An overview of what needs to be taken care of before getting started with your morning routine
When it comes to writing, reading, or coding, you want to make sure that this is the first thing that comes to mind before working on anything else. You don’t want anything to distract you in this new day of yours.
That means: phone, computer, apple watch…. Anything that has to do with technology, it is best to steer away from all of this. In fact, I own a standard alarm clock to wake up earlier than my iPhone alarm.
1. Silence all technology
Yes. Keep it all on silent and make sure Do Not Disturb doesn’t turn off at any point in the morning. It is hard because you don’t know what kind of emergencies may come up while working on this. It may be difficult to go through these lengths. If possible, you can set up a specific alarm for someone you need to be on alert for on your contacts. This is possible for the iPhone as people have settings per person but I am not sure on the Android. Specific ringers and the such.
Your clock may come up as a distraction. As mentioned before, a standard clock is fine to look at first. Notifications aren’t worth it at this time unless it is an emergency.
Your browser may hold you up to your favorite website, youtube video, and forum. This is hard to give up because you don’t know what you might be “missing” out on here. Believe me, it happens to me and I keep looking at my browser in hopes to find something really interesting on there.
2. Set up an alarm 2 hours before work starts.
For example, you start work at 9am, try waking up as early as 7am and get started with some personal work. I used to work on my reflections back when I worked at this restaurant. I did whatever it took to get started on those reflections because they were a part of my morning routine. I didn’t want anything else to get in the way for that matter.
Some people have different work shifts though. Not everyone can work at 9am, some people have different time zones as well and it all varies from this point on.
Reflect if this is the type of lifestyle that you want out of work. Military does not make this an option provided by the contract people are binded by. If there are other work options or other ways that you can optimize your businesses’ needs, then by all means, try to maintain the morning routine in the am. Otherwise, find a way to adapt to that lifestyle as the sun shines out from your window to your eyes.
3. Meditation
I used to meditate in my spare time. Out of bed and on the mat, working on myself. It all depends what you are looking for from the morning routine. Meditation is an example and some people are looking for that kind of clarity. As for any other task that comes to mind, you can get started with that task and focus a good hour or more on the task and nothing else.
I have had those moments before. Back when coding challenges brought me a good level of momentum going on. I don’t recall anything else slowing me down for that matter. Keeping a good reminder on not looking at notifications is good enough for me.
4. Breakfast
It is important. Because if you don’t take in any food or something in the morning, you start to feel groggy and it becomes hard enough to get started on any task throughout the day. Work hard enough to get things done provided by some food in your system. If you’re fasting, drink plenty of water. Have a gallon of water right next to you in case you start to feel hungry.
But no matter what you do, don’t skip out on breakfast. You will have that feeling and it does not feel good. I never take caffeine and most things go well with me after food in my stomach.
5. Reminders/To-Do
Don’t ever have this feeling of “boredom”. There is always something to do here. Find The Geeks forums, questions about our workshop, what you can do to help, or even writing your productivity journal is a good start.
From your productivity journal, you can get started with some goals that come to mind. What is a goal that you want to execute? How will you get there? What needs to be done to get started with that goal? Does it have to do with making a certain amount of money, owning a home, a new job….?
Write some goals and then write up some tasks.
