Showing posts with label Create. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Create. Show all posts

Morning Routine: Create - Conclusion

Using my brain in a creative way early in the morning jumpstarts my alertness and gets me ready to tackle the day.  

Over the 21 days i've used the time to journal, cook, clean, blog, write, shovel, and more.  I can promise that a majority of these things wouldn't have gotten accomplished without this challenge and the 30 minutes of dedicated time each morning.

I look forward to creating in the garden this spring.  That's how i plan to use the majority of my morning creative time this spring and summer.  Being outside in the wet grass under the warm sun.  Can't wait!

The only drawback to this point is that the thought of "creating" still isn't exciting enough to get me out of bed.  I'm looking for that "one thing" that has me out of bed before my alarm, full of anticipation for the new day.

The next part of the routine will be Diet/Exercise.  In addition to waking up early and creating, i will either prep food, strength train, work on mobility, or do cardio.  Starts soon, follow along!

Morning Routine: Create - Days 19 thru 21

Here's how the last three days of the challenge went down:

Day 19 - created a plan for the week and added them to Google Calendar

Day 20 - came up with a list of tasks to accomplish around the house since i was "snowed-in."  Not technically, but enough snow that i wasn't leaving.

Day 21 - this post!

I'll follow up with a conclusion post in a couple of days.  I hope that you enjoyed this series and maybe you'll begin to implement something similar in your own life.

Morning Routine: Create - Days 13 thru 18

Day 13 - Journaled.  Here's a slice: 
"I thought about stopping [writing the full 750Words today] and saying "fuck it" but i figured it would be worthwhile just to grind it out.
if i stick to it on simple things like this maybe i will be able to stick it out through tougher trials and tribulations in my life.  i have a lot of vices and i'm quick to slip and say fuck it when it comes to things that are really important or difficult.  it's easier and more rewarding in the short term to just quit and do something that offers a reward in the here and now.
However, that's not the path.  I know in my heart that the life worth living is the one that is lived purposefully. Getting caught up trying to constantly please myself in the moment doesn't allow me to sow the seeds needed for future success.  it's all coming together.  slower than i'd hoped but faster than i could've expected. just got to be real sometimes."

Day 14 - I spent 30 minutes cleaning up my man cave.  i feel so much calmer in a tidy space.

Day 15 - Since i've been skipping breakfast, i used the 30 minutes to cook scrambled eggs and pack a lunch.  I forgot the lunch in the fridge at home...

Day 16 - Journaled.  An excerpt:
"I wish i had a focus. Perhaps my focus is just living my best and most authentic life. That doesn't excite me for some reason.
I honestly don't know what would get me out of bed excited each morning. I used to be excited to go fishing and hunting. I could rarely fall asleep the night before and i'd excitedly hop outta bed in the morning. That's what i'm looking for each and every day. That feeling of being so excited that i can't wait to start the day."

Day 17 - I prepped dinner.  Stew in the crock pot.  Forgot to take a picture..

Day 18 - This post!

Morning Routine: Create - Days 9 thru 12

The creations continue.

Day 9 - i sat down and came up with some "tenets," or guiding principles.  The original list was over 25 items deep.  i narrowed it down to 10 "10ets." In no particular order:


  1. Drink more water than wine (or juice, coffee, soda, beer, etc)
  2. Actively seek ways to be of assistance
  3. Practice being in the present moment.  "Where am I? Here I am."
  4. Do things today that my future self will be thankful for
  5. Apply the 80/20 rule as often as possible
  6. Consciously direct the flow of money in my life
  7. Take responsibility for my "roles" (family member, dog owner, employee, etc)
  8. Beat the sun (wake before sunrise)
  9. See the good -- Be the good
  10. Leave [it] better than i found it.

Day 10 - Prepped chicken noodle soup so that I'd have an easy, hot meal when i got home from work.  Add chunks of chicken breasts, celery, carrots, chicken broth, salt and pepper, and whatever else you'd like.  Cook on low for at least 8 hours.  Cook noodles separately and add just before serving.













Day 11 - i drank too much the night before and stayed up late.  the result was that i slept in and didn't have time to do anything but prepare to go to work. (boo! ME)

Day 12 - this post! (hey, it counts...)

Morning Routine: Create - Days 5 thru 8

Here's the roundup from the past four days:

Day 5 - wrote a bit on the topic of creating:


To create is to bring something into existence. To me, this is powerful. Without my own intervention and effort, it never would've come to fruition. It's also something that nobody else could have created. Each person puts their own individuality into a project.

As we see in those group painting classes where everybody paints the "same" picture -- how often does yours look like your neighbors? Never in the history of that class have two people produced identical paintings. It would be impossible. Therefore, a creation is a personal, one-of-a-kind contribution that nobody else in the world could have brought forth. Creating is a useful and worthwhile endeavor. I shall continue to create.

Creation is a mindset. All entrepreneurs are creators. Everything around us is a creation. Creations are also not limited to physical things. Systems are created, theories, philosophies, mathematics -- these are creations too.

Creations shape us. We are creations. Creations capable of creating.

Day 6 - can't get into details here but i created a piece of jewelry.

Day 7 - i prepped a meatloaf and tossed it in the slow cooker for dinner.  i forgot to take a picture..

Day 8 - this blog post!

Nothing like getting those creative juices flowing early in the am!  

Morning Routine: Create - Days 1 thru 4

Upon waking, i will spend around 30 minutes creating.  Here's what i've done so far:

Day 1 - I woke up to all of this snow so i created a clean driveway.








Day 2 - My creation was a cleaner kitchen.








Day 3 - More snow to shovel.








Day 4 - The creation of this blog post!

As mentioned, creation is defined as "the action or process of bringing something into existence" so i consider a neater kitchen a creation.  I'm being broad here.  Don't want to pigeonhole myself into just writing or doing art.

Morning Routine: Create - Introduction

For the next 21 days -- and beyond -- i'll spend at least a half an hour creating upon waking.  According to random articles on the internet, including this one, creativity peaks in the morning.

The definition of create is to bring something into existence.  Without individual effort and personal intervention, it never would've existed.  That's really enticing to me for some reason.


Anyways, i plan to bring something into existence each morning.  My current thoughts surround journal entries and bad ass breakfasts but i'm sure i'll come up with something more than that.

Challenge begins on Monday.