SHAKING THE TREE ... #30
Why no one cares about that CEO hipster’s morning routine
Hipster CEO morning success rituals.
They’re everywhere!
Here’s Kurt, who gets up at 4 a.m. to commune with his ice bath.
Here’s Jocasta, who meditates for two hours every day between 5 and 6 before enjoying a lemon grass and cardboard smoothie.
Here’s Sven, who writes 25,000 words every day before 9 am about how awesome his collection of belly-button lint is and how it made him a squillionaire in nine days.
In truth, the only people who care about these tales of super-humanism are the hipster CEOs peddling them as if the very acts themselves are some sort of fountain of youth.
I get it: the morning rituals of hipster entrepreneurs might capture widespread interest because so many people want to become hipster CEOs.
But I suspect that many of the people peddling these stories are doing so simply as click bait and to generate attention—me, me, look at me: I’m so awesome!
Here are a few thoughts on why these kinds of rituals resonate and how you can hack the system to make more realistic habits for yourself
Recognize that everyone has their unique routines. While a hipster CEO morning ritual can be intriguing, someone else’s focus on their individuality might limit its applicability in your day-to-day existence. Do what works for you without feeling that you need to kill yourself with all the effort.
View hipster entrepreneurs' morning rituals as a form of pretentiousness and accept these habits for what they really are: self serving. Take from these kinds of articles whatever’s realistic for your personal circumstances and capabilities.
Tie whatever’s actionable for you to something concrete that means something to you. Is diving into an ice bath at 5 a.m. and running three miles in 15 minutes really going to set you up for the day? Probably not. You might be happier reading for 30 minutes with a nice hot cup of tea!
If you need 9 hours of sleep, get 9 hours of sleep and don’t be pulled into any new habit that could interfere with either your well-being or your home life. Don’t think you have to get by on 4 hours of sleep simply because Sven (who may be 25 years younger than you with the body of a Greek god) gets by on 4 hours.
Are you Sven? No. You are not. Be sensible and be realistic.
Simply because someone can jump into an ice bath at 5 a.m. it does not logically follow through that you have to do the same thing!
Why would you do that? How does that act add to your story or narrative? If you can make an ice bath part of whatever you do, great.
But don’t think you have to jump on the same band wagon as everyone else.
If you want to share your experience of running a half marathon every morning, or of waking up at 4:30 a.m. to commune with the stars—or whatever—think about framing the activity within a larger context of whatever it is that you’re about: your goals, your accomplishments, your philosophies and how your routine has positively impacted your life.
Providing relatable insights and actionable advice can make your story more compelling and valuable to a broader audience.
For those readers who are passionate about ice baths or man buns, or hipster habits and activities, if any of the habits in these kinds of articles speak to you on some level, fine: knock yourself out.
But for geezers and people who are less inclined to jump out of bed and straight into an icy pool (I fit into both of those categories … geezer and less inclined … ), I think it’s framing to put both those kinds of articles, and the people who write them and who are featured in them, into a broader, wider, more personal context that highlights tangible benefits, personal growth, or unique experiences that could … COULD … make them more relatable and engaging to you on a personal level broader.
It's important to recognize that not every personal practice is right for you, and that just becomes someone else is doing it, it doesn’t mean you have to do it in order to keep up.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … 10 simple ways to enhance your small business experience