20-MINUTE MORNING
by Mike Dolce
How many times do you slap the snooze button on the alarm clock in the hopes of gaining a few extra minutes of sleep time? I’ve done it so many times, but never felt any more refreshed when I eventually dragged my tail out of bed.
Unfortunately, those extra few minutes in bed rarely convert to extra energy or productiveness. In fact, they often put you behind schedule and scrambling to get out of the house in the morning, leaving many of your goals and dreams as just that…dreams.
Here is the routine I have found most helpful to me attacking each day and ensuring I am able to accomplish an ever growing list of goals.
COUNT BACKWARDS:
If I am going to wake up at 6am, I count backwards to determine what time I will go to bed. Personally, I function best off 9 hours of sleep. This means 9pm is lights-out at my house!
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE:
My alarm is always set for 6am but 9 times out of 10, my eyes open at 5:56am in anticipation of the day. I can’t quite explain this, but I’m sure many of you also have experienced this.
WASH, WEIGH AND RELIEVE:
At 6am, I slide out of bed, trying my best not to disturb my wife or dog (they are both sleepy!) and make my way to the restroom. I relieve myself, step on my scale, record my morning weight and wash my face and hands with ice cold water.
20-MINUTE MORNING
a)
When I walk into my office, I sit down in my chair, close my eyes and MEDITATE / VISUALIZE for 5 minutes to clear my mind and bring focus to my day. In this time, I often start by counting backwards from 300 and focus on deep inhales and forceful exhales. I set my alarm to a quiet, calming concerto from Johan Sebastian Bach to gently transition me from my bliss when the 5 minutes is up.
b)
Next, I perform 10 minutes of non-stop, rigorous bodyweight exercise to get my heart pumping and metabolism moving. My routine consists of 1 minute each of Bodyweight Squats, Pushups, V-Ups, Burpees and Planks. I repeat this cycle twice for a total of 10 minutes and try to outperform my previous best every time I run through this. Each 1 minute exercise is an all-out sprint with perfect form.
c)
Once completed, I sit back down (on a towel) and write down my personal GOALS for the day. These goals are personal to me and offer a challenge to my current skill set and comfort zone. These goals are not about taking out the trash or going to work, as those are basic responsibilities. I write down activities, education, exercises or acts of kindness that will make me a better person, husband, father, professional, friend and so on.
FUEL:
The last part of my day, is walking downstairs, flipping on my electric kettle and preparing a highly nutritious BREAKFAST BOWL to ensure I have all the nutrients I need to sprint out the door, ready to kick a$$!!!!
My personal Breakfast Bowl consists of:
¼ cup high fiber oat bran
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup mulberries
½ cup blueberries
1 tbsp almond butter
*I also pour a cup of Caveman Coffee’s ‘White Gold’ spiked with 1 tsp of coconut oil.
(Go to CavemanCoffeeCo.com and use promo code DOLCE to save 10% off your entire order.)
