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morning/evening routine: Step 1

Morning Routine 12

One of my favorite quotes is from Trevor Noah's book Born a Crime.

 

“We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited.”

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This quote has much further reaching implications than what I’m about to use it for, but I think the idea Noah is getting at applies to developing a morning and/or evening routine. Your list of options is limited by what you’ve done in the past, what you’ve seen others do, or maybe what you read in a blog post the last time you really thought you were going to start waking up at 5:30 am. 

 

In Step 1 we’re going window shopping for new ideas or fresh takes on old ideas. I created the window displays already, so you just have two jobs during this step:

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Get your hands on a physical copy of this worksheet. You can print it out or copy it onto a piece of paper. Follow the directions on the worksheet to complete Step 1.

 

If any one of these routines seems particularly interesting to you, click through to the full video, article, blog post, podcast interview, etc. for more detail.

MORNING ROUTINES

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Warren Buffett

CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

  • Wake up at 6:45 am

  • Read the news (3 different newspapers)

  • Exercise

  • Eat breakfast (Buffett famously eats McDonald's every day. I'm not going to recommend this, but I'm also not worth $79 billion).

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Whitney Wolfe Herd

CEO of Bumble

  • Wake up when the sun rises (time changes gradually throughout the year)

  • Drink water

  • Do yoga or light stretching

  • Walk the dog

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Terry Crews

Actor, Comedian, Bodybuilder, Former Professional Football Player

  • Wake up with a vibrating pillow alarm clock

  • Drink water

  • Workout

  • Do not check phone until morning routine is over

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Benjamin Franklin

Writer, Printer, Politician, Diplomat, Scientist, Inventor, Humorist

  • Consider the morning question: What good shall I do this day?

  • Write out a daily plan

  • Work on a personal project that has nothing to do with work.

    • Study a foreign language, practice an instrument, etc.

  • Eat breakfast

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Daniel H. Pink

Author, Speechwriter

  • Drink water right away

  • Don’t have coffee within 90 minutes of waking up

  • Get some sun to start the day

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Marie Kondo

Organization Consultant, Host of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo

  • Wake up at 6:00 or 6:30 am

  • Open the windows, let in the breeze

  • Burn incense

  • Pray for the health of family and friends

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Tim Ferriss

Author, Entrepreneur, Podcaster

  • Make the bed

  • 10-15 push ups or a few sun salutations

  • Journal

  • Meditate

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Sundar Pichai

CEO of Alphabet & Google

  • Wake up early, but not too early (6:30 am)

  • Read a book or newspaper

  • Eat an omelette and toast

  • Drink tea instead of coffee

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Debra Bendar-Clark

Founder DB+co, Author

  • Wake up when the sun rises (changes throughout the year)

  • Read the news (theSkimm)

  • Breakfast and creative exploration

    • Pinterest, reading about design, researching career tips

  • Work out if her body feels up for it

    • Yoga, run, walk, pilates

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Thomas Frank

YouTuber, Author

  • Wake up to an alarm on an iPad in a different room

  • 10 pullups

  • 10-15 minute walk w/ a podcast

  • Breakfast and cheap coffee

  • Read a book or long article

  • Practice singing in the shower

evening ROUTINES

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Barack Obama

44th President of the United States

  • Unwind - play billiards, watch sports, or play words with friends

  • No caffeine - eat a night-time snack of 7 almonds

  • Spend time writing

  • 30 minutes of reading before bed

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Diane Hill

Mural Painter and Interior Decorator

  • Drink herbal tea

  • Iphone screen turns from blue light to yellow tone after 9 pm

  • Invested in a nice mattress, soft cotton bedsheets, and a satin pillowcase

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Joanna Fallon

Founder of the Costwold Chalkboard

  • Tidy the bedroom

  • Make a plan for the next day

  • Play a vinyl record

  • Have a glass of red wine

  • Drink sleepy-tea and read a positive book for 20 minutes

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Arianna Huffington

Co-founder of The Huffington Post

  • Avoid caffeine after 2 pm

  • Hot bath with Epsom salts

  • Cut out electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime

  • Read “real books” (not on iPad, Kindle)

  • Don’t get into bed until it’s time to sleep

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Tim Ferriss

Author, Entrepreneur, Podcaster

  • Drink tea, honey, and apple cider vinegar

  • Read a fiction book (not non-fiction)

  • Epsom salt hot bath and drink 1 L of ice water

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Mikhail Varshavski

Doctor Mike YouTube Channel

  • Go to the gym

  • Cook dinner

  • Go for a walk

  • Write a plan for the following day

  • Brush and floss

  • Simple skincare routine

When you have completed the worksheet, you are ready to move onto Step 2.

Step 2 is coming soon!

 

Step 2 will help you optimize the routine you created in Step 1. I am currently working hard to dig through the research behind all aspects of morning and evening routines to provide you scientific evidence on everything from breakfast to caffeine, meditation to exercise, and whether using your phone before bed actually affects your sleep.

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In the mean time, don't hesitate to start your routine today! I'll support you by posting Step 2 as soon as it is completed.

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