Rethinking My Morning Routine

Wed, 21 May 2025 12:30:56 +0000

I’ve been thinking again about my morning routine and ways to improve upon my currently relaxed weekday schedule.

Right now, my mornings consist of coming downstairs, making breakfast, and scrolling through email and social media with my coffee and bagel. Literature suggests this digital-first approach isn’t ideal, and I’m beginning to agree. However, I still need a dedicated time slot for these activities, as processing them too late in the day reduces their usefulness.

What I Want to Add

Several activities need to find a place in my morning:

First, an exercise routine. I’ve been trying to maximize efficiency by multi-tasking – working out with medicine balls and doing sit-ups in the basement while monitoring small 3D prints to ensure they adhere properly to the print bed.

Second, dedicated learning time. My Blinkist subscription needs better use – I could listen to business book excerpts while exercising to identify which ones warrant purchasing the full copy. There’s also my Lumi keyboard connected to my iPad; regular lessons in Melodics would help advance my playing skills.

Third, content creation. I want to return to blogging about simple topics and better curate my LinkedIn feed.

Recent Improvements

Over the last few days, I’ve started reviewing my workday notes with coffee while listening to audiobooks. This has proven extremely useful for preventing surprises and staying ahead of deadlines on my to-do list.

One particularly effective practice has been reviewing notes for the entire week before meeting days. This preparation enables me to speak knowledgeably about topics with clear forethought, distinguishing me from colleagues who show up unprepared.

The Challenge

Fitting all these activities into the hours before my 9am workday begins would position me to succeed professionally while advancing personal goals. Explicitly writing out these goals should probably be part of my morning routine as well.

The key seems to be creating a structured schedule – perhaps assigning specific activities to particular days to ensure weekly progress across all areas – while still leaving time for a quick shower and mental preparation for the day’s meetings.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​