I grew up in house where “sleeping in” was considered a waste of time. You were up by 7:30 a.m or you could consider your day was off to a bad start. To this day that feeling still exists. If I sleep past a certain point, the day is slipping away.
As I get older I realize my time and attention are fleeting, so how I spend the first hour of my day can dictate the rest of my day. If I spend my first moments on the right things, then the rest of my day seems to be more aligned. If things go awry (sick kid, early flight, etc..) then everything seems to be up for grabs.
So after experimenting for years on a how to start my day, this is my standard morning routine…
- 6:00 a.m. – Breathing exercises (meditation)
- 6:10 a.m. – Read scripture
- 6:30 a.m. – Exercise (either push-ups, treadmill, or pull-ups)
- 7:00 a.m – Start making the kid’s lunch
This routine is first designed to calm my mind (breathing exercises), then fill it with scripture, then get my blood going (exercise). I try to keep the content I listen to while exercising in the range of podcasts or my sports radio (however if it gets to advertising heavy, I’ll stop listening).
If this routine goes according to plan then I’m mentally, physically, and spiritually ready to great my son. Of course, this morning he greated me, and then said we had to play the Imperial March (from Star Wars) while he marched around the house.
I’ll admit I still tinker with the times, however this routine continues to show it’s value as life continues to give my wife and I more adventures (another kid and another book launch).