It’s a New Year and everywhere I look, there are some “gurus” or “experts” talking about “setting up successful habits” or “how to be more productive.”

Despite being a bit of a rebel, I value routines, structures and frameworks – as long as they are mine. They form the skeleton upon which we create freedom.

They remove unnecessary decision-making that drains our energy and focus so we can save our brain juice for what really matters.

When I studied design and architecture in (the country’s #1) grad school, a “program” (a set of requirements or needs or problems to solve) forms the premise of each design project. The framework is what sets the final product apart from some self-gratuitous artsy-fartsy self-referential object.

The rules, the parameters and the reality of gravity spark creativity and allow the freedom of expression to be meaningful.

So why do I have bones with those gurus talking about “success habits” and such?

Whenever they say – for the first 90 minutes in the morning, keep everyone out so you can meditate, exercise, make green juice, journal till you turn blue and set intention for your day – I laugh.

Reality is, my kids wake up at some ungodly hour like 5.30am and no, I don’t have it in me to drag my ass up at 4am to meditate. If they find me anywhere other than my pillow (they know better not to disturb), I would not have a moment of peace.