How I Win My Day By 8 AM With My Morning Routine? 🌅

Issue #69: My Morning Routine For Peaceful Growth. Healthy Breakfast Recipe. Focus on Barriers not Distance.

Dec 16, 2023

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My Morning Routine For Peaceful Growth

If I had to pinpoint one thing that has contributed the most to my journey of peaceful growth, it would undoubtedly be my daily growth routine.

This growth routine has empowered me to:

Successfully manage three multimillion-dollar businesses and a team of 120.
Published more than 20 episodes on my Peaceful Growth podcast in the last 6 months.
I have written 100,000+ words of content for Learn + Grow and my social media channels.
Read more than 24 books each year.
I listened to 145 podcast episodes and 95+ hours of learning.
I can consistently maintain a healthy lifestyle by caring for my mind and body.

However, within this routine lies a SECRET:

Approximately 10% (3 hours) of the total time invested creates a remarkable 90% of the results in my success.

In today's edition, I want to share my morning routine, which sets the tone for my entire day and allows me to win my day by 8 am.

Over the past 5 years, I've meticulously refined this routine to align perfectly with my goals, and I've reached a point where I can proudly say that I've executed it consistently for the past 60 days, without fail.

Yes, that's right—even on days when I was sick, traveling, when the weather outside was less than inviting, and even on weekends.

My 61-Day Streak of my Morning Growth Routine!

So, rest assured, this routine has stood the test of time and can be adapted to fit any situation.

Before we dive into the intricate details of this protocol, there's something important to note.

Some aspects of this morning routine draw inspiration from Yogic philosophy, specifically Dinacharya, which refers to daily Ayurvedic rituals for optimal performance. It also aligns with the four key pillars of personal growth outlined by Robin Sharma: Healthset, Mindset, Soulset, and Heartset.

#1 Wake Up — 5:00 am to 5:15 am [Healthset]

Waking up early has been a game-changer. During these early hours, when energy abounds and distractions are minimal, I’ve found invaluable focused time.

Here's what I do within the first 15 minutes of waking up:

Tongue Cleaning: This Ayurvedic practice involves gently scraping away toxins and residues from the tongue, eliminating bacteria that cause bad breath and detoxifying the body.
Morning Supplements: Guided by Ayurvedic wisdom, I take four specific morning supplements on an empty stomach for their diverse health benefits.
- Neem: Generates intense energy, supports immune function, purifies blood, and reduces mild acne.
- Turmeric: Reduces inertia in the body, promotes healthy joints, purifies blood and body, and supports respiratory function.
- Ashwagandha: Known as the "strength of a horse," it offers anti-aging benefits, boosts the immune system, and provides essential micro-nutrients.
- Triphalal: An ancient Ayurvedic preparation combining Amalaki, Haritaki, and bibhitaki. It ignites digestion and is especially effective for the stomach's digestive fire.
Copper-Infused Water: Drinking water stored overnight in a copper glass is believed to purify and energize the water, offering numerous health benefits, including improved heart and brain health, a strengthened immune system.

#2 Walk — 5:15 am to 5:45 am [Mindset, Healthset]

Accompanied by my dog, Lucy, we go on a morning walk.

Walking in nature brings several health advantages, and the benefits are amplified when you do it in the early morning. During the walk, I typically listen to an uplifting audiobook or podcast like DARREN DAILY for a positive and energetic start.

The average reader reads 10 pages in 15 min. Listening to audiobooks at 1.25x speed daily helps me read 1-2 books in 1 month (~12 books in a year).

On the way back, I often allow my mind to wander freely (a technique known as Scatterfocus) to stimulate creative thinking. Once I return, I make coffee and jot down ideas from the walk.

#3 Write / Read — 5:45 am to 6:45 am [Mindset, Heartset, Soulset]

On four days a week (Monday to Thursday), I dedicate this time to all my writing tasks. This includes crafting content for the Learn + Grow newsletter and social media, journaling, and taking notes. Writing, in general, serves as a superb exercise for achieving clarity and making meaningful contributions.

During these 60 mins of writing, 4x a week, I write 2000 words/week, which leads to 100,000+ words a year (80 to 100 blogs or 1 Book).

On the remaining three days (Friday to Sunday), I immerse myself in reading books, blogs, and other email newsletters. My reading covers a wide array of topics, including spirituality, business, and personal development.

This 1 hour of reading 3x a week help me read 60 pages in a week, 1 book in a month, ~12 books in a year.

#4 Exercise — 7 am to 7:30 am [Healthset]

I've previously shared my minimal exercise protocol, which I've fine-tuned over the past five years to fit my lifestyle seamlessly. This protocol is designed to be adaptable to various circumstances, such as travel or inclement weather.

Pushups: Doing 20 pushups daily is a convenient exercise that engages multiple muscle groups and promotes overall strength, including abdominal, hip, and leg muscles.
Ab Wheel: Also known as the Ab Roller, it is excellent for core workouts. It targets and tones the core, back, and arm muscles while enhancing balance and stability. I do 10 reps of Ab Wheel exercises daily.
Dumbbell Exercises: Dumbbells offer versatility, allowing me to target various muscle groups. I do 10 reps of bicep curls, hammer curls, overhead presses, and lateral raises in my daily routine.
Yoga: Yoga improves overall fitness, reduces the risk of injury, and requires minimal equipment. After practicing yoga 3x a week for over 5 years, I now dedicate 15 minutes daily to this practice.

#5 Meditation - 7:30 am to 8:00 am [Mindset, Soulset, Healthset, Heartset]

Investing 30 minutes in meditation yields an incredible return of several hours of heightened energy and focus each day. This extended focus helps me stay in a state of flow and enhances my productivity.

My meditation practice encompasses two types:

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama): This 5-7 minute breathing protocol helps manage daily stressors, fosters mindfulness, and promotes a sense of presence.
Chakra Meditation: I do 20 minutes of Chakra Meditation, a practice that has revolutionized my mood, focus, and overall energy. Occasionally, I explore other meditation styles.

I’m sure you would have noticed that each activity in my routine is very simple (pushups, walking, listening to podcasts, etc) and short <15 mins.

Consistency and simplicity are the keys to forming long-term, repeatable habits.

I encourage you to adapt and experiment with different aspects of this routine to create a personalized daily routine that is aligned with your life goals and helps you strengthen the 4 pillars of personal development.

If you're wondering what I do between 6:45 and 7 am, Well, that’s my poop 💩 time.

One of the best things you can do to improve your health and natural immunity, according to Ayurveda, is to have a bowel movement every morning.

Your body's clock naturally follows the cycles of nature—or tries to. During nighttime, soma (lunar energy) is more predominant, so your body focuses on lubrication, cooling, and nurturing.

In the morning, when the sun rises, Agni (solar energy/digestive fire) is predominant, and your body switches into a heating, active, absorbing, and transforming phase.

If you’re still carrying around the waste material your body deposited into your colon at night, you may absorb some of that waste material into your system. That, in turn, can hamper your immunity.

An often-overlooked part of my morning routine is my pre-sleep ritual, as maintaining a regular sleep schedule is paramount.

As the saying goes, "Routine sets you free"

🚀 Growth Tip

Now that you're familiar with my morning routine from 5 am to 8 am, What follows next is my breakfast.

My morning breakfast perfectly aligns with my goal of enjoying a healthy, quick, and budget-friendly meal.

What's even better?

ChatGPT gives it a solid 8/10 rating in the "Healthy Breakfast" category! 😄

For a step-by-step guide on preparing this delicious breakfast, watch this video.

If you savor this breakfast as much as I do, drop a comment to let me know. Your compliments will be passed along to my talented wife, Colleen, who crafted this delightful recipe.

🤩 Inspiration

It’s not the size of our goal that matters in achieving success but obstacles.

It’s such a powerful thought for goal-setting and habit-building.

Focus on removing friction; you will get there sooner than expected.

Enjoy the newsletter? Please forward this to a friend. It only takes 18 seconds. Writing this one took 4 hours.

And if you want to continue learning and growing, I would suggest subscribing and listening to my podcast, Peaceful Growth. It’s free, just like this newsletter.

May the Peaceful Growth be with you! 🪴

Learn + Grow