For the span of three years, I began every morning to the tune of “It’s a Beautiful Day” by Michael Bublé as my morning alarm (I’m a bit of an eternal optimist). However, for the past four years I have reverted to the readily available alarms on my cell phone’s clock app, both out of the desire for change that accompanies listening to a song every morning for three years, and the ability to easily set my alarm before bed without much thought. By the start of my day at 7 a.m., I am met with either the abrupt sound of the buzzer, or (when I’m feeling adventurous) the wind chimes, which I assume are meant to encourage a soothing, gradual wake-up, but still seem to do the opposite.
Since the start of lockdown, I have been gradually working to develop a better morning routine—one that is motivating, limits my screen time, and encourages me to set goals for the day. I’ve been primarily focusing on the activities I perform throughout my morning, not putting much emphasis on what I had considered to be the smallest, potentially unimportant, pieces of my pre-existing routine.
However, as a…
