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warikoo Wanderings

My morning routine

Published about 3 years ago • 5 min read

warikoo Wanderings

Welcome to another edition of Wanderings, my weekly newsletter that goes out to 32,000 people every Friday.
This week I share my morning routine with you and why it works for me, the book I am reading this week, some quotes, 20 uncomfortable truths about life, responses to last week's question and ask you all a new question.

So let's get started :)

PS: Last month 1,078 people shared this newsletter via WhatsApp with their contacts. If you liked this edition, you can share it on WhatsApp too. Your contacts do not need to sign up for the newsletter, to view it.

How I plan my mornings


For the longest time in life, I was not an early riser.
Used to wake up 8/9 am, at times even 10 am if there was no urgency to get up!

Which also meant, I slept late. 11/1130, at times past midnight.

And then I started working, so had to get up at the same time everyday.
So I started to optimize for my morning sleep. If only I could squeeze in 10/15 more mins of sleep, I would feel like I'd won the Nobel Prize!
If I had to leave for work at 9 am, then
Alarm would be set for 8 am
I would snooze it until 8:23 am
Laze in the bed until 8:37 am
Wake up and head to the toilet at 8:43 am
Hurriedly get ready, and grab breakfast by 8:57 am
Out of home by 9:07 am

What a mess of a start!

Things changed, in 2012. I underwent a hip surgery and once I had recovered, I decided to run a half marathon.
I used to weigh 88 kg back then.
And had never exercised in my life.

I did run the half marathon.
I finished it as well.
But what it gave me, was this habit, of getting up early and starting my day with a routine.

Today, that eight year old habit has compounded and my mornings are the best part thing about my day.

430-5 am: Wake up (Don't fall off the chair! You can get there too. Takes time, but you can!)
By 5 am: Have a glass of water. I sip it like wine. Slowly. Enjoying it. Not looking at my phone or anything else.
5-530 am: Meditation (I used the Calm app for meditation)
530-6 am: Book reading
6-630 am: Singing practice (I am learning Hindustani Classical Vocals)
630-7 am: Phone (check my WhatsApp and emails - NO SOCIAL MEDIA)
7-730 am: Toilet (the thing doesn't take more than 10 mins. So I just enjoy the rest of the time!)
730-830 am: Tennis or Gym
830-9 am: Newspaper
9-930 am: Shower and get ready
930-10 am: Breakfast

What you will notice is that before I start working at 10 am I have had almost 5 hours of time for myself, doing things that I want to do, that I find joy in, that set me up for the rest of the day.

5 hours!
10 years back, I used to get 15 mins before I started working.
Today I get 5 hours!

And that makes all the difference.

Because if you start your day right, very little can happen through the day that will shake you up.
The right foundation has been built.
You have centered yourself.

After having seen both sides of a morning (a rushed up and one that is laid out well), I cannot over emphasize the importance of a morning routine.

It doesn't need to be as rigorous as mine.

But it needs to be around things that uplift your energy. Things that bring calm and peace to your thinking. That allow you to think, not force you to think.

Build one, if you don't have one!

This video might help you in building one.

Book I am reading this week


I have started reading an incredible book - The Selfish Gene

It is a book on biology, evolution and how we as humans came to be. It is frankly quite troubling at times and I would say that if you are not open minded, then this book can be hard to digest. I am still reading it, so will reserve my summary for later. For now, if you are interested in evolution - PLEASE PICK THIS UP!

I am also re-reading 12 Rules For Life - which remains one of my favorite books of all times. It is incredible how the best books out there always have something new to discover even after reading them so many times!
My most favorite rule listed in the book
Compare yourself with who you were yesterday. Not with who someone is today.

20 Uncomfortable truths about life


I published this Twitter thread - and it was very well received.
You can check out the 20 Uncomfortable Truths about life - on Twitter, or as a PDF.

Sample of a truth
We spend so much time thinking what they are thinking about us.
But they are not thinking about us.
They are just thinking what you are thinking about them.

Quotes for this week


The best way to fund your startup is through the customer’s money. Also the hardest!
(Share on Twitter)

Just because you are unhappy in your job, don't be stupid and quit. But don't be stupid and stay! Work nights and weekends to find another.
Make that your job!
(Share on Twitter)

One of the worst parenting acts that I see in India is scolding and hitting the ground when the child falls.
Think of the message the child receives!
(Share on Twitter)

If you didn't say it earlier, don't say it during your exit interview.
(Share on Twitter)

The biggest roadblock to learning, is ego!
(Share on Twitter)

Responses from last week's poll


Last week, I asked all of you

Which of these will you choose and why?

  1. A phone which has an awesome camera but can store only 100 photos at one time (no cloud uploading is there)
  2. A phone which has an average camera but can store unlimited photos

Very very close fight!
Finally, awesome camera won, marginally. I think 55% or so voted for it.
The reasons were largely around

I want to make sure I have the right memories saved. I want my memories to be perfect. I can always choose which photo to keep and delete the rest.
And of course, there were some techies who were like - Oh I will upload on google cloud.
Yes, Sherlock, you can. But that was NOT THE POINT :)

I would personally keep an average camera. Because I do not want to ever question, which memory to preserve. It is like old photos - you know the physical ones - mummy papa ke shaadi waali!

They are old and worn out, but they still bring a smile to our face. Because they take us back to a time gone by!

A lot of people took this poll to be that of quantity vs quality.
But to me, this was a question around "Abundance of memory" or "Quality of memory"

I go for abundance :)

This week's question


What do you think is THE MOST important purchase of one's life

  1. The first car
  2. The first house
  3. The first phone
  4. The first international vacation

To participate in the poll, simply reply to this email with your choice and reason why you selected.
I read all my emails.
ALL my emails.
Meethi lassi ki kasam

PS: Last month 1,078 people shared this newsletter via WhatsApp with their contacts. If you liked this edition, you can share it on WhatsApp too. Your contacts do not need to sign up for the newsletter, to view it.

warikoo Wanderings

by Ankur Warikoo

Entrepreneur, Author, Content Creator with 9M+ followers across platforms. I share this newsletter every Friday around personal growth, books, quotes, pictures - it is the most personal version of me online.

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