The Sociology of a Good Morning

Here is another way to look at how each of us approach the day.  The Sociology of mornings… which of these nine perspectives describes your approach???

Seeking Perfection:  Orientation – Present; Direction – With

You get up in the morning to a finely tuned routine that is timed and planned and consistent.  Throughout the day you look for ways to “tidy” up any messes you encounter, to edit any writing with errors and to remind people of the rules they may not be following.  You, of course know the rules and are happy to follow them. You have found a fashion style that suits you and you stick with it for the most part. You do not mind when others lean on you although you are more likely to be self reliant.  You can be peaceful see a role for standardization in creating peace.  When you are stressed you move away from others and become melancholy and distance, feeling quite sorry for yourself, seeking to differentiate yourself from the world.  When you are comfortable in your own skin and have met your need for organization … a place for everything and everything in its place … then you can indulge in some fun recreational activities, seeking excitement and enjoying life.

Seeking Connection: Orientation – Past; Direction – With

You get up in the morning looking for loved ones and seeking opportunities to help others start their day on the right foot.  You take care of your own morning routines and rituals quickly so as not to interfere with the needs of others.  You may have left them a lunch in the fridge with a note to remind them of your love for them.  You arrive early to make coffee for your office mates and to catch up with everyone as they come in.  Sometimes you may hope for a more reciprocal relationship than ones you have where you are the giver.  You give of yourself as the day goes on, always ready to stop and chat, lend a shoulder or a hand.  You can be interested in a job well done if it improves your relationships with others and you can be interested in being successful if it results in more contact and connection with others.   You measure your success by the quality and quantity of relationships you have.  When you are stressed you take over and become bossy and demanding.  When you are feeling relaxed and have your need for relationships met you become creative and differentiated yourself in healthy ways.

Seeking Success: Orientation – Past; Direction – Towards

You get up in the morning ready to build on yesterday’s successes.  You dress for success and do what you know other successful people do in the morning.  You prepare yourself for taking on the world, working hard to overcome the next challenge and rise to the top of your chosen profession.  Work is joy for you and you never shy away from the work or the accolades that come with the dedication you demonstrate daily. You like to be connected to people especially if they contribute in some way to your ability to reach your goals. You are proud of your accomplishments. When you are stressed you withdraw and take on a “whatever” attitude toward life and friends.  When you are successful then you relax and move to a place where you seek security for yourself and others, where there is predictability and contentment for you and you can enjoy the success you have created.

Seeking Differentiation: Orientation – Past; Direction – Away

You get up on the morning thinking about the beauty you experienced the day before.  You like beautiful things and you work to create beauty in whatever you do.  You dress to express your own unique style being careful to differentiate your look from others.  You prefer to be alone so rituals around getting ready to go anywhere are important to you.  Sometimes you don’t even have to be going anywhere to get ready.  You like to fill your home with creative works of art and you enjoy the melancholy of the suffering artist.  Drama is fuel for you. You can be a thinker when it serves your art and you can be an entrepreneur.  When you are stressed you become very clingy and want to be totally enmeshed with someone else.  When you are satisfied with your life and the beauty in it you seek perfection in your art and your life, attending to details in a healthy way.

Seeking Detachment: Orientation – Future; Direction – Away

You enjoy your time alone to think and sometimes recent having to sleep at all.  You do so to reenergize your always active brain.  You are constantly analyzing and deconstructing machines and situations and even people if they are interesting enough to warrant a theory.  You live in the theoretical and getting dressed in the morning is a necessary mindless event.   You love to read and gather information and sometimes you find someone worthy of sharing your thoughts with but you do not share them with fools.  You are happy in your role as observer of life.  Sometimes you can appreciate the beauty in the world and sometimes you understand the need for loyalty and security.  When you are stressed you change your perspective and become the fun loving adventure seeker but that never really goes well for you.  You are more likely to develop addictions to your DRUG of choice.  ON the positive side you can take charge of a situation and move your theory into action, leading a cause or a project with precision.

Seeking Security: Orientation – Future; Direction – With

You get up on the morning and check that everything is where you left it and that no one has been in the room.  The night before you set the alarm to let you know when the alarm is going to ring. You check everything three times before you leave in the morning having left sticky notes everywhere just in case you forget.  You are prepared for the day.  You have sunglasses and umbrella even though you have checked the weather and there is no rain in the forecast.  You circle your car before you get in to make sure everything is okay and you circle the office when you get there for the same reason … to make sure no one has moved the fire extinguisher.  You are careful and always prepared for the worst case scenario.  You are loyal to your friends and colleagues once you trust then and you are looking for trust in your world. You like an adventure when it is safe and you like to consider theory when it adds to your sense of security and assuredness.  When you are stressed you become tyrannical.  When you are sensing that you need for security and predictability are met then you can become very centred and peaceful.

Seeking Excitement: Orientation – Future; Direction – Toward

You wake up each day excited by the prospect of a new adventure.  If you are facing a routine or boring day you are more likely to lollygag and drag your feet but if there is innovation and experimentation in the air then you are in.  You rarely do your morning routine in the same order as the day before.  You find yourself with one sleeve of your blouse or shirt on while you are shaving or putting on makeup.  You dress for fun, to amuse yourself and others.  You smile a lot and love to make others smile.  Entertaining comes natural to you. You can take charge to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves or you can make sure they are safe so that they can have fun.  When you are stress you get very picky and rule bound.  When your need for pleasure is satisfied you become very pensive and detached, thinking deeply about things in a healthy way.

Seeking Power: Orientation – Present; Direction – Toward

You wake up each morning ready to take on the world.  You keep fit and include exercise in your daily routine.  You are physically aware and others are aware of your prowess. You come at life and each day with gusto, taking on the challenges of slow moving people or traffic like a freight train.  You are confident about your role in the world and know what needs to get done and are willing to “make it so”. You fill any power vacuums that you perceive with your take charge attitude and you believe that you can help others be better.  You can move a cause a head with your great organizational skills and leadership ability.  You can enjoy life if it gives you control over things and you can be peaceful if that adds to your sense of control of a situation.  When you are stressed you move away from others in to the cave in your head and brood.  When you are satisfied with the sense of power you have then you become connected to others in meaningful healthy ways.

Seeking Peace: Orientation – Present; Direction – Toward

You wake each morning to your peaceful sense of the world around you.  Things are as they should be.  You mediate and go through your morning ablutions at a gentle pace.  There is no hurriedness about you.  Life unfolds as it should.  You take your time getting to work, enjoying the peace and serenity you see in nature around you or the in people that you come in contact with.  You have perfected the art of “Whatever” and you mean it when you say it.  When others are losing their cool you maintain yours, seeing the bigger picture with ease and wisdom. You can see the need for rules and regulations when they lead to peace and you can see the need for power to maintain a peaceful, harmonious society or organization.  When you are stressed you become paranoid and suspicious of everyone and everything.  When you have satisfied your need for peace and harmony then you seek success in a healthy, respectful and peaceful way.

The sociology of mornings…. Observe yourself….  report your findings….  nancylove@pulseinstitute.com