Morning Ritual
Our claim to fame as creatures of habit is never more obvious than in the mornings. I don’t know how else I could navigate my morning process if it weren’t for some innate ability to cycle through this daily ritual while not being fully conscious. I’m not the clearest of mind until I’ve had the usual coffee and breakfast, but then, who is?
One ritual I’ve been working in to this blithesome predawn routine is daily writing. I’m trying to commit at least one hour of writing each morning before work, whether working on blog articles or journaling. Through forcing this habit over a 21-day period I hope to make it a permanent behavior (this is not to say I’ve just begun early morning writing, but the current stretch is the first time I’ve attempted a permanent behavioral change). Psychologist tell us we can make or break any habit if done consecutively over 21 days. Not sure the dynamics behind that, but from my own experience it does work well. Want to rid yourself of the evils of chocolate (heavens forbid!)? Go choco-free for 3 weeks and you’ll be a changed (albeit far grumpier) person.
It’s ironic that these morning moments are peaceful and reflective at a time when my body craves non-thinking behavior, something akin to excited puppy dog wanting to walk while its owner prefers to make the alarm clock one with the wall then disappear under a mountain of warm bedding. As the weeks have progressed, rising early has become easier, but more than once I’ve asked myself “what the hell are you doing rolling out of bed at 5 a.m.” No one is there to answer, of course, since the rest of the house remains sanely snuggled, fast asleep. But for me I’ve discovered these early hours are best for thinking. The noise that builds up in my head through the day before has finally been quieted by the renewal of overnight sleep, and I’ve yet to consider everything I should/could/would do for the day ahead. Phone’s not ringing, TVs off, a few noises filter in from the outside world making for a usually a quiet cocoon-like existence. On some mornings I even hear the thud and swish of the newspaper hitting then sliding along the concrete driveway, even though I’m sealed up inside the house a fair distance away.
On mornings I choose to stay home and write, I enjoy the sounds of the neighborhood slowly waking up while a secret, knowing smile on my face from preceding everyone in this morning ritual. Those days that I choose to head for Starbucks to write have their unique ritual as well. Even though white noise is greater on those days, the world around me still slowly works through the process of shaking off night’s sleep dust, gradually easing into the normalcy that marks a typical day. In some ways, these early trips to Starbucks provide a sense of nomadism that I seem to crave. Until I can hit the road in my quest to write from caf
3 Responses to “Morning Ritual”
The Vital Luxury of Rest and Solitude
This weekend at a youth leader’s conference, I was challenged with this question: do I set aside time for rest and particularly, solitude? I had to answer not nearly enough. The culture I live in places high value on being busy — often busy to th…
I think your morning ritual sounds beautiful and if everyone tried it we would all have better lives.
The Vital Luxury of Rest and Solitude
This weekend at a youth leader’s conference, I was challenged with this question: do I set aside time for rest and particularly, solitude? I had to answer not nearly enough. The culture I live in places high value on being busy — often busy to th…