How I Built a Morning Routine Without Hating My Life
Quick Wins for Real Productivity: Part 2
Let’s get this out of the way first: I am not a morning person.
If there’s a club for guys who need three alarms, blackout curtains, and a full existential crisis just to roll out of bed, I could be the president. For years, I’d wake up with that immediate feeling of “I’m already behind,” slam some caffeine, and then just… wing it. My mornings were chaos. Not the fun kind—just disorganized, jittery survival-mode chaos.
But when I started messing around with the 2-minute rule, something interesting happened. I began stacking these tiny wins in the morning, and without even meaning to, I built a morning routine. Like, a real one. One I actually stick to. Not because I read it in a self-help book, but because I tricked my brain into liking the feeling of momentum before 9 a.m.
Let me break down how that happened—and how you can probably do it without becoming “that guy” who only talks about morning routines on podcasts.
Step One: Starting with One Non-Sucky Thing
I knew I couldn’t do the whole “miracle morning” thing with 5 AM yoga and journaling by candlelight. That just ain’t me. So I asked myself: What’s one thing I could do in the morning that would take less than 2 minutes and wouldn’t make me hate life?
Answer: Make the bed.
I know, I know. It sounds basic. But hear me out.
Making the bed took me maybe 90 seconds. No deep thinking. No decision fatigue. I just pulled the sheets tight, straightened the pillows, and boom—done. And every time I walked past that bed during the day, it reminded me: you started your day with a win.
That was the first domino. A stupid, simple one. But it worked.
Step Two: Add One More Tiny Win
Once the bed-making became a thing, I started feeling weirdly proud of it. So I decided to tack something onto it. Nothing major. Just take my vitamins and drink a glass of water.
Again—2 minutes, max.
And here’s where the psychology kicks in. The bed-making wasn’t just a standalone task anymore. It became the trigger for the next one. That’s where habit stacking comes in.
The idea behind habit stacking is this: you attach a new habit to an existing one, using it as an anchor. Kind of like how you always brush your teeth after you shower, or check your phone the second you sit down on the toilet (don’t lie, we all do it).
Now my stack looked like this:
- Make the bed
- Take vitamins + drink water
Still under 4 minutes. Still easy wins. But suddenly, I wasn’t starting my day in a mental fog—I was already moving.
Step Three: Ride the Momentum
Momentum is sneaky. Once you’ve got it, you don’t want to lose it.
After a couple of weeks, I added one more thing: plan the day in my notes app. Not a full productivity system, just three bullets:
- What I need to do
- What I should do
- What I want to do
Two minutes. Max.
I didn’t overthink it. I didn’t get stuck in perfection. Just a few messy thoughts that gave my brain a map to follow.
Now the stack looked like this:
- Make the bed
- Take vitamins + water
- Write three bullets in my notes
All done in under 10 minutes.
No willpower required. No motivational podcast needed. And—most importantly—no part of this routine felt like it was trying to turn me into a robot or a monk.
It was still me. Just a better version, moving a little faster, with a little more clarity.
What Changed for Me (That I Didn’t Expect)
What blew my mind was how much these tiny habits bled into the rest of my day. Because I’d already done three things that made me feel in control, I wasn’t chasing the day anymore.
I started answering emails faster. I stopped skipping breakfast. Hell, I even started keeping my bathroom counter clean—like some kind of functional adult.
It’s wild how just starting with small wins can rewire your entire mood. Because that’s what this is really about. Mood, not willpower.
I’m not disciplined by nature. I’m emotionally driven. So I had to create an environment where the emotions of achievement happened early—and often.
That’s what the 2-minute rule gave me: a psychological head start.
How You Can Build Your Own 2-Minute Habit Stack (Without Making It a Chore)
You don’t need to copy my routine. Seriously. My mornings are mine because I built them around what actually worked for me—my energy, my personality, my tolerance for early brain activity (which is low, by the way).
But here’s how you can create your own version:
1. Pick one anchor habit
Choose a task that already happens every morning. Like brushing your teeth, walking into the kitchen, or turning off your alarm. That’s your anchor.
2. Add one micro-win that takes under 2 minutes
It can be:
- Making the bed
- Drinking water
- Stretching for 30 seconds
- Putting in a load of laundry
- Starting coffee and wiping the counter
3. Do it for one week—then add another
Don’t go full hero mode. Add one new 2-minute habit only after the first one feels automatic. This is about consistency, not ambition.
4. Celebrate the win
No, you don’t have to throw a party. But at least acknowledge it. Say it out loud if you want: “Nice. That’s done.” Your brain eats that up.
5. Adjust as needed
Some days you’ll be rushed. Some days you’ll forget. That’s fine. You’re not building a prison. You’re building momentum. That’s what counts.
I’ve created a 2-Minute Habit Stack Tracker that you can download. If you’re a tactile and visual person, like me, you’ll appreciate writing down your habits and checking them off as you go.
Coming Up in Part 3: Don’t Let “Productivity” Become Another Way to Feel Bad
Next time, I’m diving into the dark side of productivity—when “quick wins” become distractions from deeper stuff, and how I learned to tell the difference between doing a lot and doing what matters.
Because yeah, making your bed is great. But if you’re using micro-tasks to avoid the big, scary stuff? That’s a different beast. One I’ve wrestled with more than I like to admit.
Until then—try the 2-minute stack. Start small. Build slow. And remember, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress that doesn’t suck.
No responses yet