Question of the Day: What part of your daily routine would surprise your younger self the most?

November 8, 2025

If my younger self could see my mornings now, he’d probably stage an intervention. I can hear him: “Wait, you wake up before sunrise? On purpose? And you just sit there? In silence? With a pen and paper?”

Yes. And it’s glorious.

There was a time when “morning” meant 10 a.m., and “routine” meant brushing my teeth if I remembered. Now, I wake up before the sun, sometimes even before my kids, and I actually enjoy it. The quiet feels like a luxury, like I’ve stumbled into a secret the rest of the world forgot about.

The biggest surprise isn’t the act of waking up early; it’s what happens next. I sit in silence. I make coffee. I write. Not because I have to, but because I want to. There’s something sacred about greeting the day before anyone else does. It’s a rare time when the house, the phone, and even my mind are still.

Younger me would never understand this version of myself, the one who sees journaling as therapy, solitude as nourishment, and silence as a friend instead of an awkward pause. Back then, quiet meant boredom. Now, quiet means clarity.

When I write in the early hours, I’m not trying to be profound. I’m just trying to catch my thoughts before the noise drowns them out. Some mornings, I write about things that matter, dreams, fears, big ideas. Other mornings, I just write, “I need more coffee.” Either way, it’s a practice in showing up.

That’s what would really shock my younger self, not the early hour, but the consistency. He’d be stunned that I actually built a ritual around reflection, that I find joy in stillness, that I crave a slower start. Somewhere along the way, I realized that rushing into the day was like sprinting into traffic. You might get somewhere fast, but probably not in one piece.

And I think that’s the lesson tucked inside this Question of the Day: we all become someone our younger selves wouldn’t quite recognize, and that’s a good thing. Growth doesn’t always look like a promotion or a big adventure. Sometimes it just looks like the quiet courage to get up early, face yourself honestly, and start again.

👉 Read the full blog post where I answer this Question of the Day and share the Thought of the Day

🎯 Browse the full Question of the Day archive here →

✉️ Get Daily Questions and Thoughts Sent to You

Take a minute a day to reflect, think, and maybe even smile.

Join our free daily email.

👉 Sign up here.

💬 Your Turn

So… what part of your daily routine would surprise your younger self the most?

Share your answer in the comments or on social — your weird little truth might be someone else’s comfort zone.