Building Discipline One Sunrise at a Time
I used to think discipline came in big, dramatic changes: late-night breakthroughs, intense sprints of motivation, summers on the farm, and all-nighters fueled by determination. But I’ve learned it’s built in the quiet hours, in the way you start your morning.
Back in undergrad, I had a morning routine that could have been a seminar all on its own. It wasn’t just about “getting ready for the day,” it was about shaping the momentum that would carry me through classes, rehearsals, late-night study sessions, and events.
I will not list out what the entire routine was, but I can say that my most thorough morning routine in undergrad took two hours every single day. This of course included waking up before sunrise with no snooze button, a small workout, breakfast (usually oatmeal), reading, and at least one hour of practice. This and more all before the ritual coffee with a roommate on our balcony before 8:00 a.m. classes begun on campus.
Those mornings felt solid. I had already built structure before the day even had a chance to throw anything at me. It was a two‑hour routine, and if I missed even one detail, the rest of my day felt off.
That routine didn’t appear out of nowhere, it was built on years of smaller habits, starting all the way back in middle school. By the time I was “off on my own,” I already knew that a good morning routine could springboard an entire day in the right direction.
Today, as a husband and father, mornings look a lot different. The routine is still there, but it’s extremely simplified. I still need it every day, or I get thrown off. It doesn’t take two hours anymore; sometimes just ten or twelve minutes, but the discipline remains. I’ve learned that the point isn’t perfection; it’s about a faithful start.
My current, simple morning routine as a husband and dad:
- Wake up, pray in gratitude (3 things minimum, even better if I jot them down), and repeat our wedding vows (usually to my slumbering wife, this drives home my purpose as a husband and father)
- Brush my teeth and shower, then put on an intentional outfit laid out the night before
- Water, coffee, breakfast (often while packing snacks or prepping breakfast for the kids)
And that’s it. Drastically different from undergrad, but still a routine that centers me. While I loved the old routine, the older I’ve gotten the more I’ve realized: every day I wake up, the sooner I begin the work I’m called to, the more I make time work on my side. The old routine was what I needed in that season. In this season, I’ve shed much of it so I can get straight to work being the husband, the father, the servant I’m called to be today.
The details changed, but the purpose stayed the same: start the day on my terms, so I can show up for the people who need me.
Now, when I wake up, I don’t have to wrestle with motivation or work through a long checklist before starting the actual to‑do list. My body and mind already know the rhythm. That rhythm, whether it’s as full as my undergrad days or as simple as a quiet coffee after prayer, still sets the stage for everything that follows and helps me dive straight into every single day.
Ethan Avina 