Most of my life I have heard how a morning routine is vitally important to personal achievement. I have no objection to morning routines and have even tried them on occasion. I just wish morning routines could be done a little later in the day. It doesn’t matter what time you wake up, the point is to have a mindful start to your day.
I recently heard the 2014 commencement address from Retired Admiral William McRaven where he talked about 10 tips to change the world. The first tip was to start the day with a task completed. In his Navy training, that task was making the bed. Making it neatly with the sharp corners and the pillow placed, just so. Completing a task makes it easier to do the next task—and do it well—until you have a string of productive events that make up your day.
That suggestion really made me think about those morning routines again. There are many types of tasks we can do but they all serve the purpose of setting the tone for how we want to start the day. On the days when I get up early to take a friend to the airport, I am amazed and inspired by the sunrise. It infuses the day with a new sense of peace and hope. When I get home, I am ready and energized to start my regular duties. I love those mornings but love my sleepy mornings too, I guess.
I admire people who get up and meditate, write in their journals, or who exercise. Those people seem to have a lot more energy and get more accomplished in a day. Others of us are night owls and get more accomplished later in the day. We’re all unique.
During the pandemic when many of us have been working from home it is tempting to roll out of bed and shuffle to the computer. For some of us, a task completed could be taking an invigorating shower, washing our faces, brushing our teeth, putting on make-up or combing our hair. When I get dressed as if I was physically going to work, it sets me up for a more pleasant and productive day. If there are unexpected Zoom meetings I am “ready for my close-up.” That positively affects my self-esteem and I feel more capable of doing even more at work and at home.
Another aspect of working from home is being able to care for our gardens. Instead of driving into work watering my garden serves a dual purpose of getting me into nature for a few minutes every morning to care for the plants and the flowers and vegetables return the favor by providing beautiful fruit and showy blooms. I feel happy when I see my flowers and have a better attitude throughout the day.
Whatever time you get up, if you are the one who wakes up the birds, or if you would rather be the one who puts them to bed, start your day the way you plan to complete it. Start with a task completed to set yourself up for success. And on those inevitable days that don’t go quite as planned, when you finish up you can at least slip between those fresh sheets, re-read your journal, congratulate yourself on having exercised one day in a row, kept the flowers alive another day, or my personal favorite, remember the precious sunrise you saw, all the more special because of its rarity.
2014 Commencement Address to University of Texas.
Retired Admiral William McRaven: Link
Question: How do you start your day?