Outsmart the Morning Chaos

I love mornings.

Seriously. I am a morning person.

And by "morning person," I mean I love waking up before everyone else, practicing some easy yoga, sipping my coffee, watching the news, watering my plants, and having at least an hour doing nothing all by myself before I have to get ready for work.

So maybe it's not that I'm a morning person, but that I'm an introvert. I love my alone time.

The best part, though, is waking up to the sound of my coffee pot kicking on. It's like having a butler prepare my coffee for me on top of sitting alone in the silence.

I've also learned to love exercising in the morning, but that took more effort.

This is why we will discuss the psychological concept known as pre-commitment strategy. 

What is Precommitment Strategy?

Precommitment is a behavior you engage in ahead of time to increase the likelihood of doing something beneficial in the future.

I developed an eating disorder in college. That stinking "Freshman 15" kicked my butt. Then on top of it, I had some anxiety, control issues, and am an adult child of a person with an alcohol use disorder...so that is an excellent formula for developing an eating disorder. In learning more about the disorder, I decided to treat myself using yoga and reframing my thoughts. (That was in the days when I didn't know therapy was a thing...)

To encourage myself to practice yoga every morning, which was the only time I could fit it into my college schedule, I started sleeping in my yoga clothes or setting them right by my bed. I was either wearing them or tripping over them the second I woke up. Precommitment. 

The last thing I wanted to do (and honestly, it still takes a lot of effort) each morning was exercise.

I'd rather sleep until the last possible moment, but I decided that my health was a priority, and I was determined to improve myself. If yoga were the option, I wanted to find a way to make it happen.

Willpower is sometimes a thing, and sometimes...when it comes to weighing the pros and cons, it's a toss-up.

Chocolate made me feel good, and I was quite depressed. I had to precommit in the moments when I was motivated to make the change, to improve my chances of engaging in that behavior.

You’ve probably already used this without realizing it:

• Lying out your gym clothes.
• Putting your medication next to your toothbrush.
• Programming the coffeemaker before bed.

This is how you increase motivation.

Not with more willpower, but with fewer decisions.

Why It Works (Especially for Mornings)

Mornings are chaos. Getting kids dressed and on the bus or to the carpool, or all the way to school...and you think summer will be better, but it's just a different kind of stress.

If you have little ones, now it's a full day in daycare, so a higher bill and a wired child at pick up.

Not to mention banquets, graduations, pool parties, picnics, field trips, and every other obligation that you will learn about on the day of the event.

Well, if I'm lucky. Sometimes I find out from other parents a few minutes before the event.

Teenagers...

Here’s why precommitment saves your sanity:

• It lowers your mental load. No searching for matching socks. No wondering what to eat. Decisions made before coffee or after a workday are exhausting.
• It reduces the chance of opting out. If your journal is open and on the table with your coffee, you improve the odds that you will use it.
• It gives you momentum. Beginning your day one step ahead is a decisive advantage. 

Start Small

You don’t need a 37-step morning routine.

Choose one baby step that will make your morning easier, and make that task easy to complete.

For Example:

• Lay your workout clothes on the floor by your bed so you trip on them in the morning.
• Make your lunch the night before...that's my hardest one.
• Fill your water bottle before you go to bed.
• Charge your phone in the living room, not your bedroom. Then, you can't scroll for half an hour before you get out of bed.
• And the obvious, set out your work outfit, just like your mom told you back in the day!

You don't have to be a "morning person" to have a peaceful morning; just an efficient and committed planner.

Challenge:

Is there one behavior you would like to precommit to in the morning?

Why do you want to make this change?

What is a baby step you can take to pre-commit to this behavior?