Living Life by Design

I’ve read numerous books about establishing a morning routine. Most promise to increase your productivity by 100 fold and save 20 hours a week! maybe that’s true, but I noticed that the people writing these books are typically alone. They do everything in isolation. They have no kids or spouses or pets to attend to in the morning. If you have children, who’s giving them breakfast, packing their lunchbox and driving them to school?

Morning routines are critical! Years ago, if my family didn’t have one, we would have spent every morning with; Where are my socks? Why didn’t I have enough time for breakfast today? We would have NEVER gotten out of the house on time, and we’d have exhausted ourselves along the way.

I am a morning person. I would be 10 times more productive if I lived alone and could work, unencumbered, from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM…no question. But my family members are NOT all morning people…lol. And, I enjoy greeting my wife every morning with a cup of coffee and conversation about our upcoming day. I love making my son his lunch and driving he and his cousin to school every day. I also read, post on Social Media and prepare for the day. It’s my / our routine…we all need a routine so the time and events of each morning can unfold without thought. And, we can use our brain power for other things.

Charles Duhigg wrote a brilliant book called The Power of Habit. In it he writes:

“Habits allow our minds to ramp down more often. This effort-saving instinct is a huge advantage…(because) an efficient brain allows us to stop thinking constantly about basic behaviors such as walking and choosing what to eat, so we can devote mental energy to inventing spears, irrigation systems, and, eventually, airplanes and video games.”

If your most productive time is in the evening, or you struggle to manage time and attention, having a habit, a routine in the morning is even more important. You are already working at limited capacity at that time of the day. You need to make that time as efficient as possible.

So yes, what I am saying is that having a morning routine can make your day more productive. Even if your most productive time is not first thing in the morning. Now, what that morning routine looks like is up to you. I have no idea if 30 grams of plant based protein 30 minutes after you wake up (as Tim Ferriss suggests) is realistic for you. But whatever you need to do in the morning, you need to figure out your optimal routine…and stick to it. Doing so will make your whole day more productive…