Making Your Mornings Work For You

Having a good morning routine is VITAL to my production and all that I do throughout the day. From taking care of our kids, to running Table and Thyme and Mealfit, and owning two apartment complexes in Alabama and Tennessee, there are always things on my to-do list. In order to make it all happen, I have to be organized and stay on task. My morning routine is the main reason I am able to accomplish so much, and it’s the most important part of my day. Here’s how I do it:

The Night Before

To make things easier on myself, I’ve incorporated a few things into my night routine to save me time in the morning. Before bed, I grind my coffee and set my percolator. I make sure to drink about 17-19 ounces of water with Pink Salt and lemon, too, so that my body’s nutrient levels stay balanced. I make another cup of the exact same water and set it aside for the morning. (Staying hydrated is incredibly important to good brain and body function, so I’ve installed an alkaline filter on my kitchen faucet to help keep my pH levels stable when I drink water at home). From there I go to my closet to lay out my clothes for the next morning and then finish the rest of my night routine. 

During the Week

3:30 AM

I wake up between 3:30 and 3:40 am every morning. It’s definitely early, but it gives me plenty of time to get through everything I need to throughout the day! I use an alarm clock to wake up and NOT a phone. I find that keeping my phone nearby, especially at night, can sometimes distract me from things like getting to bed on time, so my phone stays in my office. After I wake up, I go straight into the kitchen to start up my percolator I set up the night before. One of the best things you can do for your body is to drink a large glass of water as soon as you wake up. It helps to jumpstart your metabolism and naturally makes you feel more energized. Thankfully, I already prepped a large glass of salt and lemon water, so I try to drink it before I start the rest of my morning. 

I put on my gym clothes I set out the night before so I can make it to Crossfit Trussville by 5 am. I also make sure to put on my shoes early, because it helps me feel more prepared for the day and ready to be productive. Otherwise, I might feel like I am just lounging around or relaxing and not stay on task. These small things definitely play a part in changing your morning mindset from passive to active, an important part of staying productive.

By the time I’ve gotten dressed and walked back to my kitchen, my coffee is done. If you follow us on Instagram, you know I like to share that part of my day most of the time. 

3:55 AM

The next item on my list is mentally preparing for the day. I go into my office and sit down to read my Bible. At the moment, I am reading a chapter of Proverbs a day in addition to a section of the New Testament. I am doing a plan that will allow me to read the entire New Testament in a year. I find that reading my Bible and journaling every morning gets me ready for the day and helps me focus on the things most important to me. 

I always mark the date and what verses I’m reading each day so that I can reflect and keep track of my thoughts about each section. I write 5 things I am thankful for from the day before and then I like to write down the things I am praying for. Anything from the people in my life, to our businesses, or things I am dealing with personally. If I am writing someone’s name because I’m praying for them, I always circle their name as if I am circling them in prayer. This was something I read in The Circle Maker that really stuck with me. 

I spend about 30 minutes reading my Bible, praying, and journaling every day. Then, I like to pick up some kind of faith-based book I am reading and read it for about 15 minutes. I set a timer so I don’t stay too long and find a place to end when the timer goes off. While reading, I always have a pen to underline and write down any thoughts from the book that I can apply and pray through. 

4:20 AM

After that, I like to spend about 12 minutes reading from another book and take notes, making sure to stop when I hear my timer. If I’m reading more than one book at the same time, I will spend another 12 minutes with the second book taking notes. Otherwise, I like to spend the full 20-25 minutes on just one. I enjoy reading a variety of books, but I find some more useful than others. Books that can help me gain new skills to apply and better my life are usually what I gravitate toward since they always have valuable insight. 

4:44 – 4:46 AM

To keep my mind on track for the day, I like to write down my goals at the bottom of my daily journal. I cannot tell you how important this daily journal is! Mine has a buffalo hide leather cover from Dogwood Groves that I had custom made to fit this specific journal so that it better suits me. It’s a bullet journal, rather than a lined one, so you have more control over how it functions. I write down  EVERYTHING in this: lists, ideas, notes about business, anything you can imagine. 

I then read my ‘Daily Readings’. These are personal and business affirmations that I read daily to keep myself focused and inspired. Each day has a specific theme, an idea I got from the book The Power of the Subconscious Mind. The goal is to fill my mind with the positive things that I want to happen for me, my family, and my business. (If you want to know more about this individual practice, shoot me a DM on Facebook, Instagram, or email me at thomas@thoamscox.co).

4:49 AM

Only after all of this time to get myself mentally ready to take on the day, do I open up anything digital (other than Instagram posts about coffee).

I open up my laptop and take a look at my calendar so I can plan and map out my day. 

Most of it is already scheduled, but I like to get a gauge of what is coming. This is when I get to make lists and jot down things-to-do that may have come up since the night before. Making sure any business ideas or events, kid’s practices or games, or anything else is accounted for in my calendar is essential to balancing it all.

Once I’m all finished with planning, I gather my things and make way for the gym to get my morning dose of exercise and get ready to start my day physically. 

6:15 AM

After my workout, I head back home and begin working on my tasks for the day. I like to break down my schedule into three lists so that it’s easier to manage.  

1. Early. 
   1. Items that can be done without the world being awake 
      1. Email 
      2. Read items my team has left me from the evening before
      3. Do quotes that may need my attention.
      4. Give tasks and feedback to any of my team that needs them. 
2. MUST DO.
   1. These are items that involve other people working with me.
      1. Meetings 
      2. Phone calls 
   2. Or items that must get done because of a timeline. 
3. Need to do. 
   1. Items that need to be done, but I do not have to finish them that day.

Note: I also usually have a “drive” list. This is the list that I make for people to call when I am driving to and from work.

6:45 AM

Now that the rest of the world is starting to wake up, I go ahead and start fixing breakfast for me and my kids.

For me, I eat the same exact thing every day. 5 Eggs, a starch or Vegetable from the night before (like leftover rice or mixed vegetables), and a green smoothie. 

No need to google “green smoothie recipes”, I’ve got the ingredients here for you for an easy and healthy breakfast.

• 2 Cups of Fresh Spinach
• 1 cup of Orange juice 
• ½ Cup of Frozen berries (a mix of Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or sometimes a frozen banana).

I put it all in a blender cup from my Ninja and let it spin. 

Why? This helps me get in a good amount of RAW green vegetables daily, which is crucial to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. 

I also take Vitamin C, Vitamin D, L-Lysine, and Turmeric (If you want to know more about this, shoot me a DM on Facebook, Instagram, or email me at thomas@thoamscox.co).

7:00 AM

If the kids are in school, I will have their breakfast ready on the kitchen island. While they eat, I will take a quick shower and get dressed in the clothes I’d set out the night before (this definitely saves time in the long run). 

If the kids do not have to go to school, then I will sit back down and finish my ‘early list’ and move on to the ‘MUST DO’ list.

I feel like having these lists creates margin and gives me rhythm. It calms my mind and gives me peace so I can communicate with the lord and gather my thoughts. 

How Did I Get Here?

I think this practice is a must for anyone that has kids, businesses, and a lot of things going on in their life. Think about it, in this time I have:

• Read my Bible
• Prayed 
• Learned and self-educated. 
• Planned and organized my day
• Spoke positive life into my mind and heart.
• Exercised and interacted with friends. 
• Start my workday before most people and got a jump on everyone else.
• Made breakfast for my kids 
• Talked to my kids about their day 
• Showered
• Ate breakfast
• And some days, taken my kids to school. 

All before 8 am. 

How did I come up with this? Many books and many years of experimenting with it. It is definitely a trial-and-error process, but some books that have helped me with it are: 

1. Atomic Habits 
2. Wealthy Gardner 
3. Slight Edge 
4. Compound Effect. 

How can you take a step toward a better routine? Here are a few tips that can help you with getting started.

 

If you have a question about any of our businesses, here are the websites and social to check them out!

Table and Thyme 

Mealfit 

I would love to answer any questions you may have.

You can email me at thomas@thomascox.co or send us a message through a contact form.

Make sure to stay connected with me on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok,

and LinkedIn.