The mind is soft in the morning. I talked about this a few days ago.

I mentioned how it’s my favourite time for creative work because the world hasn’t hit me yet.

But this is also when the mind is the most vulnerable to negative input — the kind that can twist the rest of the day.

This morning I had an issue with a piece of computer hardware. It’s nothing serious, something that I can send back to the maker and have replaced. The problem doesn’t really affect me, I have an alternative.

However, I discovered the issue as soon as I walked into my office — before even having my first sip of coffee. My mind, in its weakened state, took the issue hard. And for much of the day I had trouble finding any kind of motivation. The annoyance of those early moments collapsed my ability to function normally for the rest of the day.

As trivial as the issue is, encountering it when I did had a lasting effect.

Those early moments between sleep and waking life are precious, and how you use them can influence the rest of your day.