Habits That Quietly Ruined My Mornings for Years

I’ve always believed that a good day tends to start with a good morning. So why is it that I’ve spent so much of my life squandering the morning hours as if they weren’t special?

There’s always been this quiet, uneasy feeling that I wasn’t quite doing things right, but I never knew exactly what I was doing wrong. Many of my habits felt as if they were designed to make my life easier or more comfortable, but all they did was manage to make it less efficient and more stressful.

You can only live like this for so long before you really start to pay an emotional price— I was beginning to see that more clearly than ever.

The more I’ve been reading and writing on the topic of making my life better, the more I see the need to take my advice and begin being more intentional about my own life. This article is my attempt to reflect on what is wrong with my mornings and how I plan to fix them. I hope my transparency encourages you to make similar changes in your own life.

Lingering in bed too long after I wake up

If I’ve learned anything in my adult life, it’s that good intentions mean little if they aren’t followed up with action. I used to be pretty good about getting out of bed right away, but then smart phones became a thing, and even with the best intentions, I started to linger in bed longer, scrolling through my phone. Before I knew it, up to 15 minutes could be gone, and I’d feel groggier than if I had just gotten up the moment I woke up.

Eating a big breakfast way too late in the morning

I’m a firm believer in breakfast. When I eat, I like to go big— eggs and bacon with a full glass of orange juice is my ideal morning meal. The problem is that I’ve also gotten in the habit of putting off breakfast until mid morning. This throws off my eating for the rest of the day and means that I’m not always hungry when my family eats together. Not only that, I think it makes me sluggish when the calories I need to get my day started don’t come until so late.

Not having a good plan for what I want to get done

I’m not much of a planner, and I’m not saying that as something I’m proud of. To be more specific, I have lots of plans and ambitions in my mind, but don’t go through the work to write things out and make it real. While life still gets done, I’m often scrambling from one thing to the next, always feeling behind. In my mind, I always thought planning would slow me down, but maybe it would do the opposite. It’s time for me to find out.

Jumping right into work or chores without taking a moment to pause

Something I’ve tried to implement in my life is to spend some time each morning reading my Bible and reflecting on a few things I’m grateful for. But like any habit, it takes intention to make it happen. I’ve noticed this habit slipping over the years, and to be honest, I don’t feel like my days are as full without it. I also find that these quiet moments of reflection are a great way to put the rest of the day in perspective and shed some of the stress that creeps into my life.

Sipping on my phone too early in the day

One of the worst habits that I’ve picked up over the years, and one that I know I’m not alone in, is scrolling on my phone when I have even a moment of downtime. The problem is that I did it so often, almost reflexively, that I began seeing real life as boring by comparison. I’m sure this can’t be good for my brain or my mood, and I’m committed to finding things to do besides reaching for my phone.

Failing to have important conversations with my wife

My wife and I are busy people. We have four young kids and both work from home. But that doesn’t automatically mean we’re spending quality time together. I’ve noticed that sometimes we go a whole morning without connecting and then find ourselves talking late into the night because we had put off those conversations. Our relationship is strong, but it’s not healthy to put off these chats until the end of the day when your brain is less alert and you’re struggling to stay awake.

Getting caught up in the urgent rather than the important

Between work, chores, and errands, my day is often filled with things that have to get done. But when I think back over my life a few decades from now, will I be proud of how I spent my morning hours? Did I give away my best time and energy to these tasks? I’ll be the first to admit that the urgent things in life often edge out the more important ones. I’m hoping to change that by waking up a bit earlier and using that time to make my mornings more special and set a better tone for the rest of my day.

One thing that has become abundantly clear to me is the importance of the little things in life. We often focus on the big moments when we look back, but if we’re honest, it’s the seemingly small habits that we stick to day in and day out that really shape who we are and how we live. That’s why it’s worth investing the time to get your habits right and your daily rhythms aligned with your values. It might not feel like you’re making progress in the moment, but it all adds up into something beautiful.