You slap the snooze button like it just insulted your mother. . . for the fourth time this morning.
Finally the tick-tock of the clock progresses to the point where ignoring it any longer would threaten your livelihood. You launch out of bed and hurricane through some modicum of personal hygiene, throw on the appropriate uniform, and sprint to your car so you can go crawl on the freeway.
You make it to the office just in time to avoid the judgmental stare of your boss, pour yourself some stale office coffee, and grab yourself a stale office doughnut. You sit at your desk, turn on your computer, and start reacting to the email assault that has been lying in wait since you clocked out yesterday at 5 o’clock. This is how you start your day everyday. This is your routine. This is your morning ritual.
“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.” ~ Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 3
Ok, maybe you don’t start your day this way. But many people do. They are constantly in crisis mode from the moment they open their eyes until they finally make it home for a few precious hours before the cycle rears its head again with a blaring alarm clock.
I’ve lived the shirt-and-tie-fight-the-traffic-punch-the-clock-count-your-days-to-retirement life. And it sucks. But if you are in that mode at this point for what ever reason, you can still start your day with sanctity (and kicking ass!) by implementing a morning ritual that serves your higher self before the work day starts.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle
What I’m talking about is creating a series of habits or rituals that get you started on the right side of the bed each morning, regardless of how much bullshit you currently put up with at the day job. So start making your list and checking it twice as we revamp your morning routine. . .
Write it down. Whether it’s pen and paper, on your computer, or in some fancy smart phone app, making your morning ritual list is crucial. Start with the necessities: personal hygiene, getting dressed, and eating breakfast. But also think about what you could do to truly start your day by kicking ass. . . Would you do yoga? Meditate? Read from spiritual texts? Write in a journal? Help your kids with studying for the day’s spelling quiz? Work on your novel while everyone else in the house is still asleep? Take a walk as the sun rises or hit the gym before the crowds? Only you know the best way to start your day, but I suggest you consider areas of fitness, education, spirituality, and connecting with others.
Clock it. Take a look at the list you just made and and give each your best guess on how long it will take to finish. You might have something like “take shower: 10 minutes” or “cook breakfast: 15 minutes” or “trim nose hairs: 3 minutes”. I don’t know what’s on your list, but give each item an estimated time of completion.
Work it backwards. Start with the time that you must leave the house for work (and choose a time that you can leave the house in a peaceful manner and not stressed out about getting stuck in traffic). Or if you work from home, start with the time that you would like to start your workday. Now plan backwards, planning each of your morning activities at the time they must happen. Keep working backwards until you get to the time you must wake up. And yes, you may have to get up a bit earlier to start your day in full blown ass kicking mode.
Now work your plan. And please don’t cry about having to wake up 30 minutes earlier to start your day in a way that serves you. Consider using a checklist until your new morning routine becomes ritual. Or you could always go back to bitch slapping the alarm clock. . . The choice is yours.
How do you start your day? Do you have a smile on your face when your feet hit the floor? Or do you dread the blaring sound of the alarm clock? What would your ideal morning look like? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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I've been helping people lose weight and get fit since 2001. To learn more about my simple approach to health and fitness 
My day begins five hours before anyone else thinks of getting out of bed, by going to the gym. No traffic, no one in the gym talking on the cell phone or hitting on someone for a date, in the middle of the night. Just get in, kick some ass, and go home. The rest of the day is smooth sailing, a physical, mental and emotional euphoria from starting the day, hitting it hard.
Man I HATE when I see someone talking on a cell phone in the gym. . . but maybe I should get over it. But I used to belong to a 24 hour gym and LOVED sneaking in there in the wee hours of the night when it was practically empty. And nothing like starting the day by hitting it hard for sure!
Conquer the first hour and the rest is easy.
As far as big wins go, getting up early and developing a killer routine is HUGE.
Right on, John. Oh and I just subscribed to your email series. I’ve got my eye on you.
Cool! It’s just beginning and got a bucket load more work I’m pumped to do.
Hope you enjoy
Good advice – but it’s a bit too much like telling junk food eaters to pack carrot sticks in their lunch to avoid unhealthy snacking. Basically it’s advice that everyone knows they should do but is way easier said than done.
Yes the advice is simple. And I’m the first to admit that simple does not mean easy. But there is also the point where you have to grit your teeth and endure the pain period and just FUCKING DO IT because you know that you want to make a change. No, it’s not easy. But it’s also not complicated.
Awesome tips! Just found you via The Minimalists and love your site. The idea of doing the same routine every morning, and making it one that serves you, is powerful. I really like adding an initial task – the sun salutation. My first thing is always to brush my teeth…can’t stand the morning mouth…but I think some sort of leveling, acknowledgement of the day sort of activity would be a healthy addition.
Now off to devour the rest of your posts…
Welcome, Brock! Many thanks for your comment and enjoy tweaking your morning routine.