Unconventional Morning Routines: How Struggling Strivers Start Their Day

We’ve all heard about the early bird getting the worm.

But what about those who hit snooze five times before reluctantly rolling out of bed?

This piece takes an honest look at the morning habits of people who grapple with success, offering a refreshing counterpoint to the endless parade of CEO routines splashed across productivity blogs.

From chronic procrastinators to night owls forced into a 9-to-5 world, these unvarnished accounts might just make you feel better about your own bleary-eyed stumble towards the coffee maker.

The Snooze Button Virtuoso

Meet Sarah, a 32-year-old graphic designer who readily admits her relationship with mornings is “complicated at best.” Her alarm goes off at 6:30 AM, but that’s just the opening salvo in a 45-minute battle of wills.

“I set like, six alarms,” Sarah confesses. “It’s ridiculous, I know. But that first one? It might as well be a lullaby. I’m not even conscious enough to remember turning it off.”

Sarah’s actual rise-and-shine moment rarely happens before 7:15 AM, leaving her in a mad dash to make it to work on time. Her morning routine, if you can call it that, consists of:

• A 3-minute shower (hair washing is a luxury reserved for evenings)
• Grabbing whatever clothes aren’t wrinkled beyond recognition
• Applying makeup on the subway (much to the chagrin of her fellow commuters)

“I know I should meal prep or do some yoga or whatever,” Sarah sighs. “But honestly? Most mornings I’m just proud I remembered deodorant.”

The Reluctant Early Riser

Marcus, a 28-year-old data analyst, is a night owl thrust into a morning person’s world. His job requires him to be at his desk by 8 AM sharp, a fact that fills him with existential dread each evening.

“I’ve tried to become one of those 5 AM miracle morning people,” Marcus explains. “I bought all the books, downloaded the apps. But my brain just doesn’t work that way. It’s like trying to force a cactus to thrive in a rainforest.”

Marcus’s morning routine is a carefully calibrated exercise in doing the bare minimum:

1. Wake up at 7:00 AM (after going to bed at 1 AM, because that’s when his mind finally quiets down)
2. Stumble to the kitchen for a pre-made protein shake (breakfast of champions, if said champions hate chewing)
3. Shower while listening to a podcast at 1.5x speed (multitasking at its finest)
4. Throw on whatever clothes pass the sniff test
5. Sprint to the bus stop, praying traffic cooperates

“I know I’m not living my best life or whatever,” Marcus admits. “But I’m living a life, and sometimes that feels like enough of an accomplishment before 9 AM.”

The Chaos Embracer

Aisha, a 36-year-old single mom and small business owner, laughs at the very notion of a structured morning routine. With two kids under 10 and a fledgling catering company to run, her mornings are a whirlwind of competing priorities and improvisation.

“I’d love to be one of those moms who has everyone’s clothes laid out the night before and makes Instagram-worthy bento box lunches,” Aisha says. “But in reality? It’s more like a tornado hit a thrift store, and we’re all just trying to find matching shoes in the debris.”

Aisha’s morning “routine” is more of a general guideline than a strict schedule:

• Wake up sometime between 5:30 AM and 6:15 AM, depending on which child or work emergency demands attention first
• Caffeinate aggressively (coffee maker is programmed the night before, thank goodness)
• Attempt to make breakfast while simultaneously signing permission slips, braiding hair, and answering work emails
• Herd children towards the door, inevitably forgetting at least one crucial item
• Drop kids at school, then race to either the commercial kitchen or a client meeting

“I know I should meditate or journal or something,” Aisha reflects. “But honestly? Some days just getting everyone where they need to be with food in their stomachs feels like a win. I’m learning to celebrate the small victories.”

The Perpetual Optimizer (Who Never Quite Optimizes)

Alex, a 41-year-old middle manager, has a complicated relationship with morning routines. He’s read every productivity book, listened to every motivational podcast, and tried more “life-changing” morning habits than he cares to admit. The problem? None of them seem to stick.

“I’m what you might call a serial routine adopter,” Alex explains with a self-deprecating chuckle. “I’ll get really excited about some new morning practice, do it religiously for a week or two, and then… life happens. Before I know it, I’m back to scrolling Twitter in bed until the last possible second.”

Alex’s current morning routine is a patchwork of abandoned optimization attempts:

• Wake up at 6:30 AM (a compromise between the 5 AM he aspires to and the 7:30 AM his body craves)
• Spend 10 minutes on a meditation app (while secretly hoping for notifications to distract him)
• Attempt to journal for 5 minutes (often devolving into a to-do list)
• Do a half-hearted set of push-ups and squats (remnants of a long-abandoned home workout plan)
• Make a green smoothie (which he drinks about 50% of the time, the rest ending up forgotten in the fridge)
• Shower and dress in a mild panic, realizing he’s once again running late

“I know I’m probably driving myself crazy with all these starts and stops,” Alex admits. “But there’s always this hope that this will be the routine that finally turns me into the hyper-productive person I think I should be.”

The Night Shift Warrior

Not all struggling strivers battle with early mornings. Elena, a 29-year-old nurse, grapples with a schedule that turns conventional wisdom on its head. Working the night shift at a busy hospital means her “morning” routine often starts as the sun is setting.

“People always ask how I do it,” Elena says. “Honestly? Some days I’m not sure. Your body never fully adjusts to sleeping when it’s bright outside and being awake all night. But patients need care 24/7, so here we are.”

Elena’s pre-shift routine looks something like this:

1. “Wake up” around 5:00 PM, often feeling groggy and disoriented
2. Chug a large glass of water (dehydration is the enemy of night shift workers)
3. Force down a meal that’s somewhere between breakfast and dinner
4. Take a brisk walk around the block to simulate a “morning” and get some natural light
5. Shower and put on scrubs, trying to convince her body it’s time to be alert
6. Drive to the hospital, arriving by 7:00 PM for a 12-hour shift

“The hardest part is the disconnect from the rest of the world,” Elena explains. “When I’m heading to work, everyone else is winding down. It can feel isolating. But then I remember why I do this – to help people when they’re at their most vulnerable. That makes the weird schedule worth it.”

The Chronic Procrastinator

Dev, a 33-year-old freelance writer, has a morning routine best described as a constant negotiation with himself. Despite setting ambitious goals each evening, mornings inevitably find him locked in an internal struggle between productivity and procrastination.

“I have all these grand plans,” Dev sighs. “I’m going to wake up early, hit the gym, write 1000 words before breakfast… and then my alarm goes off, and suddenly I’m convincing myself that checking social media is crucial research for my work.”

Dev’s typical morning unfolds something like this:

• Alarm goes off at 7:00 AM (snoozed until 7:30 AM… okay, 7:45 AM)
• Spend 20 minutes scrolling through phone in bed, promising it’s “just to wake up my brain”
• Finally drag himself to the kitchen for coffee, which he drinks while staring blankly out the window
• Open laptop with intentions of starting work, get distracted by emails and news sites
• Realize it’s nearly 10:00 AM and he hasn’t actually accomplished anything
• Panic-work until lunch, vowing to do better tomorrow

“I know I’m my own worst enemy,” Dev admits. “I have all the freedom in the world to structure my day, and somehow that makes it harder. There’s always this voice saying ‘you can start in 5 more minutes’ and before I know it, half the day is gone.”

The Imposter Syndrome Sufferer

Zoe, a 38-year-old startup founder, wakes up each morning to battle not just her to-do list, but her own self-doubt. Despite outward success, her inner monologue is a constant stream of second-guessing and worst-case scenarios.

“From the outside, I probably look like I have it all together,” Zoe reflects. “But every morning feels like I’m gearing up for battle – not just with my workload, but with that voice in my head telling me I’m not cut out for this.”

Zoe’s morning routine is a mix of coping mechanisms and attempts at self-care:

1. Wake up at 6:00 AM, immediately feeling a surge of anxiety about the day ahead
2. Spend 10 minutes doing breathing exercises to calm racing thoughts
3. Write down three things she’s grateful for (even if they feel small or insignificant)
4. Exercise for 30 minutes – not because she enjoys it, but because it helps manage stress
5. Shower and get dressed in carefully chosen “power outfits” to boost confidence
6. Review to-do list, fighting the urge to feel overwhelmed
7. Arrive at the office by 8:30 AM, projecting an aura of calm she doesn’t feel

“I know logically that I’m competent,” Zoe says. “I’ve built this company from nothing. But there’s always this fear that today will be the day everyone realizes I’m a fraud. It’s exhausting, but I’m working on it. Therapy helps, and so does reminding myself that everyone feels this way sometimes.”

The Perpetual Student

Jamal, a 26-year-old PhD candidate, finds his mornings dictated by a combination of academic pressure and financial necessity. Balancing his studies with a part-time job and the ever-present specter of student loan debt means his wake-up call often comes before dawn.

“People think the student life is all about sleeping in and afternoon classes,” Jamal laughs. “Maybe for undergrads. At this level, it’s more like being permanently jet-lagged while trying to solve complex problems.”

Jamal’s bleary-eyed morning routine looks something like this:

• First alarm at 5:00 AM (ignored)
• Second alarm at 5:15 AM (bargained with)
• Third alarm at 5:30 AM (reluctantly obeyed)
• Stumble to the kitchen for instant coffee and whatever carbs are within reach
• Review notes or readings for an hour before heading to his part-time job at the campus library
• Work from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, sneaking in study time when possible
• Rush to afternoon classes or lab sessions, often skipping lunch in the process

“It’s not sustainable,” Jamal admits. “But neither is the amount of debt I’d be in without working. So you do what you have to do. I keep telling myself it’ll all be worth it when I have those letters after my name… assuming I don’t fall asleep mid-dissertation.”

Embracing the Struggle: Finding Success on Your Own Terms

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These accounts paint a picture far removed from the polished, hyper-productive morning routines often held up as the key to success. They remind us that the path to achievement is rarely linear or Instagram-worthy. For many, simply showing up day after day, despite the challenges, is the victory.

What unites these individuals isn’t a perfectly optimized start to the day, but rather a persistent (if sometimes begrudging) commitment to keep trying. They may not leap out of bed ready to conquer the world, but they do eventually get up and face it.

Perhaps true success lies not in mimicking the habits of CEOs or productivity gurus, but in finding a sustainable rhythm that works for your unique circumstances and biology. It’s about progress, not perfection. And sometimes, progress looks like remembering to buy milk for tomorrow’s coffee or setting out your gym clothes even if you’re not sure you’ll use them.

So the next time you find yourself hitting snooze or scrolling through your phone instead of journaling, cut yourself some slack. You’re in good company. The most important thing is that you keep showing up, keep trying, and keep moving forward – even if that forward motion doesn’t start until after your second cup of coffee.