A Different Look on Morning Routines

Morning routines are becoming more vogue by the day, and this new trend seems to be catching on like wildfire on Dragonstone.

Everywhere you look, there they are.

However, after reading several articles in the subject across countless outlets in various forms, there are actually some funny observations that are worth mentioning.

The first thing that jumps to mind is the sheer amount of Top Ten lists of habits that must be included your morning routine.

Which begs the question, why would you need 10 morning habits, and exactly 10 to start your day? Why not 5 or 7?

Why does it always have to be “10”, the same round number?

Is it because Top Ten lists are so popular?

Or maybe there is that strange need in many self-help gurus to emulate the Ten Commandments.

Either way, these things probably should be personalized for the simple reason that everyone is different.

Some people like to start their day slow, and others prefer to start it with as many tasks as possible.

And like everything in life, One-Size-Fits-All systems rarely tend to end up with a positive outcome.

The Second observation is that several of these things that are usually listed on those packaged routines are all things that most people already do on a daily basis anyways.

Morning habits like “brushing their teeth”, or “taking a shower”, or “drinking coffee”... Etc.

When I first stumbled on those my reaction was something like: “No shit, Sherlock!”.

What my reaction was not on the other hand is this:

“Oh! Now I know the secret to success. It’s brushing your teeth in the morning. Why didn’t I think about that before?”

Think about it, you never hear Elon Musk, or Steve Jobs or any super-achiever address the question “What’s the pivotal moment in your success” and see them answer with “ Well, I brush my teeth in my morning routine”.

Or “drink coffee” or “take a shower” or any of these non-original ‘success recipes’.

The point is, these are all things that everyone subscribes to anyways. So if you’re just doing what everyone does, how does that make you stand out from the crowd exactly?

Surprisingly, there is one unforeseen habit that you see everywhere and that is endorsed by all types of wise and reasonable people from Tim Ferriss to Jordan Petersen, and that habit is: “Making your bed.”

Now I know what you might be thinking, what possible relationship exists between folding bed sheets and achieving massive success?

And if that correlation was so strong, then why aren’t hotel maids ruling the world by not?

But I see what all these people are coming from as well, making your bed supposedly makes you start the day with a win.

A win that you can pocket before you even leave your bedroom.

Productive You: 1 - Lazy You: 0.

1 is better than 0

We all have those days in which we just want to stay in bed a little bit longer, when focus is not that strong and when the willpower isn’t necessarily at a 100%.

So in this sense, achieving a task from the get-go is a very useful way to get your brain on a winning-mode, boosting your morale and jumpstarting your willpower.

However, I do question the wisdom behind the “make your bed” strategy.

Instead, I would recommend something that sparks your mind and engages your brain.

Say you do some 5 minutes brain exercises in the morning, or learning a new language, perhaps a skill you always wanted to pick up.

I for example I’m learning Dutch on Duolingo, it’s a new language I don’t already speak and Duolingo makes it so easy to incentivize your mind with all kinds of virtual prizes, medals... And depending on how many achievements you can unlock, it can be a nice gamified experience.

Plus, you always end up with more knowledge than the day before. And you start to feel a little more accomplished every day.

There are many apps that operate on the same parameters and it doesn’t have to be languages. And best of all you can start small and do only a few minutes every day.

After all, 1 is greater than 0. And little by little, these things add up and before you know it, you’ve learned a new skill.

You see, making your bed lacks this “Compound Interest” factor.

You can spend as many months and years doing it and what’s the best case scenario?

That you’ll get really good at making your bed. So there goes scalability.

Even worse, it’s a redundant task. Sooner or later you’ll get sick of making your bed and you’ll want to get out of bed even less because there’s a chore already awaiting for you.

So unless you’re a naturally disciplined person who enjoys chores and duties, this could turn into a really counter-productive habit.

And more importantly, One-Size-Fits-All tips should always be taken with a grain of salt.

A big, massive amount of salt.

You do not need to have exactly 10 morning routines, or maybe you like them and they work for you.

But whatever you do, try to find what works for you personally and choose your own morning routine according to your strengths and preferences.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Image Sources: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6