The kettle goes on first
Before the radio, before the phone, before the list: the red kettle and the four minutes it takes to boil.
How it goes
- Fill the kettle only as far as one cup needs.
- Stand at the cupboard while it heats instead of starting something else.
- Pour, and carry the cup to the window before the first sip.
Four minutes is exactly long enough to notice what kind of morning it is. Rain on the skylight, a neighbour’s door, the cat deciding whether to be fed.
The rule is small on purpose. Nothing starts until the kettle clicks off, and so the day starts a little more slowly than it would otherwise.