Hey folks. Happy weekend.
Wanted to make a post regarding this for a while - know there's a couple of 'em out there, but they seem to be older, and thought I'd do a refresher. This post will be split into two parts:
- First, I figured I might share some suggestions routine-wise that have helped me significantly over the years. I've experimented with dozens of different methods and would like to provide some anecdotal solutions that have worked. Perhaps they can help you all out as well.
- Second, I want to know what does your current routine look like? Would like to pique the community for suggestions as well, so that myself and anyone else reading might try out some stuff. In addition, if you all have 'lackluster' AM practices, I'm happy to see if I can help. We can all get talking.
OK, let's get into it. I'll try to keep the backstory brief, but it's contextually important to highlight my past so you can understand why I put so much emphasis on what you do prior to arriving at the office. I fundamentally and wholeheartedly believe that what you do in the first 1-2 hours of your day will DRASTICALLY impact the remainder of it. If you think I'm full of shit, that's okay - just consider implementing some suggestions! If they work for you, awesome, if not, that's okay. Never know until ya try.
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Primarily, I aim to be in the office around 8-8:30a. I am fortunate to now be in a role that doesn't require me to be in at a certain time, but most meetings seem to be around 9a, so getting there 30-60min early helps me compartmentalize and plan my day once I boot up my computer. I say this to let you know of my hours, yours may differ.
Below, are my in-order recommendations of what will drastically improve your productivity, energy levels, and overall outlook on the day by virtue of trial and error. Happy to elaborate on these if needed:
- Planning: Okay, this one is kind of cheating. This is the only thing that doesn't happen when you wake up, more the night before. I believe it is absolutely ESSENTIAL to make it easier on yourself to wake up the next day, so you're not fighting sleep as you do tasks. Spend 15-20 minutes prior to going to bed organizing your next day. Some things in this category that I currently do are:
- Clothes prep - I will select, pull out, and organize two sets of clothes. The first set is what I'll wear to the gym the next day, the second is my work uniform. Having these in a set location, being folded + ready to go will greatly help me actually get out of bed the next day, just one less thing I gotta worry about. It takes five minutes the night before, and feels like you're saving thirty minutes in the morning, I swear.
- Food prep - I blend my post-workout smoothie at night and put it in the fridge. When I'm groggy and tired, I honestly just don't want to pull shit out and measure it. This is something that I can just immediately grab and slam down into me, saving me time and effort in the AM. I also pack a lunch and some snacks for the following day, the office kitchen is kinda meh.
- Task planning - this can be written, mental, or whatever. I spend a couple of minutes determining what specific things I'll do before arriving at the office the following day. For example, am I doing chest tomorrow? Am I driving or taking the train to work? Am I making coffee at home or getting it out... with myself, or a buddy? This honestly may seem silly, but it's the one that takes the LEAST amount of time and helps me the MOST. Highly recommend writing it down, I keep a running note on my iPad.
- Exercise: Phew, that first bullet was a lot of words. Sorry if you're tired of reading, I'll speed 'er up. Exercise is my second highest-recommended morning item, this one actually falling in the morning! I wake up around 5:30-5:45 and spend about 60-90 min end-to-end on exercise. This is primarily split into three points: a ten-minute stretch, in which I'll eat a protein bar and/or banana, a 45-60 min weight session in the gym, then a 20-min dog walk (or run, if I'm feeling good!). Thankfully, my apartment complex has a gym so this isn't counted in my commute.
- Food. Food, food, food: Eating is so goddamn important, ESPECIALLY in the morning. Even though I am currently cutting, this used to be my largest issue. I was born skinny and went all the way through college skinny. Getting 'bigger' does not come with lifting weights, it comes with shoving food down your throat. While bulking is less of the issue now (153lbs at my lowest, currently at 204!), a PROPER breakfast will lead you to more energy throughout your day than you can properly think of. If you're struggling to eat in the morning, start off small - just put SOMETHING down. Leave the coffee for after, and don't take that ADHD medication until you get to the office!
- Quality time: This one may seem different from the others, but I believe it is equally important - allot at least thirty minutes in the morning to do something you enjoy, especially if it's in a relaxing-ish manner. For me, this is making an espresso, reading the Journal, and sitting on the porch with my wife, after I'm showered and dressed. It gets me in a positive mood, allows me to reiterate what I'm grateful for, and will send me to work with a smile.
Wall of text, sorry. That's pretty much my day, and in that order, too! It just so happens that the priority list also aligns, as I think they go in order. If you want to start with something, start with number one and slowly work your way down. I've been amazed at how much more energetic, aware, attentive, and honestly happy it makes a seemingly boring day at the office.
All this shit isn't something I'd expect someone to just start doing and automatically kill it. It's gonna take time to refine your process and will be an adjustment. If I wanted to, I could opt to wake up at 8:45a and throw on some clothes, ditch breakfast and the shower, and drive fast to work. But I don't want to do that, because I've made it a PRIORITY to force myself up earlier and accomplish tasks prior to even landing at the office. I find that this makes me a more effective worker and a generally greater-balanced man during my day-to-day.
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Now, that's my spiel. I want to hear yours - what's your go-to process in the AM? Any similarities to mine, or things you may do differently? I'm always open to switching things up and want to get some feedback from you all as well. If you have questions about something I said or would like me to elaborate - i.e., the why of something, I'm happy to answer.
In the end, everybody is different. I am not saying that my massive spiel of shit is the 'correct' thing to do, it may not work for you. However, I believe prioritizing consistency is necessary, and if you're gonna do something then you should do it well. I'm also honestly just curious to get a feel of what other users are doing and if it's working for 'em. Maybe my shit is overkill, who knows!
That's all. Enjoy your weekend, folks - stay safe and healthy. Cheers.
I wish I had a cool Jocko-esque morning routine. Instead, I’m up at 6:30AM, shower, grab bagel and coffee, and I’m in the office ~7:30AM.
WFH - more like wake up at 7:30AM, roll out of bed, log on.
Ha! The more I wrote out mine, the more I wondered "are these fuckers gonna think I'm some Bateman-esque psycho?"
It's definitely a lot of stuff but doesn't really feel like it, if that makes sense. Probably just used to it by now, seems to fly by in a second. Granted, I don't have to be in-office at 7:30a so I'm sure that's a mega difference. God knows I'm not waking up at 4:30... no thank ya!
Alright you’ve convinced me to at least give it a shot doing an actual routine in the morning. Since starting work I’ve been the type to get up 20 minutes before I need to leave. If I gave myself just 20-30 more minutes my commute would be a lot less stressful.
This was actually very well-explained and coherent, worth reading through.
It’s interesting as everyone’s morning routine may differ a bit based on their own approach and circumstances, but your post lays out some reasoning and ideas that I haven’t considered, so would certainly like to adopt some of these to better plan and organize my day
I just wake up when my first call starts. Sometimes it's 8am, sometimes it's 11am. Join with my phone while laying in bed. If I don't need to talk, I'll be scrolling reddit and checking investments with call on background.
Similar to you, my routine:
Night before: lay out my gym clothes and anything else I need in the morning.
5:15 - 5:30 wake-up: I will drink a glass of water, brush teeth etc and get dressed for the gym
5:45 - 7:45 gym: I don’t eat anything before, usually some stretching, lifting and cardio. Cardio will generally be outside
7:45 - 8:15: breakfast with the family (kids if wife has already gone to work), usually just a coffee and some eggs/veggies/toast.
8:15-30: shower, grab a coffee from my favorite spot, and start my day
When do you go to sleep?
Usually around 10PM, sometimes I’ll stay up later on the weekends.
But when do you do your meth? I must have missed it
Usually on the way to work... 15 IR Adderall, which is pretty much street-legal meth. Don't worry mods, I'm prescribed!
Nice detail. One change I made last winter was to use a light alarm clock. This is a light that slowly gets brighter until you get out of bed. No more feeling like garbage in the morning. You can still feel tired or fatigued, but not like death.
My routine: 6:30 out of bed, 6:30-7 dressed and breakfast then head to gym, 7-8 workout, 8-8:30 post workout protein, shower, get dressed for work, in the office for 9am.
The key in my opinion is to wake up at the same time every single day.
We used to have one of these, think it fell in the 'box-of-stuff-that-was-broken-during-the-move" category. Hasn't been an issue recently, but that's been due to the weather - in the summer, the sun is peeking thru by 5:30a anyways. We're well past that now, may have to get another one for the winter months. Glad it's working for ya!
I get up at 9:10am, make a quad espresso over ice and watch a motivational video then start the day (Brian Johnson - Heroic videos).
Now that I primarily work from home with a European team, I wake up at 530, walk to my home office, and start work. Then I make a cappuccino around 730am once my wife and kids are awake.
Usually squeeze in a lunchtime workout if it's a quiet day for the London team, or work out in the evening before dinner. If we're really pushing on something, I'll sign back on once the family goes to bed to ship something for the London team to pick up when they sign on.
Personally, 530-730am and 9pm-12am are my best hours, since the house is quiet and I can really focus.
You said where your team was based, but you didn't say where you were based. Isn't 530am a little late to wake up in the US for Euro markets?
You sleep 5 hours per day?
4:30am - Wake up, quickly check phone for emails (turn notifications off post 9pm, so need to make sure nothing blew up over night that didn't come through text)
5:00am - Walk/Run for an hour and a half
6:30am - Take dog for a walk
7:00am - Quick shower then log in from home... check emails more thoroughly, create to-do list, review prior day results
8:30am - Drive to office - takes about 20 minutes
9:00am - Typically first meeting of the day
Why don’t you take your dog with you on your run/walk to knock out two birds with one stone?
He's almost 10 years old and not well equipped to got that distance. He also loves his sleep so when I get up early he gives me the look that says "dude why are you even up right now?"
How about a morning wank to clear your mind
6am - wake up, get ready (shower, breakfast, etc.)
6:30 - 9:00 - read
9am - start day
I found out that the peak of my concentration/focus is in the first hours of the day, so I allocate it to maximize intellect (aka reading). Weightlifting/cardio I leave it after work as it helps me end the work-day and get home completely destressed and relaxed. Also, if one understands its Cyrcadhian rhythm, he will usually note that body temperature tends to be higher in the 2nd half of the day, so I think evenings are better for sports/activity.
Reading for 2.5 hours is very impressive. I'm sure that sets your mind right, sounds awesome.
Any recs that you've found book-wise recently? Would love to get back into it.
Currently WFH:
Wake up at 8:50am, take a piss, then get out of bed.
8:53am have an existential crisis on the walk to my kitchen to pour coffee for what seems like the millionth day in a row and then walk to my home office in my living room and wonder if I am stuck in Groundhog Day.
8:58am log in to corp dev my face off. Existential crisis deepens when I look at my inbox filled with emails from ppl in Europe about nonsense that I don't care about.
9am: daydream about having a real job that adds value to society maybe as a construction laborer like when I was in high school (this is also when I peaked and averaged a double-double in varsity basketball and made out with half the cheerleading team despite my complete lack of game).
9:01am: dial in one minute late to the 5th zoom call to argue about a working capital target for a manufacturing company in bumfuck Ohio that deep down I pray is hit by a tornado (while the building is empty because I'm not a sick fuck) just so that the deal dies and that way I don't have to negotiate reps and warranties and don't have to deal with the corporate treasury department about wire bullshit yet again.
Rinse, Repeat.
lol same shit for me brother. Some days I think being WFH exacerbates that feeling because of lack of social time with coworkers, but I've worked in office for years before COVID and remember it was no different then. Except the commutes were hell and would always create a 'what am I doing with my life'. And socializing with coworkers would be very hit or miss if the people you work with are tolerable or not
Only honest response in the whole thread.
You probably have a decent chance at becoming a construction worker, given your background and experiences
woah WTF is this????
You take a piss while in bed?
How about we don’t talk about our morning routines? How about we act like everyone in every other industry who don’t poll people on anonymous forums about their personal lives?
I understand your sentiment - what you do with your personal time is none of my business. I figured this post may be helpful to share to some of these folks who may struggle with the same things that I did, by virtue of working in similar industries. If they want to comment, they will - if not, I won't lose sleep over it. That's all!
My morning workout is literally just getting up, putting on clothes, and walking to the train. Thank god I have a wife that deals with the food and clothes
Mine is a bit different
I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I’ll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial masque which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion. There is an idea of a bartschool. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there
I have tried a similar morning routine in the past and I always felt exhausted at around 2-3pm so I stopped. How do you mitigate that afternoon sleepiness? Or is it just me?
5 mg addy and a coffee usually perks me back up
As ironic as it could sound, forward_lateral's comment isn't wrong. I'm not going to advocate for a stimulant (if you aren't prescribed!), but I take roughly 15mg of instant-release Adderall most mornings, always M-F. If I'm feeling particularly sluggish in the afternoon, I have a 5mg XR 'extender' that'll get me back into the flow of things if my mind is wandering. An afternoon cup of coffee helps too, but I try not to drink any caffeine after 2-3p.
That afternoon sleepiness is less dictated by the AM routine, and more by the quality and quantity of sleep you get the night before, in my opinion. As humans, we can do immediate tasks on fairly little sleep, but prolonged work (in this case, your 2-3p window) is really when our minds will start telling us we need to go to bed. Unfortunately, the only thing that I've truly found that'll fundamentally erase the afternoon sleepiness is going to bed earlier the night before, which may or may not be attainable with your lifestyle. I'd say on most nights I'm in bed by 10p, asleep by 10:30p. A big difference from my undergrad days when 3-4a was the norm.
Have you had, or know anyone who has, any experience with Strattera? I've strongly considered looking at a prescription, especially that I was diagnosed recently with adult ADHD, but I'm still personally trying to get over the stigma which is all in my head mostly.
What are your thoughts on the post work exercise? I usually go around 9pm, and it’s worked for me quite well. Sure there are some times that get a tad stressful but I’d rather borrow company time and not lose any sleep having to do it before work. Realistically I wouldn’t go to bed any earlier because I always am turning comments, updating a diligence tracker etc.. post workout.
I'd say most people I know do their workout post-work or in the later hours of the night - nothing is wrong with it mentally, and no study has ever proven it hasn't been just as effective. I also used to work out after I got home from work, but found the AM suits my personal needs better. As always, YMMV, but here's what I found when comparing the two:
Those are pretty much the two reasons that have sealed the AM routine. Just nice to get the lift out of the way, and frees up my afternoons tenfold.
I work out around a similar time, crazy to me that no one else in here seems to go for the evening workouts. For me it's a factor of just not feeling like I can generate the same power/the same level of effectiveness in the mornings due to not having consumed enough fuel yet. Once I've had a full day of eating that's when I can really get the most out of a workout.
For me and probably some others, it’s just accessibility. The only gym I have available to me closes by 9, and there’s no way to make it before then. So I’m forced to go in the morning and honestly not hating it
My routine and times are weirdly similar to yours. Have to deal with a 20-30min commute to work though which means I don’t get the 30 minutes of “me” time prior to showing up at the office.
Usually run/lift from 6:00-7:15am or so, shower and grab protein shake, then get in the car to head to the office around 7:45 or 8. Similar to you where hours are flexible so it’s nice to kind of function at my own pace in the morning.
When I show up to the office I’ll usually crush through big news stories and scan any developments in my coverage then start cranking away at whatever I’m working on. My office is quiet and most of my day is reading so I’ve found getting a hard workout in the morning helps me focus on that throughout the day.
On Fridays depending on how I feel I might skip the workout to sleep in an extra hour since I usually do a long run on Saturday morning which can be grueling after 5 straight days of working out.
Nice. I've gotten lucky w/ my commute - I live downtown and so is the office, so I only have a ten-minute walk. Understand I've gotten lucky there, coming from someone who used to routinely have a 1-2 hour commute one-way. It's such a QoL boost that no one talks about, it's actually insane.
If possible, I wonder if you'd benefit from setting the alarm clock twenty minutes early and trying some 'me' time. It almost sounds silly to recommend, and I don't want you to lose extra sleep, but I become quite cranky now if I don't get my espresso + WSJ time in, ha! Really just lets me break from the high-tempo workout to the high-tempo office environment, kind of like a hurricane-eye storm in the middle. Can't recommend enough.
Side note - I've also been dedicating my early Saturdays to longer workouts, usually forgoing a lift and focusing on cardio + calisthenics. My wife kicks my ass in runs, and I'll be struggling to keep up. Definitely a good thing to do, but man... I forgot how much I hate running!
I don’t think waking up earlier to do that would be worth it for me. I sleep between 6-7hrs and the extra 30 mins goes a long way. I basically do that reading with a cup of coffee first thing when I get into the office and it’s pretty enjoyable. My days aren’t that hectic tbh LO world is pretty chill hah
I am looking to buy a house pretty close to my office so will get more morning time when that happens (next 12 months).
Taking a train to work in Texas? That must be a hell of a commute!
Great post per usual Stonks1990 . A lot of my routine is very similar, but it's still a work in progress. Some personal things I'll add:
Ha! I think the train comments were me forgetting I'm no longer in DC. As much as I loved the Metro, my love-hate relationship with it was tested every time I stepped through one of those turnstiles.
Glad to hear your routine is working. I'm not particularly religious so I'm not currently prescribed to the prayer routine, but I have been trying to read before bed more. The only things I really read right now are the news, which isn't exactly known for... well... calming one down. May have to pick up some books at my local library, provided I even have the time anymore!
They updated the turnstiles to these more modern wall type doors so tbh I have seen less fare evasions, but you're still waiting like 4+ min for a train. Idk if you had to transfer, but I got to get onto the green line and it can be rough having to wait like 8 min for it to show up.
545 to 615am - get up, take preworkout and get dressed for the gym,
615 to 715-730am - gym
730 to 750am - cook breakfast (currently 3 eggs and 200ml egg whites scrambled together, trying to trim down)
750 to 815am - shower and change, then leave for the office to arrive at 845am.
915/930am once set up and planned for the day il usually go get a coffee with whoevers keen.
Inspirational.
At this stage of my life I am struggling to find the discipline to go to bed early even if I understand mornings are golden.
In uni i used to wake up at 6.30 and review yesterday’s class notes before lessons started. That set me up for a great day.
Wish I could get back into that space.
Any advice?
Thanks for being willing to speak up regarding your struggles. I've also encountered this before, as I'm sure everyone has.
The difference between waking up and falling asleep is that you can brute-force yourself to wake up, no matter the occasion. Sure, it'll suck, but it's at least doable. There is simply no way to brute-force yourself to sleep - we've all been there, unable to sleep because we're stressed about something. Then, we check the clock and see how late it is, which multiplies our stress, which makes us not sleep, which again multiplies our stress, and.... yada yada, you get the point.
However, as mentioned earlier, you do have the capacity to force yourself awake. It's not an answer you probably want to hear, but it's literally the only way to do it. I'm not sure when you ordinarily wake up, but determine the moving average and set your alarm thirty minutes before that. For the next week, fucking FORCE yourself out of bed. It'll suck, and you'll hate it, but it's just five times to get it done. The next week, set it another thirty minutes back. And another, until you're at the wakeup time you want to be at.
That first week and especially the first month is god-awful, you'll feel dead in the morning and hate it. But I think you'll find if you can survive a month, it's pretty easy from there. We as humans adapt quite easily to our surroundings, and before you know it your circadian rhythm will be totally shifted to those set hours. By default, you'll be tired earlier, and fall asleep when you want to. Just work it backward from that point.
Oh, and yeah - back to waking up early, I've found that it's easier to do so when you have something you either a) want to do, or b) NEED to do. I'll spring right out of bed at 4:30a if I have a plane to catch, but find myself dragging HARD on a rainy Sunday at 8:30a when I have no commitments. Figure out something constant to do in the mornings, things that you look forward to, and/or commit you to being places at certain times. This is why my schedule is so rigid, and why I have to hold myself accountable daily - for fear of slipping back into prior gaps.
Hope this helped. Let us know how you progress along the way!
Great routine. My routine is:
6:30-7:00am: Wake up, check for emergency emails, throw on gym clothes, have some honey+salt+water, pour myself a coffee (set-up the night before so it's already made when I wake up), and take the dog for a walk. I don't buy into every "hack" but I do think sunlight first thing in the morning is helpful.
7:00-8:00am: Workout. I have a home-gym, so this makes it easy. Even when I'm not feeling it, I will do at least 20-30 minutes of exercise every morning. I think it's a lot easier to be consistent with a morning workout, and for me I get better results by being consistent with lower intensity (consistency > programming).
8:00-8:30am: Shower, get dressed, and have some breakfast (meal-prepped hard boiled eggs and a beef/bison patty usually) on the way to the office (20-25 minute commute).
Always have been a morning person, but working east coast hours on the west coast has forced me to kick it up a notch + be more efficient w my routine
Will def 2nd the prep the night before. I’m usually prepping my clothes, food, bag, and schedule for next day. Will hit the sack around 9-9:30.
3:30-4:20ish: brush my teeth, wash my face and spend some time reading the Bible + prayer. Used to not do this in my routine, but found it hard to fit this in at night when I’m already so drained from the day.
4:20-4:50ish: bus commute to work. Thankful that there’s a bus that runs at this time. Also a 4:30 am crew on there so we all know each other pretty well by now
5:00-5:50ish: workout, my office has a gym which is very convenient. Have learned to squeeze in 35-45 min workouts but make them effective and usually sweating like a dog post workout.
6:00: start work. Thankfully, my boss is ok with me logging on around 6ish, ie 9am est, but if I do have an occasional 5:30 am earnings call, I’ll push my workout to the afternoon.
Granted, when 1pmish rolls around, I can usually feel the fatigue, but will usually go for a quick walk, transition to a coffee shop, and finish work there
I had 8 shots of espresso this morning and a sugar free Red Bull. LFGGGGGGG
4am-Wakeup/make my fiance her breakfast/lunch for the day/take dog for walk
4:45-6ish-Gym
6-7-Breakfast/watch cnbc/read news on X/take dog for another walk
Thanks so much for sharing your routine! I found it very helpful and inspiring. I'm curious, how many hours do you sleep on average? Also, does the work out happen everyday?
"Food. Food, food, food: Eating is so goddamn important, ESPECIALLY in the morning."
This is a myth. Food is good around workouts, so it depends on what you're doing.
I usually wake up pretty early, first thing I do is check if I have a headache from smoking too much weed the night before, then I'll go make coffee, sit and look over the mountains, then maybe read a bit of FT and smoke half a joint if there's one left in the ashtray. Then I'll walk over to my home office, spend maybe 30 minutes answering emails and then another half hour to an hour working. Then it's time to shut the computer down and go enjoy life.
Being an equity partner is good. Much better than when I was an employee.
Beautiful. I strive for the day when my routine can look closer to this - enjoy your mountain views. Cheers.
06:00 wake up, brush my teeth and drink some water
06:30 listen to podcast (business / news / personal development) on the way to workout
06:45 workout: I like to go to group classes like crossfit or similar in the morning so that the workout itself doesn’t require any planning / no risk of a full gym messing up the plan + and it motivates to push hard even when tired or lack of motivation to workout that day
07:45 either shower at the gym if going to the office or go shower at home if WFH
08:45ish quick breakfast while listening to podcast or reading emails or news: some days I grab a croissant to go, others I make a sandwich or scrambled eggs
09:00 work
What are some of your favorite podcasts right now?
I firmly believe some sort of routine is also crucial before the day begins. Though, if I work till 2am+ , morning is wrecked. Context: NYC, A3
T-1 — pre-workout snack is prepped the night before, 36 grams rolled oats, scoop of desired protein (casein blend works best with oats)
6:30 - 7:30 — Wake up, depending on when I sleep get to bed. Usually between 21:00 and 00:00 so long as I’m not getting bent over at work. Crush snack & pre-workout then head to gym
8:00 - 9:00 — 1 to 1.5 hour workout depending on when I arrive to the gym/early meetings
9:00 - 9:15 — Shower then head to office, been having protein bar in my bulk immediately post workout. I eat breakfast at the office, we got a solid selection of yogurt, fruit and granola bars
Notes:
- Lunches are prepped Sunday for the week
- Team has a later start - 10am or so
Hey, these are fun. Here's a typical morning for me:
6:17AM: My youngest son, an unbridled ball of toddler energy, joyfully begins my day by sprinting into our bedroom and climbing into our bed, delivering a solid knee to the nuts in the process. Folded up in pain, I look over to see that my wife is already up getting the kids' lunches ready. I feel helpless. My son sneezes in my face and starts telling me about his dream. I'm fully awake now.
6:41AM: I have successfully changed my youngest and dressed him, despite his best squirmy efforts. I've changed into workout clothes and checked my email. Life-giving coffee has been made. I take my first glorious sip, only to hear the rustling that indicates my older son is now awake. I prepare myself for battle.
7:07AM: Fuck it, I guess he's wearing his pajama top to school today. Whatever, it looks more or less like a shirt. I settle down at the counter to respond to a few emails and check the news while the boys have breakfast.
7:42AM: Kids are loaded up in the car, acceptably fed and ready to head to preschool / school. I close the garage door after my wife drives off and walk seven steps over to the garage gym.
8:11AM: Warmup and mobility complete, ready to begin lifting. Shut up, I'm old and I have cranky joints. I need more coffee.
8:57AM: Workout complete. Responded to some emails in my lengthy gaps between sets. Hey, it's not cardio.
9:24AM: Showered & dressed and down to my home office. I try to settle in with something that doesn't have to do with a computer screen - something about pen and paper gives me a "mind reset" that helps me focus on what I need to accomplish in the day instead of reacting to my phone and inbox. As a general rule I don't schedule meetings before 10AM (11 if I can help it) to give me a deep work block out of the way early.
10:15AM: Heat up breakfast / first meal - wife does meal prep so it only takes me a few minutes whenever I get to a good break point.
The remainder of the day is as you would expect - some blend of individual work time and calls. I don't really eat lunch, I just have a snack or two to bridge between my late breakfast and early dinner. I try to break off around 5:45 or so to join the family for dinner, and then after dinner we usually have some family play time, then it's on to bath and the bedtime routine. When the kids are in bed around 7:30 then I'm back to my office for anywhere from one to four hours, with the balance being time that I spend with my wife.
Great writeup, gave me some laughs. Looking... forward? To having kids? I guess so... cheers!
Everyday I follow the same routine, and it looks something like this:
6:15am: Wake up, brush teeth and other
6:30am: Cook 3 eggs sunny side up and bacon, make toast with Nutella or jam + a protein shake
6:45am: Eat breakfast and listen to a podcast
7:00am: Head to gym, 20 minutes of cardio followed by 40 minutes of weights
8:00am: Cold shower
8:05am: Dry self off and get dressed
8:20am: Head to office
8:45am: Get to desk, read emails and begin work
You seem like a very hardworking person. I could never schedule my showers like you. What time do you leave work?
1) wake up
2) take a shit
3) shower
4 go to work
Wake up in the morning take a sh*t shower shave
5:00 AM - Wake Up
5:20 AM - Arrive at the gym for a lift
6:10 AM - Stretch
6:30 AM - Arrive at home, start coffee, & shower
6:45 AM - Pack lunch & eat one slice of Dave's Killer Bread with Adams creamy peanut butter, banana sliced on top, drizzled honey, & cinnamon
7:10 AM - Read the Bible & pray
7:30 AM - Head in to the office
8 AM - 9 AM - Get into the office & read the news
9 AM - Start working on my tasks for the day
Haven't read all comments, but some tips I use to help execute my early morning routine better:
- Use an app blocker to make sure you can't get on any of your social media or Reddit apps after 7pm or before 9am. This stops you from wasting time before bed and costing yourself 30+ minutes of sleep because you're scrolling, and also stops you from picking the phone up when you wake up for a quick scroll and losing 30 minutes on that end
- Others have mentioned, but I got a smart LED lightbulb that I can use an app on my phone to slowly turn on at a set time in sunlight colors. This helps me wake up before the actual sunrise
- I use the app "Alarmy" - I can set it so the f'ing thing won't turn off until I take a picture of a pre-set object. Annoying as hell some mornings when I feel tired but it works. I set it to a picture of something in my bathroom. I have to get out of bed, walk to my bathroom, turn the lights on and snap an accurate photo. This has saved me countless times of hitting the snooze button and saying F-it I'm skipping the gym this morning. Also, since I set it to something in my bathroom, it's easy for me to say - well I'm already here, better just brush my teeth while I'm at it. Otherwise it's easy for me to say alright I'm up but I feel groggy, I'm gonna go lay in bed for a few minutes while I wake up. After I've done all that and brushed my teeth, I'm usually sufficiently awake to not convince myself to go back to bed, so I stroll over for my caffeine (next step)
- Instead of worrying about making coffee in the morning, I buy Nootropics Depot caffeine pills. They are 200mg of caffeine + 100 mg L-Theanine (actually feels a bit better than coffee). No, I don't rip 200 mg of caffeine first thing out of bed in the morning. I crack the capsule open and pour 40 - 100mg into a little water and toss it back. That's enough to wake me up and get me going to the gym. I worry about enjoying an actual coffee around 10-11am when I'm in the office
- You cannot ruin your routine on the weekends just because. If we keep the same routine, our bodies get really good at it and you start waking up easy and getting tired easy at the right times. I'm not saying to stop having fun on the weekends because of it, but if you're not going out or doing anything special, don't sit there in bed watching movies or scrolling until 11pm - 2am just because you don't have to wake up early tomorrow. Keep the same routine and only break it if it's because you're actually going out for the night and having fun, traveling, etc.
- You really have to be serious about your stimulant intake in the afternoon. Most of you that have trouble falling asleep early could fix it by cutting the stimulants. I LOVE stimulants (caffeine and Adderall), but I'm very careful not to do anything after 12pm most days. Even if you can fall asleep, you're not getting the best sleep if you had caffeine later in the day (even if it feels good, scientifically shown that you're not actually getting as much deep sleep). Given our careers and lifes battles, we are bound to get less sleep overall with these early morning schedules (it's really impossible to get to bed by 9 - 10 pm every night), so we need to make sure we are getting the best sleep possible and able to fall asleep as quickly as possible when the time comes
- Some say it's not good to take melatonin every night, but I still do it. If I don't take it, there's a 50/50 chance I'm not falling asleep for at least an hour, especially if I had a 12pm coffee. I keep it to a small doseage of <2mg, and it helps me to be able to knock out within 30 minutes of taking it. If i had a stressful day or had more stimulants than usual, I'll also usually smoke some weed an hour before bed. This all just helps to make sure I knock out as quickly as possible. If you're waking up at 530am, the last thing you want is to lay in bed at 930 or 10 and not be able to fall asleep until 11 or 1130. It's really not good for us to be getting <7 hours of sleep, so I do what I can to prevent that from happening.
- Try to pay attention to how much liquid you're consuming after 730pm. I'm someone that's always drinking water, but I really have to watch it after 730pm or I will have to wake up in the middle of the night which throws off my sleep routine. I'm not saying to not drink water if you're thirsty, but just pay attention to throwing back huge gulps or drinking a beer, etc. Even if you only have to wake up once at night, for me that's usually around 4am and then if I fall back asleep I'm all messed up trying to wake up again at 530
- This one to me isn't as important, but also try to front load your meals. You get better sleep quality if your body isn't still in the middle of digesting a meal or some snacks you ate a couple hours before bed
Good writeup. Sounds like you have your stuff together, appreciate you taking the time to reply to my thread.
I've dabbled w/ the caffeine pills in the past, pretty sure Nootropics was the brand. Am pretty anal about what I put in my body (especially w/ those 'performance' or general supplement things, 95% of that stuff is garbage) and they worked fairly well. Was only circumstantial, as I was trying to only have one coffee a day since two was making me dehydrated. Once I got my water intake under control, however, switched back to the afternoon coffee.
Like you, have experienced firsthand the downsides of stimulants in all forms later in the day. A couple of years ago, it wasn't a big surprise for me to pop an IR Addy around 5-6p to get some work done, fooling myself into thinking the half-life is only four hours, I'll be fine, yada yada yada - even though deep down I knew the smaller after effects lingered far beyond that, eating into my healthy sleep. I usually have a small (6-8oz) drip or cortado in the afternoon, but my hard cutoff is 1:30-2p, save a catastrophic event. Consistency is everything.
Thanks again for sharing.
I think my sleep is still impacted even though I cut it off at noon, but it makes my day more enjoyable enough that I consider it worth it. The caffeine pills are nice because if I really need a little boost later in the day around 2 or 3pm, I can just pour like 15 - 20mg into some water and it gives me a quick pick me up while minimizing the impact on my sleep later. I would spend a lot of money for someone to invent something that wipes everything out of my system instantly so I could keep pounding coffees all day and still sleep well.
7:20am wake up, shit shower shave
7:40am cook breakfast, make coffee, read
8:00am head to work and arrive by 8:30 and catch up on emails at my desk
8:20am: Wake up, scramble to shower, brush teeth, shave
8:40am: Get dressed and head out with pre-made bagel from night before
9:00am: Get onto subway and eat breakfast
9:20am: Arrive in office 10 minutes early
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