I Tried Tim Ferriss’ Morning Routine For 21 Days: Here’s What Happened

I’ve been following only a handful of Youtubers on the reg, and one of my favorites is the bright and bubbly full-time traveler, Sorelle Amore. Her tips on packing, solo traveling, and self-sufficiency are fantastic, and highly practical. So, when she shared her experience mimicking Tim Ferriss’ extensive morning routine to boost productivity and overall optimum day-starting, I thought I’d give it a shot. After all, when one’s mornings often comprise of sleeping through 45 alarms, followed by a nice little panic attack on our way out the door...perhaps it’s time for a baby tweak in my a.m. agenda.

Via Entrepreneur

Having just moved to a new city a few months ago, I’ve “settled” enough to run out of excuses to establishing a solid morning routine. I’m a f***ing adult. I pay my bills. I work a great job. I have benefits. I need to get my shit together first thing when I wake up. So I’m doing it. Slash I did it...with a few hiccups along the way. But this was a stringent new routine to follow, and every once in a while I’d skip a step. But, for the most part I stuck to my guns. Also, the more days I kept at it, the easier it became to do it. 

Here’s the routine:

1. Get out of bed within 2 mins of alarm going off

2. Make your bed immediately

3. Sit down and meditate for 10-20 mins

4. Take a cold shower

5. Drink some green tea

6. Write in a monkey mind journal (listing all the things that are on your mind. It doesn't need to make sense, just clear your mind.

7. Write in a different diary 3 things you're grateful for, what would make today great, 3 points daily affirmations and at night recap and write 3 awesome things that happen today

8. Bullet journal, everything to accomplish for the day and have top three priorities to focus on.

9. Exercise for 20-90 minutes.

Via CTPost

The idea is to clear your mind, accomplish something right away after waking to boost self-confidence, energize your body and mind together, organize your intentions for the day, and establish priorities. Mind and body are concepts tied closely together throughout this collection of steps, and it’s meant to set you up to get wired for completing tasks throughout the rest of the day. Productivity 2.0. Certain ones seemed simple enough (everyone benefits from journaling, amirite?) while others took a bit more coaxing (cold shower...upon waking? Really?) Overall, establishing structure and newfound purpose in my mornings gave me a renewed sense of vigor and determination, ready to tackle my day before I’m even out the door. 

Here are some realizations that ensued:

I actually looked forward to the meditations.

Via Very well Mind

 I’ve come a long way from my prior notion that mediation is hoakie and for the hippies. But regarding the mind as you would any other muscle in the body, gives meditation an air of legitimacy - why not strengthen it as you would your body? With every session completed I felt relaxed and calm, sans the jumbled thoughts and stress that follows it if I dive into an Insta-feed black hole that leaves me feeling restless and lacking focus. This is absolutely a better alternative to set my mind afresh.

The cold showers were definitely a must.

While wrestling through the mental block and writing my way through the minimum 30 seconds of blastingly cold stream, I questioned my sanity and safety if this bordered a level of self-torture that surely no functional human safe to intermingle with the greater public would ever inflict upon themselves. I could see the headlines clear as day: “Young Female Serial Killer Giveaway: Habitual Cold Morning Showers.”

But gradually, I conceded. Cold showers do, surprisingly, bring a pleasant aftermath to its initial sadism. It truly does wake you up and energizes you in a fantastic way. I felt as though every cell in my body had sprung to life and was ready to launch into tackling every new thing my day had in store for me. Superhero status. 

It raised my confidence.

This I also regarded warily at first - after all, if I’m being honest (and a wee bit prideful), I’d often regarded myself a slight bit better off than those seeking self-help advice, or those attending love life coaching seminars, or those with a prescribed emotional health animal companion, ya feel?

Cover image via Entrepreneur