Anyone who knows me can attest that I am quite disciplined, and have a very specific way I do most everything. My morning routine has most definitely become my habit, and I have found if I miss any of the 5 things on this list, my day just doesn’t have the same “pop” that it would otherwise have. My first 4 hours I often consider my best 4 hours. Especially when I am not traveling and do this at home with my wife in attendance. So if you haven’t done the math, Yes, I do wake at 4 AM, and yes, I do exercise every morning. I thoroughly enjoy it and for that matter require it if I want to maintain my upbeat mood and pace that I prefer.
So what 5 things do I recommend you do everyday? Here is the list in the order in which I do them:
4:00 – 5:00
- Read Something – I spend at least 15 minutes reading something educational, but normally it doesn’t stop there. While I love to read the written word, I will also listen to audible during my workouts. I always read 3 Non-Fiction books to 1 Fiction. I think this ratio of 3 to 1 – educate vs entertain is a good mix for me.
- Write Something Interesting – I spend at least 15 minutes writing. I got into this habit when I started writing my first book Enhanced Life Performance. I will admit that I have always loved to write, but I merely journaled from time-to-time. Now, it is an all out onslaught of content creation. Weather it is this Blog, the next book, or my journal this gets my creative juices flowing and I love to do it. Also, I will interview people on a regular basis to get ideas and delve deeply into various topics and this truly is educational.
- Meditate / Pray – This is difficult but not the hardest thing for me on this list. It does require quieting the mind and that is difficult for me, but trust me this is necessary for me to handle the stresses of the day. Sometimes I am meditating just to quiet the body, sometimes I am inviting the Holy Spirit to experience a bit of “community” with me. Either way this quiet time is a requirement for me to handle the stresses of life and remain in alignment with what my Heavenly Father wants for me.
5:00 – 7:00
- Exercise – I will Properly test the body at 5:00 AM. I have a T-shirt slogan that reads “Civilize the mind, Make Savage the Body!” So from 4 to 5 I feel like I have appropriately furthered my education and intellect, now it is time to get the blood pumping. I do train everyday, but it is always different body parts. I never train the same major body part (Chest, Shoulders, Back, Legs, Arms) more than twice per week and actually I typically train a major every 5 days. Cardio happens daily and only once or twice per week will the cardio intensity get crazy! I am competing or otherwise training for something, the intensity will increase.
- Drink 32 Ounces of Water= Of this list, this is the one that I falter from time-to-time because I just don’t love water, but this is something I force myself to do and get it right most days.
