Running a business is chaos on a good day.

There are emails to answer, meetings to lead, products to ship, problems to fix—and somehow, you’re supposed to do it all with clarity and energy.

I used to wake up and dive straight into work.
No breakfast. No planning. Just fire-fighting from the first minute.

The result?

Burnout. Confusion. Scattered days.

So I created a simple morning routine—not the kind you see on Instagram with ice baths and 4 a.m. wake-ups. Just a grounded, realistic routine that keeps me focused, even on busy days.

It’s not perfect. But it works. And it changed how I run my business—and my life.

 

🕖 Step 1: Wake Up at the Same Time (Yes, Even Without an Alarm)

I used to wake up at random hours, depending on how late I worked the night before.

Now, I aim to wake up at the same time every day—between 6:30 to 7:00 a.m.

This one shift:

Regulates my energy

Improves my sleep quality

Reduces mental fog

No magic time required. Just consistency.

Pro Tip: Choose a wake-up time that gives you 30–60 minutes before the demands start.

 

🛏️ Step 2: No Phone for the First 30 Minutes

This was tough, but essential.

No email.
No Slack.
No social media.

For the first 30 minutes of my day, I stay offline. Why?

Because when I check my phone right away, I immediately go into reaction mode—responding to others instead of setting my own direction.

Instead, I use this time for quiet. Stretching. Breathing. Thinking.

It protects my focus before the world floods in.

 

🧠 Step 3: A 5-Minute Mind Sweep

Before coffee, before to-dos—I sit down with a notebook and dump everything in my head.

Ideas. Tasks. Worries. Random thoughts.

This is like mental decluttering. It clears the noise and helps me see what actually matters.

📝 Try this:

Set a 5-minute timer

Write without editing

Let your brain empty itself out

This one habit has saved me hours of distraction.

 

📋 Step 4: Plan One Thing That Moves the Needle

After the mind sweep, I pick one priority task that will actually move the business forward.

Just one.

Not:

“Inbox zero”

“Catch up on admin”

“Respond to messages”

But something like:

“Draft sales page for launch”

“Pitch 5 new clients”

“Write investor update”

That’s the core of my day. Everything else is optional.

🎯 Focus fuels momentum.
Multitasking kills it.

 

☕ Step 5: Make Coffee Slowly (Yes, Really)

This might sound odd, but making my coffee has become a ritual.

No instant. No rush.

I grind the beans. Heat the water. Pour slowly.

It takes about 10 minutes. And during that time, I don’t check emails. I don’t multitask.

I breathe. I think. I prepare.

It’s like a mini meditation with caffeine at the end.

This small, intentional act sets the tone: slow, deliberate, focused.

 

📖 Step 6: Read One Page (or More)

Sometimes it’s a few pages of a business book.
Sometimes it’s a short essay, or even a quote.

The point isn’t volume. It’s mental priming.

By feeding my brain something insightful early, I stay in creator mode, not consumer mode.

Great books I’ve revisited during mornings:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Rework by Basecamp

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

You’d be surprised how often one quote can spark a brilliant idea.

 

💪 Step 7: 10-Minute Movement

I’m not a hardcore gym person. But I do move my body every morning.

It could be:

A walk around the block

Jumping jacks in my living room

A short YouTube yoga session

Nothing fancy. Just enough to get the blood flowing.

Moving early wakes up your body—and your brain. It tells your system, “We’re alive. Let’s go.”

 

🧘 Step 8: Quick Reset Before Work

Before I open my laptop, I pause and do a 1-minute reset.

I ask:

“What’s the one thing I need to finish today?”

“What’s something I can let go of?”

“What would success look like by 5 PM?”

That 60-second check-in helps me start with intention, not chaos.

It’s how I keep myself from defaulting to busy work.

 

❌ What I Don’t Do Anymore

Just as important as what I do—here’s what I don’t do:

❌ Check Slack while brushing teeth

❌ Open email before breakfast

❌ Schedule meetings before 10 AM

❌ Force productivity if I’m feeling foggy (I adapt the plan)

The goal isn’t to “win” mornings.
It’s to own them—so the rest of the day doesn’t own me.

 

✅ Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need a Perfect Morning—Just a Consistent One

You don’t need to wake up at 4 a.m.
You don’t need to meditate for an hour or do a 10-step skincare routine.

You just need a simple system that:

Protects your focus

Energises your body

Clears your mind

Sets one clear intention

The best morning routine isn’t trendy—it works for you.

For me, this 45-minute window is sacred.
It keeps me grounded when the day gets loud.
It reminds me I’m a founder, not just a firefighter.

And it makes everything that follows a little bit sharper.

 

📌 Want More?

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