It's Not Enough to Quit. Replace Vice With Ritual.

The Book of Waking Up releases in just one day!

In the throes of a twenty-year affair with coffee, I wanted to make a change. A morning half-pot habit left me feeling jittery, dehydrated, and somewhat bombastic, as my coworkers can attest. I wanted to make a change, wanted to start my day with less coffee (which is not to say no coffee) and more water.

I decided I’d decouple my coffee habit from waking. Instead, I’d create a new first-thing morning routine, one which included water. And to do...