How many time have we heard ourselves or someone else say: “I’ll do/turn in that… first thing in the morning…”

But have we stopped to think what is the first thing that we actually do in the morning? (after leaving the comfort of our home)

As soon as I get to work, my first things are (listed in the most likely order):

1. Set up my desk -which means take out the laptop, connect all the cables, and start all the usual apps.
2. Get my thermos and scurry to the water dispenser to get hot water for the mate. (if I don’t get there too late, there might be a chance for me to have a decent mate).
3. Check my To-do list for urgent stuff.
4. Open my browser and read the news, then go to my feed reader and see if there are new posts on my usual reads.
5. Check email.

And then I start working, after my little ritual.
This actually doesn’t take me more than 15 minutes, but clearly shows that first things are not first after all.

The evolution of habits

And then I can’t help but wonder how it use to be before -say internet, for example- and how those new technologies changed our habits.

The morning routine must have been very different back then. Imagine. You get to work, maybe you don’t have a PC. You go and get your coffee (one of the many habits I guess that persisted through time) and then what? Work. I hardly think that reading a book was an option. Maybe the morning paper, if you haven’t already done so at home.

There must be many examples like these.

Some people would consider this a waste of time, something that affects productivity. And in fact, I agree with the latter. After all, it’s a zero-activity lapse of time. But in spite of that, I think it helps me to face the day in a whole different way, than if I just sit and start working right away.

So now you know, consider yourselves warned. I need to have my 15 minutes of bliss, before turning in anything first thing in the morning… or second…