Habits by Maya

Habits by Maya - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

The phrase,“Early bird gets the worm” is often thrown around but I have never understood its relevancy until my Junior Year when I started practicing this idea. Influenced by the hopes of a more toned figure, I decided to go to the gym in the mornings before school to complete 45 minutes of additional cardio. Though in search of a physical fix, I found a new way of life and a different outlook on routine.
The first morning was difficult, it was cold out and it was 5:30 in the morning…no one in their right mind should be awake and functioning at this hour. I drove to the gym, arrived, and made my way to the treadmill. After completing 45 minutes of an incline walk, I had some time left over and decided to stretch. I got to school with fleeting energy, thinking, “Why did I do that?” Sore the next morning, I went. “Why did I do that AGAIN?” The next day, I did it again. By the fourth day, something shifted. I kept showing up for myself and not only did I see results in my athletic performance levels, I felt more of a sense of calm in the mornings, for I had extra time to review material for school and to take my time getting ready. As my routine solidified, I began to look forward to my mornings, as it left me with energy for the rest of the day and a feeling of motivation that led to my mindset pertaining to academia; I figured, if I was awake and already back from the gym, surely I can tackle an essay or a worksheet. I kept showing up for myself, day after day, in warm and cold weather, in rain and in snow. I had a routine that set me up for success and wanted to keep that intact in any way I could. Of course, I hit a rut in the spring of my Junior Year, as I experienced a “junioritis” phase, if you will. I just lacked motivation to move my body and to go out with friends as most of my energy was used up by the time I got home from school that day. After about two weeks of neglecting my new-formed routine, I felt bad. I felt sluggish, low energy, and felt as if I was just “going through the motions” with no sense of an end to the repetition. One day, however, I stumbled upon this quote, “Early bird gets the worm” and something clicked to me. I took this quote to mean that I, too, can be a ‘Bird’, wake up early, and earn the ‘worm’ of success and a payoff of hard work through the strategic development and maintenance of a routine. I got myself back into the gym the next morning. It felt great and my “worm” ended up being an ‘A’ on a speech that was bringing me anxiety. I don’t know if it was the flavor of the Bloom Nutrition Energy drink I had that day or the fact that I was back in my routine and back into that routine of dedication, work ethic, and showing up, but I overcame that anxiety and came assessment day, felt much more calm and focused on the task at hand. This routine is something that I’ve adopted into my way of life and I could not be happier to start my morning ‘going through the motions;’ Saying “Hi” to Larry, my favorite front desk attendant, blasting my ‘Oldies but goodies’ playlist on the way to and from the gym and gaining that spark of energy and motivation needed to fire up my day!