One Month Into A Year-Long Journey
I used to roll my eyes at the idea of a morning routine. I thought it was reserved for workaholics with incredibly precise daily schedules or overachievers who wanted to brag about their dedication on YouTube.
I mean come on, it’s hard to take a routine seriously when there are YouTube videos with opening monologues like:
“Every morning, I wake up at 4:00 AM and greet the day with an enthusiastic smile. I then work out for two hours while simultaneously meditating and listening to self-improvement audiobooks. After taking supplements for breakfast, I attack the day with the ferocity of a wolf.”
NOPE! That could not be me. I am NOT the type of person who can greet the early morning hours with that kind of unwavering optimism. Plus, I feel like half of those morning routines are nonsense anyway.
But the idea of waking up a little earlier to get things done did appeal to me. Well, not the early wakeup part. I’m definitely a groggy zombie who needs a cup of coffee before feeling even half ready for the day.
HOWEVER, the prospect of having a few productive hours before I started my workday was tempting. I wanted to accomplish more each day, and I was tired of just saying I was going to change my habits.
One habit I want to develop is the habit of daily writing. Publishing a novel has always been one of my biggest personal goals, but I’ve never gotten past the writing stage. I never stuck to a consistent writing schedule, so I rarely got past chapter five.
I needed a push, and I couldn’t just say something like, “I’ll commit to writing 500 words every day.” I know myself better than that. I needed something else to push me into the writing routine.
I needed *drumroll please* a keystone habit.
So, on July 24 th, 2021, I decided to add such a habit into my daily schedule. I wanted it to be EFFECTIVE, CHALLENGING, but above all, DOABLE.
I can barely type this next part without feeling like a broken productivity record…but here goes.
I committed to a year of getting up early and working out.
I know, I know. I’m dangerously close to sounding like the start of one of those morning routine videos I mentioned earlier. But I have to say, I’m a little over a month into it, and I’m SO glad I decided to try it!
My morning workouts have helped kickstart my writing. I feel a sense of accomplishment after having exercised, and it gives me momentum to meet my other daily goals.
Of course, I’m STILL not a morning person. I have yet to overcome the feelings of disdain I get towards my alarm clock when I’m half asleep. And even though I don’t start to feel fully energized until I’m a bit into my workout, I’m always happy I pushed through and got to the gym.
I’m definitely a work in progress, and I don’t always hit my daily word count goal, but I’m writing more than I have in years. I still have a ways to go, but I’m encouraged by the progress I’ve made so far, and I’m excited to keep going!
Originally published at https://stephenolive.com.
