My Morning Rituals — Frigid water with fresh lime juice and black coffee

I plan to win.

Absolute victory is built daily.

Victory against yourself is, by far, the most important one.

I’ve created a set of daily habits and systems that keep me accountable. They allow the courage and determination I need to go beyond survival mode.

It is crucial to create protection against internal and external destructive forces. Becoming a morning person made me realize that.

I wake up between 4:30–5:30 AM. Most days without an alarm clock.

Here is how my morning flows:

1. Bathroom. I wash my face, do the usual and look at myself in the mirror for 30 seconds. I stare at my “legacy is built daily” post-it it on the bathroom mirror.
2. Kitchen. Cut a full lime, squeeze it on ice, fill the rest of the cup with cold water. Make coffee. Always black. No need for fancy coffee.
3. Turn on classical music on my phone + Bose Q35’s. I listen to Claude Debussy, Chopin, Bach, Mozart — Vivaldi for days when I’m particularly excited.
4. Read a book for 40–60 minutes.
5. Restroom again (thanks, coffee).

What happens after this is step is the most telling part of how my day will go.

I’m working on improving that part of the routine.

Number “6” varies over time. It will usually be 6:30–7 AM. At that time I’ll:

• Touch my phone and check messages / news / stocks / crypto (10 min)
• Meditate and/or pray (10 min)
• Exercise (either go to the gym or turn on YouTube and do it in the living room) — 45–75 minutes
• Work the essential task of the day (variable)
• Write a blog post (25–35 min)

Drinking frigid water with lime has been one of the best habits I’ve picked up this year.

When you read for ~ 60 minutes every day, you learn faster, AND you start your day getting ready for deep work.

What remains a challenge

Dedicating one hour of each day to my body, to write and to read.

When I rank 3 hours for all these tasks — daily — I’m focused, rested, and ready to crush it.