Taylor Pearson, the author of The End of Jobs, is obsessed with how we begin our days and creating the perfect morning. He believes this time can be invaluable to us. (Indeed, Steve Key, a professor of molecular and computational biology at the University of Southern California, has found that for “cognitive work, most adults perform best in the late morning.”) With that in mind, Pearson “spent years studying the habits of creatives, entrepreneurs, and artists and [has] discovered it is a near universal truth that they each have a particular morning routine.”
Now Pearson has passed on the benefits of all his research to us. Here is a quick guide to finding the perfect morning routine.
Customize. “It’s important to remember that there isn’t an ideal morning routine for everyone, but there is an ideal one for you.” He urges taking an approach proposed by Bruce Lee: “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”
Hydrate and Caffeinate. Pearson recommends water and coffee to start the day. Water because chronic dehydration leads to “lead to kidney stones, cholesterol problems, constipation, and liver, joint, and muscle damage.” Coffee because it “increases performance including memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times, and general cognitive function” and “can increase fat burning by 10-29 percent.” (It should be noted he allows for two cups a day max.)
Read. Pearson notes reading has been “shown to reduce the chance of dementia and Alzheimer’s, as well as reducing stress and anxiety.” He notes once his workday gets going, he may not get a chance to read again all day. Set aside 10 to 30 minutes of reading time to start the day.
Exercise. Got seven minutes? You can get in a workout.
Meditate. It “rewires your brain in the same way lifting weights or exercising rebuilds your muscles.”
To read more about creating your personal perfect morning, click here.
—RealClearLife Staff
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