If you win the morning, you win the day. — Tim Ferriss
If you don’t know the gentleman, he wrote these books: The 4-Hour Work Week, Five Minute Journal, Tools of Titans (source of this article), Tribe of Mentors, 4-Hour Chef, 4-Hour Body, etc.
To learn and implement from the most accomplished people in life is part of my 30-day challenge to build healthy, productive, and sustainable habits. I have completed 17+ 30-day challenges, including Tim’s, this year.
If you apply Tim’s step-by-step routine, you will see results in one or all of the following four ways.
- productivity increased
- healthy habit of drinking tea
- Energy-boosted, pretty much all day
- The most important, focus improved (my mission was to increase focus and get a couple of things done first thing in the morning)
How to follow any routine, and, most importantly, why 30-day challenges?
The 30-day challenges are really powerful. Instead of achieving the massive goal, I try to break it into tiny parts, usually 30-day challenges. If I don’t like the challenge in 30 days, there is a high probability I won’t do it in the long run.
I use the productivity tool Notion (it’s free) to organize my life. If you don’t like to use the Notion tool, I highly recommend creating an excel sheet.
You can take a print to put on the wall or simply use it online. Here is a complete article to get more insights — my list of 30-day challenges.
What can Tim’s daily ritual do to your body and mind?
- Boost your energy level
- Improve your focus
- Boost your productivity
- Make you feel better/accomplished day by day.
Here is Tim’s morning ritual step-by-step
I customized the routine (a little bit) according to my plan, as he did not consume lemon water first thing in the morning; I added lukewarm lemon water.
Here we go. (Just read these steps once; I oversimplified the steps for the sake of learning.
- Wake up one hour earlier than screen time (computer work), and I mean absolutely no screen for one hour in the morning.
- Drink a tall glass of water (I customized it a bit and added fresh lemon)
- Make tea; Tim Ferriss likes this tea; I’m sure it’s available at every corner store. I ordered over Amazon, but it’s pretty fast delivery in my area.
- Sit down with a cup of tea, a pen, and paper.
- Write 3–5 things that are making you the most uncomfortable.
- Here is the powerful question, for each item (step#5), ask yourself if this is the only thing I accomplished today.
a. Would I be happy if I only accomplished this task today?
b. Will this priority make all the other to-dos unimportant or easier to tackle later?
c. Anecdote: I used the “a” and “b” all the time in my full-time job, especially the b on prioritizing work. - Now, just look at the ONE item you selected in the previous step.
- Block out 2–3 hours to work on that particular task! That’s it
a. Here is a bit hack I implemented to boost focus. I used this physical timer like the kitchen timer or the Pomodoro method. I started to work in 25 minutes intervals followed by 5 minutes break. My attention span has increased. Therefore, I use 51 minutes timer followed by 10 minutes break. - I literally turned off my phone and absolutely no social media, even before trying this new morning routine by Tim.
- Tim says, after all, we are humans; therefore if you get distracted, don’t freak out — just gently come back to your ONE to-do thing.
a. Hack — when I get distracted, I do anyone of them based on how much time I have.
- Go for a long walk.
- Or Take nap
- Do meditation to refocus
- 20 squats or pushups on the spot
- Stretching (if you can choose just one and don’t have enough time, I highly recommend this merely 12-minute stretching exercise)
key takeaways (summary)
- The routine lowered my stress, and it’s obvious that you will be a bit relaxed when you are done with the most challenging task of the day.
- I never had this tea (Pu-erh black tea). Maybe it was the tea or my long walks that helped to boost my energy level.
- I highly recommend trying this routine if you are unfocused, procrastinating, and feel less intentional.
Conclusion
What we fear doing most is usually what we need to do. — Tim Ferriss
If you keep looking for a miracle to change your life or mornings, it’s not going to happen. There is a possibility Tim’s morning routine would not work for you.
All you have to do is take the first step!
Seth Godin ( a great blogger) always says to believe in the process and not be result-oriented. Efforts are way more important than results. You may not get the desired results, but I am sure you will be in a way better mental state than never trying.
I simply wanted to improve my focus and am always knowledge hungry to learn more from highly accomplished people like Tim Ferris.
Article source: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris
Recommendation
I highly recommend reading these books by Tim (Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors); there are many practical tips from highly accomplished people to boost your life.
Keep optimizing your life to live your fullest.
Tim Ferriss’ Supplements
| What He Takes Exactly & Why | Supplement Name – Optimize your health journey |
| Sleep Supplements Preferred to take 30 – 60 minutes before bedtime. | Magnesium L-Threonate –> 144 mg Apigenin –> 50 mg L-Theanine –> 200 mg |
| Supplements for Brain Performance | Creatine –> low dose (1 – 2 grams) taken daily Ubiquinol –> taken daily with creatine for cognitive benefits Lion’s Mane Mushroom –> taken occasionally Lithium Orotate –> 5 mg dose, periodically MCT Oil –> used strategically rather than daily |
| Anti-inflammatory Supplements | Turmeric / Curcumin – taken in “Titantium Tea” Fish Oil –> taken regularly for many years N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) –> to support immune function Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) –> for treating injuries Athletic Greens –> as “nutritional insurance” |
| Physical Performance + Recovery Supplements | Collagen Protein –>for joint health and workout recovery Branched-Chain Amino Acids –> to enhance muscle building & recovery L-Glutamine –> for gut health and muscle recovery Zinc & Magnesium –> for exercise recovery |
| Immune Support Supplements | L-Lysine –> to combat viral infections and cold sores Apple Cider Vinegar – to support immune function Medicinal Mushrooms – to enhance immune function |
