We all have good days and bad days. I’ve often heard it said that to win the day, one must win the Morning. I ascribe to that philosophy. Effective morning routines have played a role in my life for years. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that sometimes it’s not how you start, but how you adjust.

I almost let myself down today. When I woke up this morning, I felt unmotivated to do anything. I felt tired and my mind felt cloudy. All I wanted to do was look at Instagram and binge watch Game of Thrones. And that is exactly what I did for a few hours. I canceled my brunch plans and felt sorry for myself.

Wasting away hours on the couch takes me no closer to fulfilling my life’s purpose. It’s not how I want to spend my final days on earth.

After some time in that space between thinking and doing, I finally got off my ass and took a step towards progress. I put on pants and opened my window blinds to let the light inside my apartment. And brushing my teeth followed that action. Taking a few steps eventually led me to a coffee shop in my neighborhood to write this piece.

Setbacks in life are inevitable. It’s what we do with each setback that helps us create the life we want.

Winning The Day Despite Losing The Morning was originally published in The Ascent on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.