Why? Because this routine sets me up for success, everyday.

As I am a big fan of staggering routines, using the completion of one routine as cue to start the next one, it makes sense to list my routines here that I do everyday and have been doing so for the past 2 years. They are the product of several years of iterations and continuous finetuning. Most of them are done immediately after waking up, only #8 and #9 take place late afternoon / at the end of my day. Total time: <1h.

But what works for me, does not necessarily work for you nor for future-me. If anything, I now consider this the basis upon which I could add layers later.

1: Wake up time: 06:30 – 07:00 am

Not extremely early. I prioritize at least 8 hours of sleep which I track with my Garmin smartwatch. Only 1 alarm, no snooze.

2: Make your bed

Former Navy Seals admiral McRaven states in his great speech that making your bed unleashes a chain of productivity when you get something done immediately, however small.

Also, in general, I’m a firm believer of the positive ripple effects that come from having your places tidy. (I might have taken this one slightly too far: if you would take a look in my closet, you will find my clothes hanging by color).

3: Shower: start warm, end cold

Easier than you might think. I still have my “normal” warm shower, but finish cold for at least 1:40min as recommended by Dr. Huberman. I time my cold shower with my smartwatch. After, you will feel fresh, awake, with dopamine (the hormone of “more”) and cortisol (alertness) levels rising.

A great podcast on this by Tim Ferriss with Dr. Huberman you can find here. Most of my routine is inspired by them.

4: 10 Push-ups

Yes, only 10, as this is meant to just keep the blood flow going. 10 will do the trick.

5: Morning pages

This is a journaling exercise in which I write 3 pages of whatever comes to mind. A brain dump that always gives clarity and, perhaps more surprising, inspiration. There’s not been a single time when I didn’t get new ideas from MP. I always do. Ranging from asking a friend how that new project is going, to moving back to Amsterdam and starting a new job — and everything in between. You never know where your brain is going to take you.

I play the sounds of ocean waves in the background using my meditation app called Wise@Work. It’s a sound fragment that plays for 30 minutes and hence functions as a timer as well, to make sure I don’t go too long.

OR

5: Meditation

The alternative is 20 minutes meditation for which I most often listen to the same ocean waves, but the 20 min. version. I sit in lotus position, cross legged with my hands resting on my knees. I observe my thoughts and breath.

6: Goal setting and gratitude with coffee

This (still) feels like a nice moment to myself in which I sit down with my coffee, open my laptop, pull up my Docs, and set my goals and practice gratitude. Here you find my template.

7: Walk to work

The key here: early (sun)light exposure. It’s a nice 20min walk alongside the Amstel. I often listen to an audiobook or podcast on the way.

Ah, and only now I switch off flight mode and turn to my messages / notifications. Not earlier, because it blurs your mind.

8: Gym

I go to the gym 4 or 5 times / week, right after work starting between 4-6pm. I chose my gym to be strategically on the way back home. It’s hard not to go. Normal shower afterwards;).

9: Reflections

I return to the template of #6 in my Docs and reflect on the good and the lesson(s) that day.

Results

Every morning, I feel energized and inspired. My mind is clear and I am ready to go.

This routine feels quite effortless, except, in all honesty, for the gym.

Ironically, I doubt whether it’s not too effortless in the sense that it’s become slightly mechanic. Especially #6, where I just pull out my template, makes me doubt whether I am actually conscious enough of what I am doing. Better might be to write it down with pen and paper, like MP, and take a little bit more time out to do so. I am also pondering on waking up early and moving the gym to my morning as well, or adding yoga to my morning instead and keep gymtime for the afternoon.

But overall, I’m quite happy and I plan to stick to this basis for the years to come. Test and shape and make it work for you.