I Wake Up Two Hours Early Every Morning to Accomplish Nothing

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ng.</p><p id="0cf6" type="7">“If you’re always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in? Slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.” ―Nanette Mathews</p><p id="d086">I still wake up two hours early, though. I love the mornings. I love the quiet of them, how it’s just me and my coffee and my cat while the rest of the house sleeps. But instead of hustling, I’ve adopted a slower routine in the morning. Now when my alarm goes off, I start the day with a short meditation. Then I enjoy a half hour or so of yoga. And then I journal for a time before making myself breakfast. When I eat, I enjoy every bite, taking the time to truly taste it.</p><p id="d546">I take two hours to <i>go slow</i> before the busy-ness of my day begins.</p><p id="f3de">In all this, I treat myself to two hours of doing nothing productive. And yet, it’s incredibly productive. The amount of peace and mental space I’ve gained from this simple routine has been incredible. It’s helped me to tackle feelings of burnout, and it’s helped to create mental space for my creative projects.</p><p id="090d">Yes, the mornings are a great time to tackle big projects, achieve your health goals, and create more time to get more stuff done. But the mornings are also a great time to set the tone for your day, and going slow can do just that.</p><h1 id="9086">My Morning Ritual Tools</h1><p id="13ba">Here are a few of my favorite tools I use for my morning routine (none of these are affiliate links; they’re just tools I genuinely love. These links will take you away from Medium):</p><h2 id="5d44">Headspace</h2><p id="e627">I subscribed to this app in 2020, and it’s been a lifesaver. I start out every morning with their daily video, followed by a short meditation. During the day I use their focus music to keep myself on task. And at night I fall asleep with one of their “sleepscapes” or sleep music. It costs about $70/year when you subscribe annually, and to me, it’s well worth it.</p><h2 id="2cd8">FWFG</h2><p id="58c3">Or, Find What Feels Good. This is the yoga app by Adriene of “Yoga With Adriene.” Most of her routines are on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene">YouTube for free</a>, so if money is an issue (FWFG is$ 130/year — which is less than a yoga studio)

Options

, that’s a great place to start. But after enjoying her free yoga routines for months, I decided it was important for me to support what she offers so generously, plus take advantage of the app bonuses and convenience. Adriene is your friend through the internet. She never pushes too hard, and her yoga practice leaves you feeling refreshed and stretched out throughout the day. I never feel like I HAVE to do yoga, like something to dread. With Adriene, I GET to do yoga. And it’s easily my favorite part of my routine.</p><h2 id="24f8">Minimalism Art</h2><p id="8d4a">A good journal is a must for every writer. I just can’t take journaling seriously if I’m writing in a spiral notebook or the like. No, I want something that’s hardcover and sturdy, with tons and tons of pages. I want one that prevents bleeding through the pages when I’m using a gel pen or marker. And the journals by Minimalism Art are just that. Even more, they’re created in San Francisco, which is near where I live, and I love that they’re a local-to-me company. (Approx. $8-$ 20)</p><p id="00e5"><i>I don’t just write articles for Medium, I also write novels. My latest novel is<a href="https://crissilangwell.com/numbered/"> </a></i><a href="https://crissilangwell.com/numbered/">Numbered<i></i></a><i>, a dystopian romance set in 2050.</i></p><p id="faea"><i>Find me on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CrissiLangwellBooks/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/crissilangwell/"> Twitter</a>, or<a href="https://www.instagram.com/crissilangwellbooks/"> Instagram,</a> website at<a href="https://crissilangwell.com/"> crissilangwell.com</a>.</i></p><div id="cc87" class="link-block"> <a href="https://crissilangwell.medium.com/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Crissi Langwell 🦋</h2> <div><h3>As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…</h3></div> <div><p>crissilangwell.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*rgl3Co6FMolnm51U)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

And yet, it’s the most productive part of my day. Here’s how I spend it.

Years ago, when I decided to take my author business seriously and publish one to two novels each year, the biggest change I made was to my morning routine. Instead of sleeping in until it was time to get ready for work, I set my alarm for two hours early so I could write. As soon as the alarm sounded, I’d make a beeline for my coffee and then sit at the computer, typing out a few pre-writing lines until I was awake enough to write for real.

I’ve always been a morning person, so it’s natural for me to dedicate the first part of my morning to the thing I care the most about. Not just for writing, but for the seasons I dedicated my energy to my physical health. Like most people, I dread the gym. But when I go to the gym first thing in the morning, I get it done and can move on with my day.

Waking up early was great for when I decided to go back to school, and was probably the only way I was able to do this and still work full-time. I’ve used my early mornings for getting caught up on chores, writing freelance articles, work on my newsletters, or begin the day with a fast walk or slow jog. Every morning, the alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m., and I’m up to accomplish the project of the season before I head off to grind it out at work.

And you know what? I’m effing tired.

If 2020 and beyond has taught me anything at all, it’s the importance of NOT being busy. All this hustling in the early mornings was fine when things were normal. But now, I’m running on fumes. Waking up two hours early to grind it out on anything feels like torture. To spend the best hours of my day tied to a computer or braving it at the gym feels hard. Not to say these things are bad, but for me, it’s just not working.

“If you’re always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in? Slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.” ―Nanette Mathews

I still wake up two hours early, though. I love the mornings. I love the quiet of them, how it’s just me and my coffee and my cat while the rest of the house sleeps. But instead of hustling, I’ve adopted a slower routine in the morning. Now when my alarm goes off, I start the day with a short meditation. Then I enjoy a half hour or so of yoga. And then I journal for a time before making myself breakfast. When I eat, I enjoy every bite, taking the time to truly taste it.

I take two hours to go slow before the busy-ness of my day begins.

In all this, I treat myself to two hours of doing nothing productive. And yet, it’s incredibly productive. The amount of peace and mental space I’ve gained from this simple routine has been incredible. It’s helped me to tackle feelings of burnout, and it’s helped to create mental space for my creative projects.

Yes, the mornings are a great time to tackle big projects, achieve your health goals, and create more time to get more stuff done. But the mornings are also a great time to set the tone for your day, and going slow can do just that.

Headspace

I subscribed to this app in 2020, and it’s been a lifesaver. I start out every morning with their daily video, followed by a short meditation. During the day I use their focus music to keep myself on task. And at night I fall asleep with one of their “sleepscapes” or sleep music. It costs about $70/year when you subscribe annually, and to me, it’s well worth it.

FWFG

Or, Find What Feels Good. This is the yoga app by Adriene of “Yoga With Adriene.” Most of her routines are on YouTube for free, so if money is an issue (FWFG is $130/year — which is less than a yoga studio), that’s a great place to start. But after enjoying her free yoga routines for months, I decided it was important for me to support what she offers so generously, plus take advantage of the app bonuses and convenience. Adriene is your friend through the internet. She never pushes too hard, and her yoga practice leaves you feeling refreshed and stretched out throughout the day. I never feel like I HAVE to do yoga, like something to dread. With Adriene, I GET to do yoga. And it’s easily my favorite part of my routine.

Minimalism Art

A good journal is a must for every writer. I just can’t take journaling seriously if I’m writing in a spiral notebook or the like. No, I want something that’s hardcover and sturdy, with tons and tons of pages. I want one that prevents bleeding through the pages when I’m using a gel pen or marker. And the journals by Minimalism Art are just that. Even more, they’re created in San Francisco, which is near where I live, and I love that they’re a local-to-me company. (Approx. $8-$20)

I don’t just write articles for Medium, I also write novels. My latest novel is Numbered, a dystopian romance set in 2050.