It's hard to believe I'm approaching eight years in the workforce upon graduating college in 2011. In today's society and culture, life was a hell of a lot different in 2011-2012 than it is today, and this includes the job market. From arriving to work every morning at 7:30am in a full suit ready to clean cars at one of the country's leading rental car agencies (figure that one out) and leaving not a second before 6:00pm Monday through Friday (and sometimes Saturday), I've found having a routine to follow each day both structurally and emotionally important. While many 22 year old new grads may not come to grips with this until years later (I sure didn't) I look back on the last eight years and am incredibly thankful that I figured this thing out and developed into a morning person. 4:47am.
Fast forward to today, I'm sitting by the pool at a resort in Scottsdale, AZ on a business trip visiting one of the biggest clients I've ever worked with (both size and financial) with my boss and fellow colleague. It's 8:36am (start rolling your eyes now) and so far today I've run 8.2 miles and walked another 60 minutes as a cool down. Yes I'm one of those sickos who wakes up biblically early to workout and then workout again. However, there is simply more to my madness.
I don't travel for work very often, and I'm very appreciative whenever presented the opportunity and hope to continue doing so. Speaking with my boss yesterday afternoon, we dove into discussion about what we do outside of work and why we are both so fond of exercising and getting dialed in during the morning hours. It's admirable for people to be able to find motivation and energy to wake up between 6-7am to get their workout done for the day. That being said, over the last five years I never think of waking up to workout as "getting it over with so I don't need to worry about it after work" like the majority of people who wake up to exercise. But seriously, credit to you for doing it because it's not easy. I do however need to give myself credit on a daily basis because I realize I'm one of the rare breeds who wakes up at truly psychotic hours because it's all about routine.
4:47am
Rewind to earlier this week, I'm currently on the plane headed for Scottsdale from Denver for the work trip and it hits me I need to set my alarm, as I do each day. While it may take less than a second to flip the switch on my phone to schedule the soothing and humble Jack Johnson to remind him he needs to wake up at 4:47am in order to wake me up in the morning, this simple act triggers my thoughts and plan for the next day. The biggest point I want to hammer home in this post, is that I follow this routine every single day, whether it's a Monday on a regular week, a Saturday night or a Wednesday during a work trip. Of course, if I'm on vacation at a location I pay a substantial part of my paycheck for, perhaps I decide to sleep in and only remind Jack to wake me up at, say...5:15am?
Establishing a routine is critical, and I'm dead serious about this. Thinking back to when I was an actual college student, it took a few years for me to figure it out. However, during my senior year, I noticed I began to adapt somewhat of an early riser routine when I was in the gym at 8-9am on a Saturday (you can imagine this was an entire ghost town, aside from the hungover desk attendant to which I was one myself and had plenty of those types of mornings). Starting in say 2015 began the consistent wake-up calls ranging from (yikes) as early as 3:50am. I will say, I did not wake up this early to regularly workout. Chances are I had a 4+ hour bike ride planned that day, a ski trip, you get it. I visited Seattle to attend a wedding just last year of a lifelong friend, and even then in one of the coolest areas I'd visited in the US, I was still setting an alarm to find the nearest Planet Fitness simply to stay grounded and on routine (sorry Alli). Another wedding of a lifelong friend three years ago in New Jersey, another alarm set. Granted, this was the first and only time I ever started a workout and puked not because of the workout, but because of the night before. A little aggressive on that one.
The takeaway is this: whether it's a normal day of the week, a weekend, a vacation, wedding, business trip or whatever, the value and benefit of having and following an established routine has changed my life. Like many 22 year olds, it began when I was a tad on the heavier side (all muscle, just too much of it) and wanted to embark on my goal of really looking like Paul Walker. It's carried me over five years and has taught me to stay true to myself, enjoy each morning and simply attempt to slow life down and recognize what's around you. How nice is it to be running on an empty beach, park or street knowing you're ahead of everyone else. How nice is it to get that first tee time? That first chairlift? This is why I do it, and this is why I thank Jack Johnson for waking up with me each and every morning, much to his chagrin I'm sure. Aloha.
4:54am: I realize I hit snooze and now I'm pissed.
Brian is a native of southern Maine and is approaching eight years of professional marketing experience. Current and previous work experience ranges from managing digital advertising campaigns for residential real estate properties, e-commerce merchants and B2B service providers. His current title is Senior Account Manager and is based in Denver, Colorado. In his spare time he will almost always be on either a golf course, beach (either physically or spiritually) along the coast or attempting a black diamond on a mountain in Colorado. His blogging interests include professional golf, tech advances and business news.
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