One Apple A Day #968 - morning tricks
Some mornings I just don't feel like it.
All I want to do is lying on the bed and do nothing.
And I know I could.
Nobody forces me to wake up, exercise, meditate and write. And nobody would notice if I skip a day.
In the last four years, I've learned that starting my day without my morning practices makes me unproductive and unfocused.
I don't remember who said that how you start your day is how you live your day, but it definitely resonates with me.
However, I don't have much willpower so, knowing the importance of my morning practice is not enough to make me do it.
That's why I had to implement a few tricks.
The first one is an external activator. Right now, my external activators are the animal wanting to be fed and let out. They can be very convincing.
Before the animals, I use to put my alarm in another room. Anything that will force me to get out of bed.
I learn the second trick from James Clear. I think he calls it the "two-minute" rule. For any habit you want to install, identify something so small that you can do in less than 2 minutes, which will ease you into your practice. For me, it's laying down the yoga mat on the floor. Once it's there, I know I will do some form of exercise. Maybe just some stretching, but I will do something.
Then, once the ball is rolling, it gets easier because I stacked my morning practices. That is the lask trick. I just need to start with the first practice, then all the others will follow since they are all connected. One flows into the others.
What are your morning tricks?