My Morning Routine

Mornings don’t come easy to me. I inherited late to bed, late to rise genes from my father. My poor relationship with the morning quickly changed once I discovered you catch more fish at daybreak. My joy for watching the sunrise over a trout stream has spilled over into my work life, and I now celebrate each new day with a morning routine.

I constantly tinker (even this morning) with my routine, but here is the current process, with links to the references that inspired these behaviors.  

1. Sleep 7-9 hours. OK, maybe this is a pre-morning routine, but it makes my mornings much, much better. For 30 years, I bragged that "you can sleep when you're dead." I was wrong. I now believe sleep is essential to optimal health. 
   Reference: Why We Sleep

2. Make Coffee. I own nine different contraptions for making a cup of coffee. Most recently, I’m going with the F70 style pour over using Backporch French Roast hand ground daily. It's delicious, but it takes time. While the coffee is brewing, I wake up my body. 

   Reference: One of the many articles I've read recently on the health benefits of coffee. 

3. Move. Mobility is my weakest link. I start the day with a runner lunge + twist, deep squats with knee rotations, and stick mobility. Occasionally, I’ll substitute a short walk for mobility.

   Reference: I put together this sequence myself but Jay DiCharry is my go-to resource for all things dynamic movement.

4. Get Sunlight. I grab my coffee, journals, phone, and dog and head out to our east-facing front porch, where I spend 10-15 minutes getting morning light on my eyes.

   Reference: I pretty much love all things Andrew Huberman. His research on morning and evening light made an immediate impact on my life. 

5. Meditate. At the time of this post, I'm bragging about my 557-day mediation streak using the Headspace app. It's the best habit I've added in the last 20 years, maybe ever. I don't meditate for long (7 minutes on average) but I meditate often (usually 3+ times a day).

   Reference: Headspace is my go-to meditation app, but I'm also a fan of Sam Harris, Ten Percent Happier, and these two books: 1. Awareness and 2. Untethered Soul.  

6. Journal. I keep a modified version of the gratitude journal with three primary components: 1. Unfiltered list of gratitudes; 2. What I want to achieve this day;3. An affirmation statement. The affirmation statement must be active. For example, I'd never write, "I am wise," but I frequently write, "I am learning."

   Reference: The Daily Stoic for journaling and inspiration. Field Notes for the tools of the trade.  

7. Work. I try to keep my previous six steps under 45 minutes and hit the office (or river) full speed. Anything longer takes time from my most productive hours. 

   Reference: When, Daniel Pink for an understanding of energy allocation and timing. 

Last week, I rolled out of my hammock on the banks of the Deschutes River. I made coffee. I moved. I enjoyed the rising sun. I meditated. I journaled. And I caught fish. 

I’ve learned a lot of lessons from fishing over the years, and the importance of early mornings is one of them.

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Another piece of writing inspired by my friends Mario Dot To and Nurture Theory. We believe the thinking discovered through public writing improves our lives. We call ourselves the Western Writers League, and we'll get something awesome made eventually.