Hey friend,

So you've planned the perfect routine—color-coded calendar, deep work blocks, gym, journaling, reading, you name it.

By day three? It’s in the trash.

Does this sound familiar?

This used to happen to me all the time.

Routines promise structure and clarity. But they can also leave us feeling guilty if we don’t stick to them. Why?

Because we design them for our ideal self, not our real self.

A routine isn’t helpful unless it supports you—especially when life gets messy.

Why Most Routines Fail

Most routines fail, not because we’re lazy or unmotivated, but because they’re built on a faulty assumption:

You might design something that looks amazing on paper:

• Wake up at 6AM
• Journal
• Meditate
• Go to the gym
• Do four hours of deep work
• Eat clean
• No screens after 9PM

Day one? You’re hyped.

Day two? Still feeling good.

Day four? You’re tired, behind on work, not in the mood to follow the whole routine.

By day five, you’re back to square one.

That perfectly planned routine is out the window. A few weeks later, you’re trying to start the whole thing over again.

This isn’t a motivation problem—it’s a system design problem.

Design for Low Motivation Days: The Minimum Viable Routine

Don’t build routines for your best days. Build them for your worst.

This is where the Minimum Viable Routine comes in:

The lowest-effort version of your day that still keeps you aligned.

A workout? Journaling? Reading one chapter? 90 minutes of deep work? Quality time with your family?

Pick one. That becomes your anchor habit. Build around that.

For me, it used to be a 60-minute deep work session, first thing in the morning.

Some days that was all I had in me—but it was enough to move the needle and build momentum.

Over time, the rest followed.

One big mistake I used to make: planning out every minute.

And the moment I got off track, I’d think, “Well, guess the whole day’s ruined.”

The Minimum Viable Routine stops that spiral. It gives you something to fall back on—a win to keep your confidence intact.

Don’t Let Your Calendar Lie to You

Don’t overload your calendar or pick ten priorities for the day.

If everything’s a priority, nothing is.

Start with just 2–3 things max.

We want to train our brain to believe:

“If it’s on the calendar, it gets done.”

No more overstuffed schedules filled with “nice-to-do”s.

Make your calendar a sacred space—one that reflects what actually matters.

Start with Identity, Not Habits

Here’s a subtle shift that made a big difference for me:

“I want to wake up earlier” → “I’m an early riser”

“I’m trying to cut back on drinking” → “I don’t drink”

Even if you’re not 100% there yet, claiming the identity tells your brain: This is who I am.

I used to say things like, “I need to start working out more.”

Now I say, “I’m someone who works out daily.”

Every action becomes a vote for your identity.

As James Clear puts it: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

Identity-based habits stick because they’re tied to how you see yourself—not just what you do.

Try this:

“The kind of person I’m becoming is someone who…”

List 3 actions that would prove that identity today.

1. _________
2. _________
3. _________

Make Your Environment Do the Work

You don’t need more willpower—you need a better environment.

We overestimate discipline and underestimate design.

When I wake up at 5AM, I’m groggy. If I have to dig for socks, that little friction might derail me.

But if my clothes are laid out next to the alarm? It’s almost as easy to get dressed as it is to crawl back into bed.

If Instagram is on your home screen pinging you with notifications all day…

That’s not just a bad habit. That’s your environment making the choice for you.

Your environment is like an assistant—it can be a helpful one that nudges you toward the right thing, or a terrible one that constantly distracts you.

What’s one tiny change you could make in your space today to reduce friction for what you want to do, or increase friction for what you don’t?

The Perfect Day Doesn’t Have to Go Perfectly

The goal isn’t to build a perfect daily routine.

It’s to build one that works even when life doesn’t.

I used to think a “perfect day” meant following my routine 100%.

Now I define it like this: a day where I made intentional progress and actually enjoyed living.

I watched this Japanese film called Perfect Days. The main character cleans toilets in Tokyo. His routine is simple, grounded—but life still throws surprises his way.

It’s the balance of structure and spontaneity that makes it beautiful.

I’ve started embracing that.

The other day, I had everything planned out: deep work, workout, side project.

Then I got a text: “Hey Miles, want to hit the gym with us?”

Old me: “No, I’ve got other things to do.”

New me: “Yeah, let’s do it.”

We lifted, got dinner, had real conversations.

It didn’t go according to plan—but it was one of my best days.

That’s what a good routine allows: structure and flexibility.

Flowing with life while still staying grounded.

It reminded me: the best days aren’t always the most productive—they’re the ones you’d actually want to live again.

Common Mistakes That Sabotage Routines

Here are 3 big traps that used to derail me:

1. Overloading the morning

You wake up and try to do 7 things before 9AM—journal, meditate, workout, read, cold plunge, deep work…

Too much friction. Too many decisions.

Start simple. Two anchors max. For me, that’s:

• Wake up + hydrate
• Journal
• 90-minute focus block
• Everything else is a bonus.

2. Letting one miss ruin the day

You miss a workout or get thrown off by a meeting—and suddenly, the whole day’s “wasted.”

Ever told yourself: “Screw it, I already messed up. I’ll start fresh Monday”?

That thinking keeps you stuck. A miss isn’t a meltdown—it’s a moment.

Hit reset. Move forward.

3. Copy-pasting someone else’s routine

Their rhythm ≠ your rhythm. It’s okay to be inspired—but customize it to fit your life, energy, responsibilities.

Make it yours. The best routine is the one that feels like your own.

Where to Go From Here

This week, try this:

1. Build your Minimum Viable Routine.
2. Write an identity statement.
3. Make one environment tweak.

A sustainable routine isn’t about perfection.

It’s about building a system that works with your reality, not against it.

Until next time,

Miles

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P.S. If you want help building systems in your life that fit with your lifestyle and align with your goals, I’m working on a program called Purposeful Productivity.

​Click here to join the waitlist if you're interested!​

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