Conquer Mornings

Max was *not* a morning person.

He wasn’t just slow to get out of bed—he was the kind of person who set five alarms and slept through all of them. The kind of person who would wake up, scroll on his phone, fall back asleep, and then panic when he realized he had ten minutes to get ready for work.

Every morning felt like a disaster.

He was always late, always groggy, and always in a bad mood. He had tried a few tricks—setting his alarm louder, putting his phone across the room, even drinking coffee before bed so it’d hit in the morning (don’t try that). Nothing worked.

Then one Tuesday, Max slept through an important video meeting. Again. His boss, Denise, wasn’t angry. She just smiled in that quiet, scary way and said:

“Max, maybe mornings wouldn’t be so hard if you didn’t treat them like an enemy.”

Max laughed awkwardly. But later, that stuck in his head. **“What if mornings weren’t the problem? What if *I’m* the problem?”**

That night, Max searched on his phone:

“How to fix your morning routine when you suck at mornings.”

He found a line that changed everything:

“You don’t fix mornings in the morning. You fix them the night before.”

Max blinked. That made sense. He always stayed up too late, looking at his phone, eating snacks, and putting off bedtime like a kid avoiding school. So he made a deal with himself:

Try a better night routine for 7 days. That’s it.

Day 1: Go to Bed On Time (Really This Time)

Max picked a bedtime: 10:30 PM.

At 10 PM, he brushed his teeth, filled a glass of water, and put his phone on the charger—*across the room*. He read a boring book about sleep instead of scrolling social media.

He actually fell asleep before 11. That hadn’t happened in years.

Day 2: Put the Alarm Across the Room

His alarm went off at 6:45 AM.

Max had to walk across the room to turn it off. He didn’t like it—but now that he was standing, he figured he might as well go to the bathroom and splash water on his face.

It wasn’t fun, but it was progress.

Day 3: Lay Out Clothes the Night Before

The night before work, Max laid out his clothes—shirt, pants, socks, even underwear.

In the morning, he didn’t have to decide what to wear. He just put everything on without thinking.

Less stress. Fewer choices. Big win.

Day 4: Start a Tiny Morning Routine

Max kept it super simple:

1. Drink a glass of water.

2. Stretch for 30 seconds.

3. Open the window and get some light.

He even played upbeat music on a little speaker. It wasn’t magic, but it helped him feel *slightly* more human.

Day 5: Give Yourself a Reward

Max made a deal:

If he got out of bed by 7 AM, he’d treat himself to a cinnamon roll from the café downstairs.

Suddenly, getting up early had a purpose. Mornings now came with frosting.

Day 6: Go for a 10-Minute Walk

After his water and stretch, Max went outside for a short walk.

It was quiet. He saw a few people walking their dogs. He felt the sun on his face. For the first time, he thought:

“Maybe mornings aren’t so bad.”

Day 7: No Snooze. No Panic. Just Up.

Max woke up with his alarm. No snooze. No drama. He got dressed, made his bed, drank his water, and even had time to sit and enjoy his coffee.

It felt… calm. Normal. Like maybe this new routine could stick.

Max still doesn’t *love* mornings. But he doesn’t dread them anymore. He’s not rushing, forgetting things, or yelling at his alarm.

He wakes up, follows his simple routine, and starts his day with way less stress.

If Max can do it, anyone can.

Because the secret isn’t being born a morning person.

It’s building a system that works for *you*—even if mornings have always been your worst enemy.