How daily routine builds discipline and identity

By Alexis Freeman

When most college students are hitting the snooze button in the morning, 23-year-old

architecture student Malikhai Mcgraw is already lacing up his shoes to head to the gym. By 6

a.m., he’s in the middle of a high-intensity workout, the first building block in a meticulously

structured day that balances a part-time job, fitness, creative work, graduate coursework, and

personal reflection.

“A typical day for me is pretty structured,” Mcgraw said. “I wake up around 5:45 a.m. and head

straight to my trainer’s for my HIIT workout from 6 to 7 a.m. After that, I go home, wash up,

and prepare for work at an architecture firm from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and then I’m in classes

between 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.”

His days are packed, and yet his schedule isn’t just about productivity. It’s about discipline, a

world he returns to often, one that he believes is more valuable than motivation. “Honestly, I’m

not motivated every day,” he said. “What keeps me going is knowing what I’m working towards.

I love architecture and I love becoming a better version of myself, and I know that consistency is

what gets me there.”

Experts say that young adults who establish a routine early are more likely to maintain balance

and avoid burnout, particularly when juggling work, school, and personal responsibilities. For

Mcgraw, routine is identity, not just structure.

“ I think a lot about life, I’m trying to build for my career, my family, and for myself,” he said.

“When I feel like giving up, I remind myself that nobody is coming to do the work for me.”

Being the oldest of four siblings, he feels an added responsibility. “I know that I have my

siblings looking up to me, and I want to set the standard that anything is possible,” he said.

“Building the discipline to show up even when I don’t feel like it is what separates the person I

am from the person I want to be.”

Mcgraw days flow with a sense of rhythm: morning workout, midday classes, afternoon thesis

work, evening cardio, dinner, decompression, and then sleep by 11 p.m. Sundays are for meal

prepping, football, and cleaning, a good reset before starting all over again.

“Architecture demands creativity, but creativity requires structure,” he said. “A consistent routine

gives me clarity, energy, and time to think.”

Routine is essential not only for productivity but also for mental health. “Things like school,

work, finances, relationships, comparison, it all goes out the window in that given moment,” he

said, with his time at the gym. “It’s the one time I’m not overthinking everything.”

He admits that it’s not always easy. “Lately, I’ve been battling with myself mentally and trying to

work through stress, doubt, and just the pressure of growing up and wanting to succeed,”

Mcgraw said. He turns to music and journaling when things start to feel too heavy. “I’m not the

most vocal person, but writing my thoughts down helps me process everything.”

For him, routine is not about perfection; it’s about progress.

“It’s not always easy, but having a routine makes me feel like I’m still moving forward instead of

getting stuck,” he said. “Staying consistent makes me feel confident, because I’m proving to

myself every day that I’m capable.” Photo by Malikhai McGraw