The Paceline

As much as I’d like to ruminate about long, early-morning runs around White Rock Lake, this isn’t about that.

James Clear recently provoked my mind with his excellent post: “You Get 25,000 Mornings as an Adult: Here are 8 Ways to Not Waste Them.”

Most folks in this country now live to be about 80 years old – give or take a few years dependent upon habits, genes, gender, privilege, and a few other variables. If we grow up by age 18 (talk about a variable) and decent healthcare stretches us out to 86, we have 68 years or nearly 25,000 days as an adult.

That’s 25,000 days of choices. A blog post on that many decisions over a lifetime could turn into an epic (or not-so epic) tome. This is just about beginning each morning.

How you start the day is critical. My suggestions are different than Mr. Clear’s. He’s spent more time on research and writing than I. I’ve lived longer than he. And because my remaining mornings are statistically fewer, they have significantly grown in value.

Loosely modifying and significantly reprioritizing his list of 8 strategies, here are a few that I’ve found important to make the most of my mornings:

1. I have to prepare the night before (Clear’s #2) since I usually I don’t wake up till I’m backing out of the driveway. Plans made the night before are actually recognized by my brain while my body is still waking up. Knowing what to wear and eat while I’m half asleep at zero dark thirty or even seven thirty in the morning, saves some brain energy for real decisions later in the day. [Pro Tip: if your backpack feels lighter when you walk to the car – it really is. Packing your laptop the night before ensures you don’t get that second feeling of a light backpack when you’re fully awake and walking into work 30 minutes later.]
2. A “pre-game routine” (Clear’s #8) is critical to me. Not exactly like before every at bat, free throw, or penalty kick, but if I prepare for what’s next with thoughtful habits, I’m a lot more ready for what’s ahead. Some routines I occasionally skip to check my flexibility. But if I miss a few minutes of early morning quiet time spent in prayer and study, things just seem a little off the rest of the day. [Pro Tip: if you do choose to ponder on something you worship (everyone does), be careful not to choose something that will let you down.]
3. Eating as a reward (Clear’s #7) is where Mr. Clear and I clearly diverge. Breakfast is not to be missed for any reason – even before a hard, early morning workout (just get up earlier). The most important meal of the day, it is a reward for any morning – preferably to be followed by a second breakfast at 9am and, for those of us who relate to Hobbits, Elevenses before a late lunch. [Pro Tip: French Toast Neat at Snooze is INCREDIBLE – but not that good before an early run.]
4. Premeditated focus is my last strategy. It’s a combo of Clear’s remaining five strategies. I cannot just focus. I need help. I can ignore the phone for 45 minutes. It’s less intrusive for me than email. I can avoid looking at email for a few hours – as long as I don’t open it when I first sit down. (They’ll call or text if it’s that important.) I must plan my focus. Similar but different than Mr. Clear’s #1, I use time to manage my energy. A timer on my laptop helps me focus on a single, important task and reminds me when to get up and move. I have to move on a regular basis or my focus gets really unfocused. [Pro Tip: Be Focused on a Mac set for 35 minute work sessions and 4 minute short breaks may be worth a try.]

This post is mostly for those of us who have 25,000 or fewer mornings left in our lives. But what about someone under 18 years old who does this? Will it give them an unfair advantage over their peers?

What about someone over 80 years old? Are they playing with house money?

Imagine the very young teamed up with the very old to make the most of every morning. If you’re an “adult” between those age groups – GET  OUT  OF  THE  WAY.