“Everything I know, I learned from dogs.” ~Nora Roberts
I thought companionship was the main reason why dogs are called man’s best friend. Until this morning.
On my morning walk I passed 8 different people who were taking their dogs for a walk. Then it hit me.
Dogs help us add consistency in our lives.
Consistency in the morning.
Fido will have to go to the bathroom every morning, even if you are hungover. The avoidance of waking up to a puddle on your hard wood floors is motivation enough to get up and get moving. Also, the whining will be hard to ignore.
Having a dog is like a living, breathing alarm clock that sets itself. Amazing.
Structure
My previous dogs knew exactly where to go when we went out. They would occasionally want to explore new areas, but most times the plan is to repeat what is known. The structure in the morning could also be a guideline of how we should get ourselves going in the morning.
Getting up immediately.
Getting moving.
Preparing food and water.
Preparing the night before.
Habit Lessons
Training a dog require consistency and structure in order to make new behaviors stick. Remember trying to paper train a Pomeranian or getting your Rottweiler to walk beside you rather than choke trying to stay ahead.
The same method used to train dogs is same way that we create habits. The difference in humans is that we have a judgement center that can override previously established behaviors. Override enough times and a new trigger-behavior is created.
A word of caution
Now I’m not encouraging you to go out and get a dog as your solution for building a morning routine. That would be the wrong reason to invest time in taking care of another life. Dogs also bring companionship and love to their owners. Be sure that you are ready and have the resources to take on that responsibility. There are too many dogs out there that have been abandoned by our their owners (kinda like those new year resolutions).
Your turn
Do you own a dog? Has your dog been a motivator for you to wake up and get moving in the morning?
Have you signed up for the six minute morning program. Start with the book