I would learn by this point too, but I don’t. I’m a moron. We’re all morons. As soon as life is great, we quit doing what got us there – whether that’s morning routines, money issues, or marriage advice.
What’s bizarre is I do know this. And when I’ve quit my morning routine, I think, “I’ll probably be miserable in a few days, but I feel great now, so we’ll see how this goes…”
And guess what? It doesn’t go well. It never goes well.
Morning Routine Fail – Advice
So, what should you do? My advice is this: Pick a routine you like.
There’s like a thousand things you can do, but it matters that you enjoy what you’re doing. If your morning routine is torture, don’t do it.
I mean, I wake up and write, because I love it. If you had to write every morning, you may stab your eyes out.
But there’s definitely something you feel called to do, and you need to do it. Your days will feel amazing and full. There will be an unexplained optimism about everything you see and touch.
Then, inevitably, life will sneak up on you, busyness will come, and you’ll quit the morning routine. And life will suddenly suck all over again.
But don’t beat yourself up. Just realize what’s happened and how important that morning routine really was, and get back to it.
You’re not a failure after all – you’re just human. And humans do really stupid stuff. Me included.
Morning Routine Fail – Action Steps:
- Realize how great morning routines are
- Don’t beat yourself up when you fail
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How do you spend your morning? What happens to you when you skip your morning routine? Do you feel good or bad?
