I love routines. For my attention-deficit mind, having a routine helps get my day into the groove I need. Without it, I will find that I’ve whiled away a couple of hours. And that I am a bit low on energy because of all the dicking around.
I finally got myself out of a productivity kick, and simply wanted to figure out a low cost (to my energy) routine to start my day.
Devices suck the energy out of me. It is very easy to get carried away into answering emails, responding to texts, and starting the TODO list for the day. Nothing like the trap of busyness to lull one into having a shitty day.
So, I started with what does not work for me - getting on a device. Or doing work.
And then started with what feels good.
One of the reasons I love this morning routine is I don’t get sidetracked into other things.
It’s not the routine itself—it’s the removal of distractions that makes the morning work. And sets me up for a powerful day.
“There’s the addition and there’s the subtraction. Both are relevant.”
Since I knew what drained my energy, I started there. No opening my device, except to run my morning Heart Rate Variability check. No browser, no WhatsApp, no emails, no YouTube, no social media. No anything except the fitness app on my phone.
Because the realisation was simple and powerful.
“I am doing things that don’t actually fill my cup. I don’t want to do them, but I end up doing them.”
My state of mind, my attention, my presence - all of it goes away from my control when I pick up a device.
It is about energy management, not time management. A powerful concept I picked up from one of Jim Loehr’s books and something I strive to live by. Constantly keeping an eye on my energy levels.
And simply logging things i.e. does this add to my cup or remove?
We talk a lot about adding habits, routines, trackers, or systems…
But the real power is in what we remove.
What we negate.
What we refuse to let in.
Maybe the best habit is not a new one, but deleting the ones that hijack your attention.
While my actual routine might be irrelevant to you, let me share it just to complete the loop.
Get morning sunlight, as soon as I wake up.
Drink a tall glass of water.
Walk the dog.
Now, all of the above can be combined and that’s the first 15 minutes of my morning.
Post that, do a 15-20 minute movement routine.
Then, put on the moka pot for my wife.
And grind my coffee beans.
More or less, don’t try to be productive. On good days, work on Morning Pages.
What is one thing you can subtract tomorrow morning?
What do you need to stop doing for your routine to start working?
What drains your energy, rather than adds to it?
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.