Five things a successful entrepreneur does every day

In answer to the question, "Starting from when you wake up, all the way until you fall asleep, what does your (average) daily routine look like?", best-selling author, entrepreneur and public speaker Tim Ferriss wrote the following on Quora:

Let me focus this answer on the first part (the answer to the second is “both”).

In brief - if you win the morning, you win the day.

I’m probably not the first person to say this, but it’s how I frame the importance of the first 60 to 90 minutes of the day. They facilitate or handicap the next 12+ hours.

After asking 100+ interviewees for Tools of Titans about morning routines, I’ve tested a lot and figured out what works for me.

Here are five things that I attempt to do every morning. These will probably seem like small things, but just remember: The small things are the big things.

1. Make Your Bed (<3 minutes)

In 2011 in Toronto, I chanced upon a former monk named Dandapani (Dandapani.org) at an event called 'Mastermind Talks'. I was going through a very scattered period in my life and felt like my energy was traveling a millimeter outward in a million directions. For grounding, he convinced me to start making my bed.

To quote Naval Admiral William McRaven, who has commanded at every level within the Special Operations community, including acting as head of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) during the Osama bin Laden raid:

If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.

2. Meditate (10 to 20 minutes)

At least 80 per cent of all guests profiled in Tools of Titans have a daily mindfulness practice of some type. Sometimes I will do “Happy Body” mobility exercises from Jerzy Gregorek in place of meditation.

When I’m done, I walk into the kitchen and flip a switch to near-boil water (about 85 per cent of the full dial) using a cheap Adagio utiliTEA electric kettle. This is for tea (in step 4).

3. Do 5 to 10 Reps of Something (<1 minute)

I started doing this after numerous exchanges with the Jocko Willink. He trains before most people wake, and I train when most people are getting ready for bed.

The 5 to 10 reps here are not a workout. They are intended to “state prime” and wake me up. Getting into my body, even for 30 seconds, has a dramatic effect on my mood and quiets mental chatter. My preferred exercise is push-ups with ring turn out (RTO), as it nicely lights up the nervous system. I’ll often take a 30- to 60-second pure cold shower after this, à la Tony Robbins.

4. Prepare 'Titanium Tea' (this name was a joke, but it stuck) (2 to 3 minutes)

I prepare loose-leaf tea in a Rishi glass teapot but you could use a French press. The below combo is excellent for cognition and fat loss, and I use about 1 flat teaspoon of each:

• Pu-erh aged black tea
• Dragon well green tea (or other green tea)
• Turmeric and ginger shavings (often also Rishi brand)

Add the hot water to your mixture and let it steep for 1 to 2 minutes.

Separately, add one of the following to your drinking mug: 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, which is about 60 to 70 per cent MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) by weight or 1 scoop of Quest MCT Oil Powder, which will give the tea a creamy consistency.

Pour your tea into your mug, stir to mix, and enjoy. In my case, I grab my tea, a glass of cold water, and then take a seat at my comfy acacia wood kitchen table for the next step.

5. Morning Pages or 5-Minute Journal (5 to 10 minutes)

Next up is journaling, which is not a “Dear Diary” situation.

I use two types of journaling and alternate between them: Morning Pages and The 5-Minute Journal (5MJ). The former I use primarily for getting unstuck or problem solving (what should I do?); the latter I use for prioritizing and gratitude (how should I focus and execute?).

The 5MJ is simplicity itself and hits a lot of birds with one stone: 5 minutes in the morning of answering a few prompts, and then 5 minutes in the evening doing the same. Each prompt has three lines for three answers.

To be answered in the morning:

I am grateful for . . . 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

What would make today great? 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

Daily affirmations. I am . . . 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

To be filled in at night:

3 amazing things that happened today... 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

How could I have made today better? 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

And that’s it! Think of it as my boot-up sequence for an optimal day. The rest varies wildly, but the first 60–90 minutes after waking are what I focus on most.

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