A 90-second morning ritual to plan your day, and help stem overwhelm.
Software teams run something called a "standup" every morning — three questions, ninety seconds, done. It's not a status report. Nor is it a meeting that should've been an email.
I ran years of these for teams. Turns out the format works really well for those facing burnout, to prevent overwhelm.
When to use this: first thing in the morning, so that you run your day instead of the other way round.
Your Standup
Answer these 3 questions as briefly as you can.
What drained me since I last checked in?
Not the story of what happened, but awareness of what cost you energy.
What's the one thing that makes today "done"?
Not the to-do list. The one thing. If that's the only thing you finish, today still counts.
What's in my way — and what would actually unblock it?
A person, a decision, a conversation. A boundary, five minutes of quiet. Name them.
Before You Go
Carry one thing forward: what will you do in the next 90 minutes that moves you toward today's "done"?
That's it. Ninety seconds, three questions, one small commitment.
Come Back Tomorrow and Run it Again
Add standup as a calendar reminder. Feel free to move it to whatever time suits your mornings.
