The Comfort of Routines
Auto-pilot decisions for a successful day
Most “habit specialists”—if that's a thing—will tell you that a successful day, and especially a successful morning, begins the night before. From planning outfits, packing lunch, and most importantly getting to sleep on time- all of these elements aid in a successful day ahead.
When my alarm goes off in the early morning hours, it's mostly a signal for the autopilot of my routine to kick in. There’s something incredibly reassuring about knowing what comes next.
Alarm / Start Car / Get Changed / Grab pre-workout fuel / Get in the car / Enjoy the drive / Fitness time
Everything is succinct and there’s rarely any deviation from this order of operations.
This morning ritual may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but when the average person makes around 35,000 decisions daily, giving our brains some shortcuts can go a long way. Plus, the beauty of routines implies that the decision has already been made. I’m freeing up space in my brain to 1) be present in the moment and 2) I can apply this focus to something more demanding throughout the day.
The bonus for a strong morning routine for me is the sheer inertia it creates bleeding into the rest of my day. I loathe the “win the morning, win the day” cliche, but they DO have a point (you just won’t catch me screaming it to anyone.).
In a world—particularly my immediate world—that lacks certainty about the future, I find solace in knowing I have control over this specific moment. As detailed by habit pros like Adam Grant, the power increases when you stack recurring behaviors to accomplish even more.
Learn more about habit stacking.
So maybe I’m proud of my morning routine not because of the initial outcome (exercising is something that will always bring me joy), but for what it represents. Each action is a catalyst for something else. In this case, starting with a purpose in the morning helps lead to additional accomplishments throughout the day.
That sense of empowerment helps guide me through uncertainty and reminds me that small, consistent action leads to meaningful progress.
If the daily decision-making process caught your attention, learn more here.