Morning Rituals Win the Day

MovModMot - May 3, 2018

In my twenties, I used to get up, shower, and book it to work as fast as possible. It took me about 30 minutes from the time my alarm clock went off to be at my desk. I liked being one of the first people at the office. Then I had kids and the morning schedule was no longer in my control. No matter what I did, the morning was at the mercy of my kids. Now, I embrace the slow long process of the morning. Partly, because I can't do anything about it, but mostly because I am trying to slow down the day. My wife has to rush to work. When something slows her down like 1 minute it is an issue and she begins to scramble and get stressed out. Fortunately, my job is flexible and my boss is okay with me showing up anywhere before 9:30am.

What do I do in the morning now that I have 2 hours before work?

First things first. Coffee. My preferred method is pour over with a Chemex. I usually buy Caribou Medium Blend because Costco has it for cheap. Then while I am enjoying a cup of that I browse a few of my favorite sites/apps for a few minutes, check my email, and fix any bugs that I know about on my own sites and apps. Once the oldest comes downstairs, I feed him breakfast and make his lunch. I will also feed the youngest as well if my wife has already left for work. After the kids have eaten, I will do about 10-20 pull-ups, shoulder presses and lunges. Enough to get out of breath. Then I shower, get dressed, pack lunch for my oldest, and get the kids ready for school/daycare.

I walk the oldest to school everyday and the youngest to daycare if the weather permits. I usually get around 5,000 steps in before 9am. When I make it back home, I let my dog out one more time. Lastly, during my short drive to work, I usually listen a podcast. About 2 hours later, I am finally at work ready to start doing some coding. Not a bad morning. It beats the hustle and bustle that a lot of people deal with.