Breaking Habits, Building Clarity: How Small Choices Shape Big Changes
This morning, I woke up early—3:30 a.m. early—with a pounding headache. The first urge was to bury myself back under the covers, hoping sleep would come back. But I got up, took some ibuprofen, made a cup of hot milk, and took my supplements. After a shower and a quick meditation, I lay down and, sure enough, drifted back to sleep. I woke up later to the first light of dawn—not from an alarm, but from the natural break of day. And that felt better than any alarm ever could. Lately, I’ve been making conscious choices to avoid the habits that once felt like crutches. Take cannabis: it used to be a go-to in my morning routine, something that got me "in the zone" back when I was an art student. I’d have my coffee, maybe a quick hit, and get to work. But this kind of routine came at a cost: a crash, every day by 10:30 a.m., right in the middle of class or a meeting. When you’re surviving on four or five hours of sleep, it doesn’t matter how strong the coffee is or how energized you feel—you’re setting yourself up to burn out. And I did, over and over. But that was then. Now, the focus is on a different kind of clarity. No "wake and bake," no coffee-first-thing; just awareness, energy, and intention. I’m finally setting a tone for my day that doesn’t rely on artificial boosts but instead builds on real, mindful choices. Waking Up with Purpose, Not Just Going Through Motions The best part about waking up to natural light is that it feels like a quiet invitation, not a demand. Rather than lying in bed, staving off the inevitable, I got up with a sense of purpose, not from external pressure but from an internal restlessness—a drive to do something. The point isn’t just getting up; it’s what I do once I’m up. Today, that included some gentle stretches, lifting my legs and bringing my knees to my chest, preparing both my mind and body to be fully present. Each small action matters because, in the end, each choice is a seed for habits, whether good or bad. The Power of Small, Intentional Choices