We are the products of our habits.
On average, we make roughly 35,000 decisions a day. According to researchers at Cornell, around 227 of these are made on food alone. And these are just the decisions we have control over; there are also an uncountable number of unknowns we encounter as we go about our days.
This vast amount of options and unknowns can introduce fog and confusion, making it difficult to focus on goals and stay disciplined. To combat this, I suggest using habits to cut through the uncertainties and create consistency. If habits are a powerful tool for discipline, habits in the morning are a jet-fueled jackhammer for breaking through complacency and propelling you toward goals and dreams. I still make plenty of mistakes in failing to stay disciplined, but these are three habits that have transformed my morning routine.
Habit One: Make your bed.
In a 2014 commencement address to graduates of the University of Texas, Navy Seal Admiral William McRaven said the following, “If you make your bed in the 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.” Making your bed gets the ball rolling. These days we’re woken up by the alarms on our phones and instantly bombarded with texts, social media notifications, and emails. What if, before acknowledging that or anything else the day has to offer, you made your bed? Like Admiral McRaven said, making your bed begins your day with a small win that results in a little spark of pride. It gives the motivation to fan that spark into a flame through other small decisions throughout the day.
Habit Two: Get active.
Often, we have good intentions of working out, but those good intentions often stay just that – intentions. I noticed this in my own way life and decided to change how I thought about physical activity. Instead of hoping to have some great big workout in the morning only to get out of bed for it 1 out of 5 times, I gave myself a small amount of required physical activity. This began as 10 good pushups as soon as I was out of bed, increasing the intensity whenever this didn’t feel challenging enough. It is now no longer my choice whether I’m active or not, because this activity is a requirement I’ve given myself. Just like getting dressed or brushing my teeth. Why work out in the morning? It starts the day on the right note, getting active in the morning gets the blood flowing and wakes your body up to conquer the tasks ahead.
Habit Three: Reader beware, this one sucks. Cold showers.
Cold showers are the most powerful discipline tool I have found so far. To disclaim, I rarely start a shower cold. If you can, more power to you. However, every shower I take in the morning ends with at least a 40 second rinse under handle-turned-all-the-way icy cold water. I started this habit during a time when I was struggling to get disciplined and wasn’t sure how it worked. Nearly 3 years of cold showers later, all I can say is all your other problems get very small when you’re standing under a stream of freezing water. Take a cold shower and you’ll see what I mean.
What do these habits have to do with getting your personal finances in order? Personal finance is 90% behavioral. If you aren’t disciplined, you won’t reach your goals. Sometimes you might find that it’s pretty easy to stay disciplined. You don’t hit any major roadblocks and are able to keep your head down and press on toward your goals. However, you will also encounter storms or become lethargic. During these times habits are able to swoop in, bolster your discipline, and keep you moving. You can’t predict when a storm will hit, so strengthening these habits now will ensure they are effective and well-practiced when you need them later.
Photography by Dino Reichmuth