{"id":143,"date":"2021-08-25T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/how-i-spend-mornings-if-i-want-to-have-a-really-really-good-day\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T16:58:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T16:58:06","slug":"how-i-spend-mornings-if-i-want-to-have-a-really-really-good-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/how-i-spend-mornings-if-i-want-to-have-a-really-really-good-day\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Spend Mornings if I Want to Have a Really, Really Good Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oh, great, another white woman without children posting about her morning routine \u2013 exactly what the world needs, right?<\/p>\n

But realistically, I figured it may be useful to hear what works (and doesn\u2019t) for me when I know I\u2019ve got a full-ass schedule and need to be \u201con.\u201d <\/p>\n

To be fair, sometimes I\u2019m tempted to just go straight to the desk and start cranking \u2013 that usually sinks me into a wormhole that results in me being unshowered and unfed by the time my first meeting starts, so I wouldn\u2019t recommend it. <\/p>\n

You may be pleasantly surprised to hear there\u2019s nothing too<\/em> crazy on this list, but I\u2019ll try to set the stage so you understand what I\u2019m working with here.<\/p>\n

Responsibilities<\/h2>\n

I work full-time (remotely) and do a fair bit of freelance projects as well. I don\u2019t have any kids, and I live in the MST timezone, while my work is in CST \u2013 which means I technically work 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (instead of 9 to 5). <\/p>\n

Usually, about 4-5 hours of my day are spent in meetings, and the other 3-4 are devoted to actually working, eating, and taking the dog on walks.<\/p>\n

I recently hired a cleaning lady (two of them) for $95 every two weeks to come and deep clean the house for me so I can take that off my plate, and it\u2019s the best money I\u2019ve ever spent. <\/p>\n

That should give you some background, though \u2013 I\u2019m not rushing off to an office in the city in sky-high heels and a pencil skirt. I usually work in a T-shirt and shorts and I can take calls from my office at home. <\/p>\n

The reasoning<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve found that half the battle of being an overcommitted person who wants to do a lot of stuff is psychological. <\/p>\n

If I\u2019m distracted by the fact that I\u2019m tired, hungry, lethargic, or greasy, it\u2019s a lot harder for me to focus throughout the day \u2013 so I may be tempted to sleep until 8 and call into my first meeting from my bed, but then I know I\u2019ll be playing catch-up all day. The second I see one coworker with clean hair and makeup on, I immediately feel like a failure who can\u2019t properly shampoo herself. <\/p>\n

While it might feel counterintuitive to spend time on seemingly superficial stuff in the morning instead of just GRINDING through tasks, I\u2019ve found that it enables me to actually make the most of the day.<\/p>\n

(Though sometimes I absolutely wake up with an idea for a blog and ignore everything below for the sake of getting it down on digital paper. I am who I am.)<\/p>\n

That said, let\u2019s begin.<\/p>\n

The routine<\/h2>\n

Waking up<\/h3>\n

I wake up at 6:30 a.m., which is actually quite a bit later than I used to \u2013 no \u20184 a.m. morning routine\u2019 here. When I taught fitness, I\u2019d have to get up at 4:45\/5 a.m. to teach early classes, so I\u2019m really<\/em> enjoying sleeping until 6:30 a.m. My first meeting usually starts at 8:30, so having a full two hours to do my thing before work starts is chef\u2019s kiss.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then I literally roll over and post whatever blog post I\u2019m going to share that day on Money with Katie. <\/p>\n

Yep, the first thing I do is look at my phone. Oops.<\/p>\n

But by 6:30 a.m. MST, it\u2019s already 8:30 a.m. EST \u2013 and I try to get my content published before everyone\u2019s work day starts when they\u2019re sitting around scrolling. I do it for the fans.<\/p>\n

Making the bed, eating, and drinking<\/h3>\n

After that, I attempt to resist the Instagram wormhole. I make my bed every day. As clich\u00e9 as it sounds, I\u2019m a huge believer in momentum<\/strong> \u2013 if I\u2019m trying to have a kick-ass day, I need to start pocketing small wins from the first few moments. Making my bed is easy, takes 45 seconds, and gives me the first W. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m really bad about drinking water in the morning because I can usually only think about getting that first glorious hit of caffeine, so I\u2019ll pull out my Four Sigmatic THINK Lion\u2019s Mane Coffee<\/a>. I do three scoops (instead of four) and 12 ounces of boiling water (I have an electric kettle and a french press) and I get that set up. <\/p>\n

(P.S. \u2013 if you want to try it, that link will get you 10% off. I do the subscription for added savings since I know I\u2019ll be using a full bag per month.)<\/em><\/p>\n

I swear by this shit.<\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s expensive ($16 per bag), but it\u2019s slightly less per serving than my Nespresso double espresso pods and it doesn\u2019t make me want to cry and nap at 2 p.m. Worth it. <\/p>\n

While it\u2019s steeping, I take Georgia (my precious guard dog) on a walk around the block. I try my best to leave the phone at home \u2013 and then I talk to myself like a lunatic for the duration of the 15-minute walk about what I want to accomplish.<\/p>\n

Since I\u2019m a neurotic person, there\u2019s something very soothing about going outside and seeing other humans mulling about their homes early in the morning. It smells good outside, it\u2019s cool, and you\u2019re kinda reminded, \u201cHey, the little world inside your head? It\u2019s not real, and you can take 15 minutes to enjoy the weather before plunging yourself into Zoom hell.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

When I get home, I promptly chug the mushroom crack.<\/p>\n

Exercise<\/h3>\n

I don\u2019t exercise every day \u2013 I used to (and I loved it) but I got out of the routine during the pandemic and haven\u2019t taken such a hardcore approach with my #fitness since then. <\/p>\n

I have the Soul at Home bike (by SoulCycle), which is a $2,500 Bentley of a stationary bike.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to get a stationary bike, this is the one I\u2019d recommend. It\u2019s the same price as a Peloton but the bike itself is (objectively) better quality. It\u2019s a Stages bike (which means it\u2019s the same kind you\u2019d ride in a real studio), and those alone<\/em> without a screen can run $2,500+. I know it sounds ridiculous to claim it\u2019s a good deal, but if you\u2019re into spin, it is. If you\u2019re not<\/em> into cycling, I probably wouldn\u2019t buy this assuming it\u2019s going to make you a cyclist. It\u2019s an investment.<\/p>\n

(I do miss going to group fitness classes, though. Those were fun, but there aren\u2019t any studios near me that I\u2019m excited about, so\u2026 stationary bike at home it is.)<\/p>\n

I usually take too long walking the dog and do<\/em> get sucked into a bit of an Instagram wormhole depending on how fiery my DMs are, so I\u2019m typically<\/em> running short on time. This was never an issue when I woke up at 5 a.m., but\u2026 I like sleep. <\/p>\n

That said, I\u2019ll do a 20-minute or 30-minute ride depending on how much time I have (another thing I love about the at-home bike \u2013 you can pick the class duration and start it when you want).<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s really<\/em> beautiful outside, I\u2019ll do an outdoor bike ride around the lake, but I know that\u2019s a lot less \u201cexercise-y\u201d than the stationary bike based on the difference in sweat and heavy breathing.<\/p>\n

If you already have the bike and you\u2019re knee-deep in this post, my favorite instructors are Karyn and Claire J. \u2013 they make me feel like I, too, can have six-pack abs and change the world if I just pedal fast enough. <\/p>\n

Getting cleaned up<\/h3>\n

From there, I take a cold shower. If I\u2019m feeling #soft, I\u2019ll start warm and then transition to cold for the last 30 seconds or so. <\/p>\n

To amplify the \u201cwake the f*** up, Katie\u201d effect, I turn on the shower and then put tea tree or eucalyptus oil in the bottom \u2013 just sprinkle in a few drops in all corners of the shower. <\/p>\n

It makes the entire thing smell like a spa.<\/p>\n

I take big, ridiculous deep breaths and cold-shower myself until I\u2019m dying to get out (double win here: it forces you not to dawdle because you\u2019re freezing). Luckily, I shower after my husband has left for the day, because there\u2019s usually shouting and hollering involved. Sometimes shouting (the woo-woo crew calls it \u201cvocal release therapy\u201d) just feels good in the morning.<\/p>\n

At this point, I\u2019m usually running late for something, so I don\u2019t always make myself look presentable. <\/p>\n

If I have a lot of calls or need to feel super polished\u2026<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m really not a fan of makeup (mostly because I hate taking it off), so when Glossier launched a few years ago, I loaded up. I use:<\/p>\n