As I’ve discussed in previous posts, in the morning I start writing as soon as possible. But between waking and writing there are some brief intermediate steps that make sense for me to take. To make those actions routine, I created a checklist in my iPhone Reminders app for them called “Morning Motions.” That list includes reminders to:
Say a quick prayer before getting out of bed
Check on my iPhone Health app how much sleep I just got (it syncs with my Apple Watch which monitors that)
Start my coffee
Take my anti-cancer medicine
Set my Apple Watch to charge
Launch my word processor on my computer to start writing
It might seem like overkill to use a checklist for such quick, simple actions. But when I have just woken up and I’m still groggy, the explicit guidance is helpful.
Without it, I end up fumbling and stumbling around, forgetting to do things when its most convenient, and having to go back and forth from room to room to do the things I forgot to do. I also end up having to waste too much mental energy groggily thinking about what to do next. That’s no way to begin the day.
My checklist helps me avoid all that and makes my morning motions pre-decided, smooth, easy, efficient, and quick so I can get to my writing without delay.