Your Morning Routine Toolkit146So when school started up this year, I thought it would be
a great time to get back into going to the gym. And since it is
located at my son’s school, what better way to build the habit
than to tack it on to our current morning routine?
My trigger is that I’m already at the school, so I just drive
around to the back, park, and head to the gym. This is an example
of choice architecture (the next tool we discuss). I intentionally
drop off my son last so it’s a no- brainer decision to go to the gym.
A trigger for you could be your morning alarm, brushing
your teeth, taking a shower, or going to bed. It could be meal-
time or getting in the car.
My son has to memorize Bible verses for school, and his
trigger to work on his memory verse is taking a shower. He
tapes his verse to the outside of our glass shower door, and he
works on his verse during his shower.
You can also use emotions as triggers. When I’m feeling
frustrated or overwhelmed during the workday, that’s a trigger
for me to go for a walk.
When one of my kids is upset, we’ll soon hear music float-
ing through the house, as high emotions are a trigger for that
child to practice his or her instrument.
If you’re feeling tired, that can be a trigger for you to drink
water.
The key here is to simply be aware, have a habit script,
and use choice architecture (our next tool) to help you build
healthy habits.
Tool 2: Choice Architecture
My favorite way to build a habit requires zero willpower
or self- discipline. It’s called choice architecture. That means