Good habits are worth being fanatical about.

– John Irving

Greetings, wordsmiths!

I’m back with four more of my personal morning habits that help set me up for a focused and productive writing session (or full writing day if I’m able)! If you haven’t read Part I yet, you can find it HERE.

 

Make the Bed

It’s astonishing how many people I hear on radio shows and podcasts talk about the importance of making your bed first thing in the morning. Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, says that a simple way to be happier is to make your bed every morning.

The thinking behind the philosophy is that by creating external order, we’re able to produce internal calm. Making the bed is a small, definitely doable task that many count as their first “win” of the day because it signifies diligence, self-discipline, and structure.

Naval Admiral William McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, said the following about making your bed in his commencement address at the University of Texas at Austin:

“If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.

“By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.

“If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

“And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”

 

Eat Breakfast

We’ve all heard this a gazillion times throughout our lives, but I’m going to say it again: breakfast in the most important meal of the day. (A healthy breakfast, that is!)

If you eat a breakfast that consists of lean protein (think eggs/egg whites, organic whey or vegan protein powder, even turkey, chicken, fish, or lean ground beef), whole grains (I personally love organic oatmeal and Ezekiel bread), and healthy fats (eggs, nut butter, avocado, nuts/seeds etc.), you’ll gain the following benefits:

 

• Less hunger throughout the day
• Better focus and concentration
• More energy
• Lower cholesterol levels
• A more nutritionally complete diet

 

Check Email and Social Media

I’ve heard many people (some of them the same people who advocate making your bed first thing in the morning) advise that we don’t check our email or get on social media until after our work (writing, for us), is through. One reason they say this is because it can easily put us into Reaction mode – responding and replying –  when the goal is to be in Action mode – making progress on toward our daily goals. Another reason to avoid email and social media is they can be a rabbit hole, and we all know what happens when we find ourselves too far down one of those!

I actually do check my email shortly after waking up. And a few seconds later, I click over to my Instagram app, check my notifications, and post something. (For Twitter and Facebook, I use the Buffer app to pre-schedule my posts, so I’m fine checking those notifications later on in the day.)

The reason I’m pro email and social media in the morning is because I like getting the “busy work,” i.e., replying to my editor, tweeting someone back, approving a cover design, etc., out of the way because I feel it clears my head to start writing without having to worry about getting back to someone or remembering to post that funny meme or inspirational writing quote. For me, having a clear head is critical for reaching the ideal creative flow state.

Remember, everyone is different, so I simply encourage you to find what works for you!

 

Set the Mood

I always enjoy hearing what other writers like to listen to while writing. Some enjoy the loud, energizing sound of rock and heavy metal, while others prefer more mellow and subdued classical music or an ambient soundtrack. There are also some, like me, who don’t care for music of any kind while they write.

I love to write (and sleep, oddly enough…) to the sound of rain and/or thunder, and thanks to the Internet, I don’t have to wait until an actual storm to blows through to make that happen! I just open a tab and go to Rainymood.com (there’s a mobile app as well).

What about you? Do you prefer music, nature sounds, or complete silence when you write? Tweet me @dandersontyler to let me know, and also comment below with any other morning habits you’d like to share! I’d love to hear from you!