Rise and [Fill in the Blank]

The first thing I did this morning was hit snooze on my alarm. After finally waking up when the second alarm sounded, I picked up my phone and started to read.

I read a Bible verse. I checked Twitter. I checked Instagram. I read the one text message that came in after I went to sleep. Then I started reading a webcomic that l like for a bit (I’m revisiting One Punch Man). About 50 minutes later I got out of bed.

What followed was personal hygiene, taking my allergy medicine, and then a few pushups before cracking open the laptop to start writing.

But then I got distracted and opened my email. I read an article that was sent to me. I then replied to one email for work and afterward checked a Slack message.

Then I got back to really writing exactly 1 hour and 8 minutes after I first hit snooze.

Was the morning a success?

Maybe.

I accomplished the big things that were most important to me in the morning which were waking up on time and writing. But I kind of cringe at the story I’m telling about my morning when I actually account for each step I took.

Nevertheless, I also have enough grace with myself to be proud of the fact that I still got up on time to write today. That in itself is a win.

I share my morning activities with you all to point out two important concepts.

1. Choose the story you want to tell first. Then just do that.
2. Focus on doing the key things that matter to your story. Forgive yourself for the other details.

I figure that if you have to tell someone about it, you will choose different actions to make the story better.

My ideal morning would be something like, I got up before the alarm, prayed, read a devotional, journaled, got a workout in, took care of my personal hygiene, zoomed through a chapter or two of a book, made some tea, and then started writing.

It didn’t happen exactly that way, but I still accomplished my morning intention which was to get up and write.

I also acknowledged the other details I missed but forgave myself for it. Showing this grace to myself allows me to extend it to other people.

I’m going to keep working until I consistently get to the morning routine I desire but it is ok for me to like myself despite the missteps along the way. That’s what makes me human. That’s what makes me humane.

With this reflection, I’ll get up and do better tomorrow. That’s the story I plan to tell.

What story do you want to tell about your mornings?