Every morning we go through a very personal routine to put ourselves together. We have perfected this routine throughout our lives.
We know each part of the routine intimately.
We recognise our different pairs of socks. They may not be in any way special to us, but we could pick them out in a laundry bin full of others. We know our different pairs of socks intimately, yet the people we see each and every day couldn’t recognise a pair of our socks from one day to the next.
Next, we spend some time with our favourite mug. Our mug doesn’t enter into our consciousness throughout our day, but in that moment, we’re aware that it’s a great mug. We look at the other mugs in our kitchen in disgust. “You’ll never hold MY tea”, you think. “You’ll never be my favourite.”
We walk to the bathroom, instinctively picking out our toothbrush from the pot of twenty (the ratio of toothbrushes to residents is always exaggerated). Our toothbrush doesn’t enter our mind for 23 hours, 50 minutes of every day, but for those remaining ten minutes, we’re ALL ABOUT our toothbrush. Maybe it’s due to be replaced. We’ll recognise that, but you can be sure we won’t be thinking about it later.
Every day we put ourselves together for the day ahead. Each little activity contributes to the larger role of getting us out the door. Getting us to market. Getting us shipped.
We recognise this as the norm in our daily lives, yet this practice is often seen as unnecessary in our own business and personal development projects.
Figure out the steps you need to take to do something, then do them.
You’ll mess up along the way. Even after putting myself together every day for twenty-three years I still, from time to time, leave the house (go to market, ship) without wearing a belt.
It’ll happen. You’ll end up with your trousers around your ankles, socks on your hands, and toothpaste in your hair.
Know each part of routine intimately.
Throw yourself into each step of your routine. Be in the moment with each step, like you are with your socks, your mug, and your toothbrush. Make the steps a part of you.
Figure out the steps you need to take to do something, then do them.
And don’t forget your belt.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
The mug. The perfect mug to drink my tea from is the best start to my day. Plus a hardboiled egg (whatever that’s what I like for breakfast).
People’s breakfast routines are fascinating (unless they have none, in which case they’re doing it all wrong). I broke my favourite mug recently. Devastated doesn’t begin to cover it.
“first pants then shoes”, right?
i love the way you pay attention to living
Of course in the UK, pants are something else entirely. A pants/shoes combination over here would make me at home down a SOHO alleyway.