Conquer Your Mornings Like Van Gogh - One Shirt at a Time

Mornings. The eternal struggle. You know the drill. The alarm is screaming, but your body refuses to acknowledge reality. The floor is cold, your coffee supply is nonexistent, and your phone? Dead. Just like your motivation. The to-do list is staring at you with the intensity of an unpaid bill, and all you can think about is crawling back under the covers.

But hold on. Before you surrender to morning despair, let me introduce you to the most underrated life hack of all time: putting on a damn good t-shirt. Yeah, you heard me. A single, perfectly chosen tee has the power to turn your day around. And before you dismiss this as nonsense, let’s talk about why.

Dressing for Battle (Against Your Morning)

There’s a reason superheroes have costumes. It’s not just for show. Putting on a certain outfit flips a switch in your brain. You don’t see Batman rolling out of bed in his pajamas, do you? No, he’s got the suit, the cape, the whole deal—because dressing the part gets you in the right mindset.

Same goes for you. You don’t need a cape, but you do need a t-shirt that makes you feel unstoppable. That’s where my "You Got It" tee comes in. It’s not just fabric—it’s a battle cry. A wearable reminder that you can handle whatever chaos life throws at you, one step at a time.

The Science of Small Wins

You might be thinking, How can putting on a t-shirt possibly change my entire day?

Well, let’s talk about our friend Vincent Van Gogh. You know, the guy who painted masterpieces like Starry Night and Sunflowers? He didn’t create greatness in one impulsive moment. His own words say it best: “Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together.”

That’s the secret. Small things. You don’t have to climb the entire mountain at once. You don’t even have to see the top. You just have to take one step. Then another. Then another.

Putting on a confidence-boosting t-shirt? That’s step one.

Making your bed? Step two.

Drinking water? Step three.

Boom. You’re already on a roll.

Momentum: The Secret Sauce to Productivity

Here’s the thing about momentum: it doesn’t start big. It starts tiny. Like a snowball rolling down a hill. The first push takes effort, but once it gets going? Unstoppable.

Mornings are the same. If you start your day feeling defeated, that energy carries over. But if you trick your brain into believing you’ve already won—by, say, wearing a t-shirt that screams confidence—you’re setting the tone for everything that follows.

So, what’s next?

You shuffle to your desk. You tackle the first item on your to-do list. Just one. Doesn’t matter if it’s the smallest, most trivial task—sending an email, washing a dish, brushing your teeth. Just do something.

Suddenly, you’re not stuck anymore. You’re moving. You’re in control.

The Myth of Motivation (And Why You Don’t Need It)

Most people think they need motivation before they can take action.

Wrong.

Motivation is unreliable. It’s like a flaky friend who shows up when things are fun but disappears the second life gets hard. If you wait around for motivation to strike, you’ll still be in bed by noon, doom-scrolling and contemplating your existence.

Discipline, on the other hand? That’s the real MVP. Discipline is what makes you put on that t-shirt and get moving, even when you don’t feel like it. And the best part? Action creates motivation. Not the other way around.

You don’t feel motivated to go for a run. But once you lace up your shoes and step outside? Suddenly, you’re in the zone.

You don’t feel inspired to paint. But once you start sketching, the ideas flow.

The same goes for your morning. You don’t need to feel ready. You just need to start.

Your Morning Action Plan

Alright, let’s put this into practice. Next time you wake up feeling like a deflated balloon, here’s what you do:

1. Put on your power t-shirt. Whether it’s my "You Got It" tee or another shirt that makes you feel like a boss, wear it like armor.

2. Do the easiest thing first. Make your bed, drink water, open your laptop—anything to break the cycle of inertia.

3. Tackle one task at a time. Don’t stare at the whole to-do list. Just pick one thing and do it. Then move on to the next.

4. Keep the momentum going. Action leads to more action. Ride that wave.

5. Celebrate small wins. Checked something off? Hell yes. Give yourself credit. The more you acknowledge progress, the more motivated you’ll feel to keep going.

Final Thoughts: Own Your Morning, Own Your Day

Look, life is going to throw chaos your way. There will be mornings where everything goes wrong. But you are not powerless. You have the ability to shift your energy, to take control, to build momentum—one small action at a time.

And sometimes, all it takes to flip the switch is putting on the right shirt.

So, go on. Grab that tee. Show up for yourself. And remember—you got this.

Now go tackle that to-do list like Van Gogh.

(Just, uh… try to keep both ears intact.)

-Peter Von Hauerland