Starting Slow, Fast Finish

It happens every so often, at least for me. Some mornings Start Slow but start super early. Though tired, I’ve learned the mind does not want to stay shut off like a typical night. Maybe there are some things you need to think about and through. The result? You may win the battle of the mind, but this keeps you overly tired all day. You wish for the day to end and bedtime to arrive!

I never wish for a time just to lounge the morning away.

Even if I’m tired, there’s too much to do, so many unfinished tasks, and drowsy time is an unwelcome visitor. We all have these days, but I’ve often found that a slow start usually means a fast finish. Why? Because the demands of the day do not go away, and you have to complete what the day requires. Not putting it off until tomorrow. Gotta git ‘er done… Now.

Now What?

Battery cables, anyone? Maybe that’s what we need to jump-start our day or some way of settling the morning into a routine we can live with.

The one thing that helps me have a good day
is to follow an established routine that seldom changes.

This does not mean the schedule does not become jumbled, but the opening and closing of my days are often the same. If I’ve kept my focus all day long, the close of this day makes the opening of the next day routine. I will rest through the night like I know I should!

The problem often occurs when the night processes events in your mind somewhat weirdly. That’s often what causes me to wake up and start thinking.

Late starts can produce poor results. When the deadline approaches, you begin to rush around, and that’s when mistakes are more easily experienced. At that moment, you often wish you could time-warp back to the morning and start all over again!

There Was A Time

Back in the day, you know, when we had to work for a living that meant leaving the house, we knew that to miss specific traffic and school bus impediments, we must leave the house by a particular time…even if it meant we get to work earlier than shift started! Leave a few minutes late, and flashing school bus lights slow the traffic as kids dart across the roads to board or the bus stops to ensure no trains are coming down the tracks where you’ve only seen one train in 13 years!

Though we cannot account for delays beyond our ability to control,
we can control the morning start to ensure a normal start to the day.

Back in the day, when a daily paper was a part of my regular routine, I would get up early to enjoy the paper before leaving for work. Get engrossed in a story, and my entire morning routine is off-kilter. As I moved further away from the city, and the paper could no longer be guaranteed to arrive on time, I simply changed my morning routine, although I did not change my alarm clock.

Yes. I quit the morning paper. Cold Turkey. I’ve not had this morning distraction for a dozen or so years.

When The Morning Breaks

All mornings break. Eventually. Depending on the needs and the reason for the breakage, you have to:

Drop 10. Punt!
Make it a quick fix, then hit the road!
You can make up the time, but this lost feeling of control will still be there..
Can you make up for the loss?
Not in this possession!
But you can aim to handle it better the next time!

Scrambling for a church service several years back, I never noticed I had on two different shoes until it came time to preach. Fumbling around in the dark to get ready seldom produces good results. Laying things out before the morning rush often makes for a slicker exit!

What do you do? Slow down. Quit racing. Someone’s bound to get hurt or worse. It is what it is. Own it. Resolve to handle it differently the next time.

Do you have a routine you like to start and close your day with, and would you care to share?