Why I’m Qualified to Talk About This (Spoiler: I’m Not)
Let’s get this out of the way: I am absolutely the person who once cried at a Nike ad at 5:30am. My relationship with Morning Motivational Videos is… complicated. Some days it’s “Heck yeah, I’ll conquer the world!” Other days it’s “Can this guy shut up and let me mourn my lost sleep?”
But after two years of testing videos between snooze buttons, here’s what kinda works for me—flaws, misclicks, and all.
The Videos That (Mostly) Don’t Annoy Me
1. “Do the Work” – Steven Pressfield (Narrated by Some Dude with a Calm Voice)
Why It Works: Short, no fluff, and the narrator sounds like he knows I’m still in pajamas.
My Experience: Played it on loop during a deadline crisis. Forgot to eat lunch. Worth it.
2. “Atomic Habits” – Animated Summary
Why It Works: Cartoons. My brain accepts advice better when it looks like a children’s show.
My Experience: Tried implementing “habit stacking.” Stacked coffee on top of more coffee. Progress?
3. “The 5-Second Rule” – Mel Robbins
Why It Works: It’s basically permission to yeet yourself out of bed.
My Experience: Used it. Fell asleep counting backwards. Classic.
Common Mistakes (I’ve Made All of Them)
- Volume disasters: “BE UNSTOPPABLE!” blaring at full volume at 6am. My cat disowned me.
- Overdoing it: Watched 7 videos in a row. Achieved enlightenment (and a stiff neck).
- Taking advice too literally: Tried “power posing” in the bathroom. Slipped on a towel.
How to Actually Use These Without Losing It
- Pair with a physical ritual (I chug water first—dehydration is why 50% of my problems exist).
- Skip the guilt: If a video makes you feel worse than your ex’s Instagram, close the tab.
- Embrace the chaos: Some days, motivation is a 10-minute video. Others, it’s remembering to wear matching socks.
Final Confession
I still occasionally sleep through my alarm and rage-skip the video. But on the days I watch one? I’m at least 12% less likely to spill coffee on myself. And in this economy, that’s a win.
Try this tomorrow: Pick one video. If it sucks, throw your hands up and blame me.
Outbound Links (For When You’re Feeling Fancy):
