Many writers aim to get their work done in the morning. I’ve heard people claim that during the early hours of the day their minds are the closest they will be to the dream state and therefore more in touch with imagination. A more straightforward reason is that you’re still fresh and if you meet your artistic goal right away it won’t hang over your head for the rest of the day.

Whatever your reason for wanting to get all your writing done first thing, here is my personal morning routine. It’s been working for me for well over a year. Obviously it won’t fit exactly into everyone’s lives (I don’t have kids), but I think there are some aspects to this schedule a lot of people could use to reach their full potential in the morning.

1. I wake up before dawn: Usually without an alarm clock, because I’m apparently already an old man. I know this is something a lot of people struggle with, obviously you want to be well-rested, but the more time you have in the morning the less rushed you feel.
2. Actually, I wake up twice: Sort of like how baby Kangaroos are born twice — once out their mothers and the second time from their pouches — I wake up twice. After I drag my corpse down the stairs I watch the first 10 minutes of The Daily Show or The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, something light and funny (my brain isn’t ready for anything violent at this point). This gives me something to look forward to, a reward for getting out of bed. But the thing is, I force myself to start moving by the first commercial break.
3. I feed the cats: This gets me moving about a little (also because they’re hungry and I love them). While they eat I go over my to do list for the day.
4. I get dressed: I hardly ever write in my PJ’s (although I just realized I am doing exactly that right now). I put on jeans and a fresh shirt, giving my brain and body the understanding that relaxation time is over.
5. I go for a very short walk: This gets the blood flowing. Obviously it can be really cold in the mornings but that’s a good thing. There’s nothing like the shock of sub zero weather to wake you up. Someday I hope to live in New Zealand or Alaska, somewhere with real mountains I can hike, but I currently live in Baltimore, so I just go for a walk around my block.
6. I meditate: Toward the end of the walk I focus on my breathing. I don’t think about what I am going to write. I just concentrate on the air flowing in my nose and out of my my mouth. Obviously, I am still aware of my surroundings so I don’t get hit by a car, but that’s the point. I focus on this very moment, clearing my mind.
7. I sit down to write: After my walk I immediately sit at my computer. All my files are already open and I usually have a very short outline of what I want to write. These days I aim to write a chapter a day. By this point in the morning I usually have a little over an hour before I have to get ready to go to work. This time limit pushes me forward. I know if I don’t meet my goal I’ll have to continue during my lunch break or after work (when I try to work on other projects).
8. I prepare for the next day: When I am done with today’s chapter I usually have time to take 5 minutes and write a brief outline of the next day’s chapter, including the opening paragraph. I don’t want to spend too much time on this, because I don’t want to over outline, I just want a road map (much of which I toss out the window the next day).

Obviously this isn’t a routine I stick to every day. It can be time consuming if you have a tight schedule. Ironically, I had to break away from this schedule to write this post. However the big takeaways I’d suggest are 1) Give yourself an immediate reward just for getting out of bed early (like 10 minutes of television). 2) Write in clothes that are comfortable but not clothes you typically relax in, like pajamas. 3) If at all possible get just a little bit of exercise. 4) Meditate just for 5 minutes or three minutes or thirty seconds, to clear your mind.

Writing in the morning isn’t for everyone. However, there is no better way to face the 9 to 5 life than by starting the day knowing you have met — and often exceeded — your artistic goal for the day.