There are many books and articles on the subject of morning routines and personal success. Many successful and driven people begin each day with a morning routine. Now, I do not hold myself up as successful, but I am driven. And, you guessed it, I don’t like mornings. I think that having my name be Dawn (meaning first light of the day) is quite funny.

Last year I decided to make a change so that my morning routine was what “successful people” do each day. I purchased the book The Miracle Morning. I read it from cover to cover. I completed all exercises to prepare for the miracle that would happen. I started the Miracle Morning routine every morning. I had my 7 things to do (goal was to complete a minimum of 5 of the 7 each day): Cold glass of ice water first thing when you wake up; brush your teeth; meditate; read your aspiration; move for 20 minutes; and can’t remember the other things. I had it in my planner and diligently tracked my progress. I did this like clockwork for 30 days. I have always been a goal-setter and a goal-achiever. I set the goal to do the morning routine for more than 30 days and I did it. And…

I was relieved when it was over! I was cramming so much stuff into 30 minutes that I felt like taking a nap after my “Miracle Morning”. When my 30 days were up I decided to try the routine 3 days/week and realized that the other 4 days of the week were my favorite. I don’t think I’m wired to “speed meditate” or do “daily aspiration setting” and the like before I can think clearly.

So, here’s where I landed. I need structure and to make time for these important things, but not on a high-speed treadmill the first 30-minutes of my waking moments. Honestly, sometimes I couldn’t remember what I’d done! I’m sure I was amazingly energetic and inspired, but didn’t know it? I’m foggy and slow to get going most mornings. This has been the case ever since I can remember. Ask my parents and college roommates. Sleeping? – I’ve got that down. Waking up? - Not as great at that part!

So, you might be wondering how I make it through life with my adverse relationship with mornings. Oh, I can do it. Early classes in college – I distinctly remember my Professor Kleofkorn Freshmen English Class at 8:00 a.m. The one time that my friend and I came without ballcaps on (we’d showered and gotten ready for something else that one time), he didn’t recognize us! Classic.

And I have had and kept jobs. Here’s the thing about my jobs, though. I’ve been blessed to work with leaders and teams that care more about the work that gets done versus the hours of facetime in an office. I will be at all scheduled meetings and appointments – no question. But to be “in the office” at a certain o’clock just because it’s start time? I don’t get it. I said this in a questionnaire for one job and was flagged – rightfully so – as potentially having a problem with rules and authority. Thanks to the recruiting firm for taking a chance on the potentially rogue employee.

I tell clients, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should be doing it.” I help clients pivot and look at how they spend their time. We work through the current vs desired pie chart of time and create a roadmap to pivot from how they’re spending their time now to what they can do to make the highest and best use of their time. This means stopping some things. This means delegating. This means a lot of personal shifts and changes. I love working with others on this and I’m going to tell myself the same thing for mornings.

I can do it, but that doesn’t mean that I should do it. I’m sure the world benefits more from the real early birds who are up and coherent in the early morning hours than from me robotically executing my “success routine” in a half-stupor. To do this morning routine just because a book says it’s what successful people do? - Nope, not for me. I will embrace my mornings of planning for the day, family time, and thinking in my comfy pants before leaving for my 8:00 a.m. daily appointment with coffee in hand. Perhaps there’s a blog in my future titled “Non-Morning Routines of Successful People”.

What routines do you enjoy that might be a bit “different than the textbooks”? I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a great week, all. And enjoy your routines – whether they’re morning, noon, or night.