I’ve been thinking about this phrase a lot. My CrossFit coach Jared spoke in a video recently about how he’s used this phrase to motivate him to go to the gym early every morning (the empty gym he owns) and work out. He was quoting Ben Bergeron, a famous elite CrossFit coach and trainer, who coined the saying. By winning the morning, it sets the tone for the whole day. Jared was inspired to switch things up during this whole quarantine ordeal and start taking control of his mornings. And now I’m inspired by Jared’s example.
What’s interesting is how often I re-learn certain lessons in life. This idea of a strong morning definitely isn’t new to me. I’ve noticed in my own life that what I do between when I wake up and 10am is a good predictor of how efficient and productive I’ll be. But I’m tired of all the constant “extra tough disciplined mindset”, “rise & grind” and “hustle porn” messaging. It’s exhausting and often just makes me feel guilty. Yes, in the past when I was in a really good routine things generally went well. I got up every morning and went to CrossFit at either 630 or 730am. But things haven’t been like that for me in over a year. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m not so dead set on trying to attain that previous peak.
Things have changed, and so have I.
In the past I’ve watched plenty of YouTube videos about morning routines from productivity and lifestyle bloggers alike. And I’ve nearly been enticed to buy The Millionaire Morning or other “How these Super Successful and Rich People start their day: unlock their secrets” guidebooks. But this pandemic has taught me that that’s not what I need right now. Not during this season. Besides, in my opinion that’s not really what win the day means.
To me, winning the morning and subsequently winning the day is about intention. It’s about waking up with purpose and a few specific goals or objectives in mind. For example, if I get up and decide I want to accomplish 1 thing early, it gives me more direction. I tend to scroll endlessly on my phone through social media when I feel I don’t have anywhere to be. While working from home everything that happens in the day can technically be scheduled for “later” without a specific time frame. What I’m noticing is that the day will be over and later quickly becomes tomorrow or the day after that.
So my new goal is to have a daily morning purpose. To be intentional in those early moments and pick one thing to accomplish. I’ve learned (the hard way) that thinking about completing too many tasks in the morning can be intimidating and often leads to procrastination. Instead I’ll just focus on one goal. And I trust that the sense of accomplishment I gain from following through and finishing something will provide the momentum I need to carry me into my other tasks.
It’s simple and that is what I crave. Right now I want a life that is simple, fulfilling, and also has plenty of freedom. The freedom to take my day one moment, one objective at a time. A life with built in purpose and wiggle room, and always the opportunity to turn to wonder.