readme vs technical-reference

Topic: How to start a morning routine
Axis varied: format
A: README B: Technical Reference

What to notice

Same routine, same four steps, same author. What changes is the reader being served, and both formats announce that reader in their first heading.

A is written for someone who has just arrived. Its first section is Why this exists, which is a question only a newcomer asks, and it answers in the first person with a life attached: “I wake around 6:30. I check my phone before my feet hit the floor. I am reactive by 7am, depleted by 2pm.” It even explains its own publication: public “because accountability works better when someone might look.” None of that helps anyone run the routine. All of it helps someone decide whether to care.

B is written for someone mid-task. It opens on a module summary table with columns for duration, window, and whether the module is required, and it timestamps everything against wake time: T+0 to T+5, T+5 to T+20. It promises “defined inputs, outputs, timing, and failure modes.” There is no author in it, because for a lookup the author is not relevant.

The sharpest single tell. A has a “Why this exists” section; B has a table with a Required column. Ask which one survives being read out of order. B does, because it was built for a reader who arrives at section 1.1 and leaves. A does not, and does not need to.

A: readme

morning-experiment

A personal repo where I track my attempt at an intentional first hour of the day. Public because accountability works better when someone might look.

Why this exists

I wake around 6:30. I check my phone before my feet hit the floor. I am reactive by 7am, depleted by 2pm, and asleep on the couch by 9. I have a family, a 9am-start job, and finite energy. I want to find out what happens if the first hour belongs to me, not to whatever Slack thinks is urgent.

The protocol

For 30 days, the first hour after waking follows the same four-step sequence. No phone until step 4.

1. Water. 500ml within 5 minutes of waking. Glass sits on the nightstand the night before.
2. Light. 10 minutes outside or by an open window. No screen counts as light.
3. Movement. 15 minutes. Walk, stretch, or follow the bodyweight routine in protocol/movement.md. Heart rate up, not crushing.
4. Planning. 10 minutes with paper and pen. Top three for the day. Then, and only then, phone.

The other 20 minutes are buffer for getting dressed, making coffee, and whatever the morning actually contains.

How to track

Each morning gets one row in log/days.csv. Columns:

• date
• wake_time
• completed (yes / no / partial)
• which_steps_skipped
• one_word_mood
• notes

I do the log entry as part of step 4, on the same paper page, then transcribe at the end of the week.

Results so far

Period	Completed mornings	Average wake	One-line takeaway
Week 1	4 of 7	6:42	Phone is the hardest one to skip.
Week 2	6 of 7	6:28	Light before movement matters more than I expected.
Week 3	5 of 7	6:31	Travel killed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Full weekly retros live in log/retros/.

What you can steal

• The four-step sequence (water, light, movement, planning).
• The single-row daily log.
• The rule that the phone waits until step 4.

What you should probably not steal:

• The 6:30 wake time. Try your own. Mine was already a compromise.
• The 30-day frame. I tried 90 first and quit on day 11.

Repo layout

• protocol/ - the routine itself, including the movement file
• log/ - daily entries, weekly retros, monthly status
• notes/ - things I read or watched that shaped the protocol

License

Do whatever you want with this. If you fork the repo and run your own experiment, open a discussion and tell me what changed.

B: technical-reference

Morning Routine: Module Reference

A reference for the four composable modules of the standard weekday morning routine. Each module has defined inputs, outputs, timing, and failure modes. Modules execute sequentially in the order listed unless otherwise noted.

1. Overview

The routine is decomposed into four modules executed between wake time (T+0) and end-of-window (T+60 minutes). Total elapsed time is approximately 45 minutes; the remaining 15 minutes is buffer for transitions and interruptions.

1.1 Module summary

#	Module	Duration	Window	Required
1	Water	1 min	T+0 to T+5	Yes
2	Light	10 min	T+5 to T+20	Yes
3	Movement	15 min	T+20 to T+40	Yes
4	Planning	10 min	T+40 to T+55	Yes

2. Module: Water

2.1 Purpose

Establish the first physical action of the day as a chosen one. Secondary benefit: rehydration after 7-8 hours without intake.

2.2 Inputs

Input	Specification
Volume	8 oz (240 ml)
Temperature	Room temperature
Location	Bedside or kitchen, prepared the night before
Preconditions	Eyes open, feet on floor

2.3 Outputs

• One glass consumed
• Transition signal to module 2

2.4 Failure modes

• No water prepared: Default to tap water in kitchen. Do not skip.
• Forgot until after phone-check: Routine has already failed at module 0 (phone discipline). Reset tomorrow.

3. Module: Light

3.1 Purpose

Provide bright-light exposure within 30 minutes of waking to support circadian alignment and morning alertness.

3.2 Inputs

Input	Specification
Duration	10 minutes
Light source	Outdoor daylight preferred; large window acceptable
Posture	Standing or seated; eyes open
Concurrent activity	Optional: water sips, slow breathing

3.3 Outputs

• 10 minutes of light exposure completed
• Transition signal to module 3

3.4 Fallback variants

Condition	Fallback
Rain or cold	Largest window in house, blinds fully open
Pre-dawn (winter)	Bright indoor lighting + 10,000 lux lamp if available
Travel	Hotel window or hallway window

4. Module: Movement

4.1 Purpose

Raise core body temperature, mobilize joints after sleep, and generate a modest cardiovascular signal to wake the system.

4.2 Inputs

Input	Specification
Duration	15 minutes
Intensity	Low to moderate (talk pace)
Modality	Walk, stretching sequence, or bodyweight
Equipment	None required

4.3 Outputs

• 15 minutes of movement logged (mental note, not tracked)
• Transition signal to module 4

4.4 Failure modes

• Injury or illness: Substitute with 10 minutes of stretching or gentle mobility only.
• Time pressure (running late): Compress to 5 minutes; do not skip entirely.

5. Module: Planning

5.1 Purpose

Convert vague morning intentions into a concrete written shortlist before any digital tool is opened.

5.2 Inputs

Input	Specification
Duration	10 minutes (hard cap)
Tool	Paper notebook, pen
Location	Desk, kitchen table, or stationary surface
Prerequisites	Modules 1-3 completed

5.3 Outputs

Output	Format
Today’s top three priorities	Three bullet lines
Today’s protection list	What to defend time against
Today’s drop list	What to explicitly not do

5.4 Constraints

• No phone, laptop, or tablet during this module
• Do not extend past 10 minutes; route weekly planning to Sunday evening block
• Do not use this module to process email or messages

6. Sequencing rules

• Modules execute in numerical order (1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4).
• Modules 2 and 3 MAY be combined (walking outside satisfies both light and movement). When combined, allocate the maximum of the two durations.
• An interrupted module resumes at the next module after the interruption ends; the interrupted module is not retried.

7. End state

At T+60, the routine is complete. Phone re-enters the workflow. Daily shortlist is in hand. Work day begins at T+150 (9:00am).

8. Variants

Variant	Modules	Total time	Use case
Standard	1, 2, 3, 4	45 min	Weekday at home
Compressed	1, 4	6 min	Travel days
Recovery	1, 2, 4	21 min	Illness or injury
Weekend (TBD)	Not yet specified	-	Future spec