Why Mornings?38if she wants, but she can also be left alone if that’s what she
needs. We know our son Jackson and daughter Alli want to be
in the center of it all— to listen in on Mom and Dad’s conver-
sations, play games with one another, and have easy access to
our snacks. Jimmy loves to drive. So far, on our trips he has
driven every single mile. I much prefer to sit and read, write,
or pass endless snacks back to the kids.
We also know what snacks people like and how exactly to
organize our things in the car for maximum tidiness (I can’t
stand a messy car on a road trip, though it always descends
into chaos at some point) and to make it as easy as possible to
access what we need.
We know that if there is a sign with historical writing on
it, Jimmy will read it in its entirety, and the kids are content to
entertain themselves while he reads. (The kids and I may have
napped on benches at the Smithsonian.) Jimmy knows that I
hate heights— especially when my kids are with me. So he goes
the speed limit, has two hands on the wheel, and doesn’t tell
me he’s enjoying the view when we are on “scenic drives.” If
we didn’t know these things about ourselves, our road trips
would be disastrous.
There is so much power in awareness— in knowing your-
self and those around you.
Building a morning habit is something like going on a long
road trip. You’re in it for the long haul, so you need to know
yourself. You need to accommodate your personality, prefer-
ences, and passions. In this chapter, we’re going to do some fun
self- discovery. We are going to delve into the morning myths
that hold us back and understand how personalities, time, and
seasons affect our mornings.