my new morning routine (2021 edition) – [1/3]

I’m glad things took a turn for the better this year and I have been able to cement my habit of waking up early by 5 am every day. Unlike last year, I experienced a much better sleep schedule during the spring and summer months and I’m immensely grateful for that. One thing that seems to have truly worked for me was educating myself repeatedly about the benefits of waking up at 5 am or before and understanding the difference it could make in my life and in my professional pursuits. I also contemplated the long-term gains I could experience via the compound effect if I stuck to waking up early every day, as well as the massive losses I would experience over time, again via the compound effect if I didn’t wake up on time. This gave me some clarity and mojo to get serious about becoming a consistent early riser no matter what. I also finally made a morning routine checklist on my smartphone that I adhere to every morning; this plays a key role in keeping me grounded and consistent.

I’ll now go through my new morning routine step-by-step that I have been following for the past few months. This is the basic framework that I try to stick to every day when I wake up.

I wake up as soon as I hear the alarm on my smartphone (I usually set two alarms – 4.40 am and 5.00 am). After I switch my alarm off, I do a few boxer shuffles to get myself in a pumped-up state and then make a quick visit to the bathroom. After that, I sit on the sofa in the living room and listen to my favorite devotional hymn. I then listen to some inspirational and motivational Hindi music while tracking my body weight and my wake-up time and proceed with some light stretching and push-ups. I then go to the kitchen and drink around 450-500 ml (approx. 16 ounces) of water from a copper vessel. (I try to keep water overnight in the vessel as recommended by Ayurveda).

Then, I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up while listening to some positive affirmations via YouTube. I sprinkle cold water in my eyes and wash my face. This helps me in waking up from any residual sleepiness.

After using the bathroom, I read my personally crafted Statement of Purpose, followed by a quick 10-minute early morning reflection session to get more clarity with regard to my professional pursuits. I then read passages from a few daily devotional books. Once I’m done, I put on my running shoes, grab my face mask and go outside for a 10 minute morning walk while listening to an inspirational audio program. Alternatively, I just listen to the audio program and get my laundry done. 

Once I’m back, I go to my bedroom and make my bed. Even though it’s a small task, I feel amazing and I get a great sense of accomplishment once I’m done with it. Then, I go to the kitchen and get the remaining water (around 300 ml/10 ounces) from the copper vessel in a bottle (These days, I’m infusing it with some freshly squeezed lemon juice).