My best mornings are the simplest ones.
No 4am start; hour-long meditation sessions; 10 mile hikes; 4 hours of deep work.
No, none of that.
Short, sweet and to the point.
After all, a good morning routine is designed to setup the rest of the day: not to drain your energy.
Of course, I'm human - no-one's perfect - and the routine does change day-to-day depending on how I feel. I might skip exercise in favour of a session in the evening, or just go for a walk instead of reading. And I often catch up on my other tasks throughout the day, anyway.
But when I'm really on the ball, it often looks something like this...
The 6am Alarm
I am not a morning lark (read: "Why We Sleep"). However, I do like the space and quiet the early morning brings; so against my will, you will often find me up at 6am. Anything earlier than that, doesn't work for me - I need a solid 8 hours sleep and going to be bed before 10pm doesn't work around family life.
Coffee.
Nectar of the Gods. What would we do without coffee?
Black, no sugar: please and thank you.
Yes, I know there are many that advocate delaying coffee for an hour or so after waking up, but it works for me. I enjoy that first sip of coffee; the smell as the machine presses water through the capsule; the steam rising, swirling above the mug.
Getting in the Miles
I like a 5km run. Short enough distance that the overall workout is below half an hour, but long enough to test your endurance.
It's worked a lot for me in the past with weight loss, so I always like to maintain some kind of running routine. 2-3 times a week works great, with the 3rd run on a Sunday often being leisurely and a little bit longer time and distance.
Sh*t, Shower, Shave
Post-run cool-down done, I jump in the shower to freshen up.
Journaling
This is my meditation.
I have journaled for many years, in many different ways and styles. Lately, I've settled on a simple ruled journal, writing whatever comes to mind when I put pen to paper. No guidance: whatever flows. I will often address the entry to me, rather than writing in the first-person.
A Bible Chapter
I highly recommend finding a book that you can study over a period of time. For me, it's this regular habit - re-reading sections, note-taking, refection, reading around the subject - that has really furthered my focus and ability.
My book of choice is the Bible. I have a particular interest in early Christian history, and there's no better book to study than the Bible itself. I'll read a chapter a day, taking notes and quoting particular verses that jump out to me.
But the great thing is that there is so much material that surrounds the Bible, that I will never run-out of books to read on the subject.
Regular Reading
I then like to settle with whatever book I am reading at the time. I aim for 20 pages a day, which should see me finish a book or two in a month.
Work Begins
I am fortunate that my regular job allows me to work from home. By the time I have done all of the above, it is close to 9am. I might grab a bite to eat, if I'm not fasting on that particular day, or watch some tele before getting started. Everyone else is up by then anyway, so I'll be helping with the household chores and the kids.
Summary - my best mornings:
- Wake up at 6am
- Coffee
- Run
- Shower
- Journal
- Bible Study
- Read
- Start work