this edition of the [no hustle] huddle went out on Monday 7th August 2023

Chances are, you’ve come across this quote at some point—or a variation of it:

“Wake up early every day so that while others are still dreaming, you can make your dreams come true.” — Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning.

Despite its good intentions, this toxic outlook has hugely impacted A LOT of people. 

In a bad way! 

It certainly impacted me and led me to feel inadequate. Because I am, my friend, NOT a morning person. I struggle to get out of bed, especially during certain points in the year (when it’s wet and dark) or when I’m suffering through a tough chapter of life (anxiety, burnout, etc…) ?

Waking up doesn’t come easy. Yet I’ve been told that the most productive people are those that get up and hit it hard from the offset. It’s led me to believe if I don’t do this, it means I’m lazy; or at the very least, I don’t want it “enough” ?

This stirs all sorts of anxieties. Because if I don’t want it enough, maybe I am not enough — now for some who read this, you won’t get it. Waking up in the morning is a breeze. If anything, you wish you could sleep in longer.

Yet others will read this, nodding their head and sloshing coffee down their throat in a bid to get ready for the day ahead. Neither individual—nor the maze of those in-between—have it perfect. AND THAT’S THE POINT! Because there is no such thing as a perfect way to start your day. There is no perfect time to wake up.

Despite this, society tends to place those who wake up early on a pedestal. They are more productive. They are more ambitious. They are more likely to be successful. As such, you should strive to be like them.

This is where books like The Miracle Morning come in and it’s why they’re so successful. It’s a solid book, too. I enjoyed it. I took a great deal from it. But it also spoke to the side of me that forever believes I’m not enough; that I should be different and that how I am isn’t the right way ?

This is both sad and pointless. Sad, because all we can ever be is ourselves; we deserve to treasure who we are—imperfections and all.

Yet it’s also pointless because I cannot change who I am, only optimize who I am—and how I am! So if you can relate to this and you too struggle to make those early mornings work for you, I have another perspective to share. It takes out the “when” you wake up and shines a light on “how” you wake up ?

But before we get to all that, here’s some of the biggest and bestest content I’ve come across this week ??

from the [no hustle] community

Rethinking ‘The Miracle Morning’: 4 Steps To Your Healthy Morning Routine — This article dives into the issues of an “early-morning” obsession and breaks down what to do to overcome it—and how you can optimize the process for your specific personality, situation, and unique self

5 Ways AI Will Positively Impact Your Personal Productivity — It’s difficult to think about a morning routine without productivity coming into play … but as we move into an AI world, how can we leverage it to make the most of our time?

3 actions to take this week

? bookmark this → This is a thoroughly interesting article (and insight) from Darius Foroux, diving into the psychology of Freud and how complex our minds are — instead of looking “out there” and expecting others to help, true growth begins by searching “in there” so we can better appreciate who we are—and if that’s someone we want to be. Fascinating stuff!

? watch this → When it comes to a good morning, the work you do the night before dictates a great deal … this video from the talented Examine team (a collaboration with PictureIt) breaks down a simple step you can take to vastly improve your sleep, energy levels, and so much more.

? DO THIS → Write 5 Things You LIKE To Do in The Morning … not what you think you should do, but rather how you like to start your day — no judgment here, either, just make a note of anything you enjoy doing in those early minutes.

this week’s featured book

Atomic Habits by James Clear — Although I’m loathed to focus on such a popular book like this (I mean, you already know about it, I’m sure), I’ve always loved James’ approach to habits because he focuses on consistency and small steps.

This is always important, but especially when it comes to anything “morning” related. Too often we push too hard, which only ramps up our levels of inadequacy and guilt. Yet when you take a steady approach as James often advocates, you can make an otherwise painful process rather fun.

?️ pass the mic

I loved writing Beyond The Pale for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it allowed me to have conversations with folk like Hollis Carter (of BabyBathwater fame). I love Hollis. The guy’s fun, interesting, and just does it his way.

Yet the nugget that implanted itself in my mind was when he spoke of his figurative “morning grab bag” ?

When it comes to a morning routine, most advocate doing the same thing each day. This does work for some, but for most it quickly grows stale. This is where Hollis and his grab-bag come in because rather than focus on one thing, he’s collected a series of things he likes to do in the morning. 

When he wakes up, he peeks into the bag and does whatever feels right.

This won’t work for everyone—it doesn’t really work for me—but the premise is one worth exploring as it centers around freedom, adaptability & evolution. 

? drop the mic

Earlier, I hinted at an alternative to the normal morning routine grind most people preach about. The word EARLY often forms part of this advice. If in doubt (and if you have a desire to be more productive) just get up earlier.

It’s similar to the just work harder and everything will be fine mantra of life.

It doesn’t work. At least, it doesn’t work for everyone.

I’ve tried to make it work for me, but I have long since given up. It isn’t that I don’t see the value in waking up early. In general, you should strive to stir as early as you feel comfortable with. But that’s the point … what YOU feel comfortable with.

For some, this is 4am. For others, 8am … or 9am… 10am…

The time itself doesn’t matter. Instead, it’s what you do with the time that’s important. This is where the notion of a POWER HOUR comes into play.

Whatever time you do wake up, make the first hour count ?

And if you cannot give yourself an hour (because you have a job and kids to get ready and all that jazz), make it thirty minutes. or twenty minutes. or ten.

Again, the time itself doesn’t matter. It’s how you spend it. That’s the focus here … taking control over how you start the day, filling it with habits/exercises/work/steps/things that FILL UP YOUR CUP ?

Because starting your day the right way is important. Start it well and from a position where you feel on top and in alignment, you’ll overcome whatever obstacles come your way. Whereas if you wake up and start in a hurry, you’ll feel like you’re constantly behind and struggle to keep pace.

So get up as early as you feel comfortable. If that aligns with those miracle morning nuggets, great. If not, still great!

So long as you start your day in style, you’ll do just fine ?

You will be productive. You will be a decent member of society. You will be enough ? I hope this has spoken to you in some way, and if you know a fellow early-morn-struggler that needs to read this, forward the huddle to them and encourage them to subscribe.

Thanks for reading today… I’d love to hear from you and hear about how you like to start your day. For me, it begins with coffee and the space to let my mind wander — what about you?

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