My morning routine at the moment looks like a grumpy ball of yarn rolling around the house, bumping into things in the dark and grumbling. On good mornings, when my alarm goes off at 5:30am, I’ll get up and turn on the coffee before going back to sleep for fifteen minutes. On bad mornings, I’ll get up and bring my alarm back into bed with me to sleep for an extra thirty to forty five minutes.
I’ve heard that the best way to motivate yourself to get up early in the morning is to focus on why you want to be up earlier. So, in addition to hoping I feel less rushed in the mornings, what I really want to accomplish before going to work each day is writing.
my cat’s morning routine is the ideal one, I think.
To get some inspiration, I took a look at a few routines from famous writers. Most writers advocate for discipline in craft, usually in the form of writing every single day, and almost of all of those writers write in the morning, when the light is fresh and the day is new. What I found most interesting from reading this list though was the strong sense of routine involved in their process; it’s just as much about the motions involved in writing this way as it is sitting down at the exact same time each morning to put words on paper.
Honestly, I find the idea of writing every single day daunting, in the same way that I find exercising every day to be an insurmountable goal. What about Cons? Vacations? Or, as I have been for the past couple of weeks, being so sick that concentrating is only happening for a few hours a day? I know these formidable writers had no issue breaking for these sorts of things, but it’s precisely those quantities that make it difficult for me to stick to an every day writing routine. (It’s the same reason I can’t stick to using a normal planner, really. I have to give myself permission to deviate or I feel like an absolute failure.)
So here’s what I’m proposing as a starting goal: three days a week, I will get up early enough to get writing done. Two days a week, I’ll do yoga during that time instead. (Murakami says, “Physical strength is a necessary as artistic sensitivity,” in terms of writing a long-term project.) On the weekends, I am giving myself permission to deviate as necessary. I’d love to get up on Saturday and write and do yoga, but it’s also just as likely that I’ll get up and drink coffee on my front porch. And that is okay.
Here’s to the next step in the good morning process, everyone! Hurrah for a morning routine!
When I was in school, I spent my summers in marching band rehearsal or babysitting my little siblings, so it never occurred to me to be sad when school started again in August. By the time the first day of school came, I was exhausted and ready for a steady routine that involved more reading.
For the past couple years, I spend a few weekends a year in this lovely lake house in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I spend a few days watching their two beagles (who you can 
In particular, I love the set up in the entry way of their lake house, so I’m going to linger on that for a second. When I first walk in the door, I’m astounded by the amount of light pouring into the space. I like the touches of dark wood to keep the space feeling friendly, and I love the antique phone and gold mirror for the classic style they display. There are levels being played with on this table, with the tall lamp and the short bowl where keys gather. The pictures above the storage are placed at different heights to add an air of casual comfort, and the photos themselves are of family to add a personal touch. You know, as soon as you walk in, exactly the kind of people you are there to visit. They are clean, casual, warm people, and so is their home.
