Why do I wake up at 5:30 every morning?… We’ve all seen those articles on LinkedIn: Richard Branson does it, Tim Cook does it and Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson certainly does it.

Now, I’m not knocking getting up early and undoubted there are benefits; extra time in the day to exercise, read and get focused on what needs to be done. As I get older I also like to get up earlier, it’s a good time of the day.

However, in reading an article on the topic (Italian homework – English translation), it struck me that my early morning routine was far from that of the stars of business and screen, often cited as examples. So here is my morning routine in all its glory:

• Wake up, the cat is hungry and is meowing
• Downstairs, scoop cat litter tray
• Feed cat
• Boil the kettle, trying to ignore the cat, who is now complaining for more food
• Make tea, leave bag in
• Read the news on phone, avoiding social media, although WhatsApp already active with 20 messages discussing who is or is not going to rugby this evening (I don’t play)
• Upstairs, wake family, a gentle “it’s time to get up”
• Downstairs again. Start on packed lunches, nothing complicated today sandwiches
• Encourage cat to go outside, refuses it’s raining
• Upstairs, “really time to get up”, briskly open curtains and windows
• Bathroom, clean teeth, get changed. No formal meetings or videos today, so signature lockdown polo shirt and feece top
• Back to family: “Are you getting up yet”?
• Downstairs, more tea
• Cat uses litter tray again. Suddenly I dont feel hungry now. Clear litter tray, open door, cat now back on sofa
• Shout upstairs…. “where are you, need to be downstairs now”
• Get breakfast things out
• Alarm goes off…. time for cat injection (diabetes)
• Inject cat, avoid claws at all cost
• Movement upstairs, shout “don’t use all the water, a quick shower please”
• Feed cat again
• “What is going on, you are going to be late!!”
• WhatApp now buzzing, school lift on their way
• “is everything ready”?
• “downstairs now”
• Reminders for sports kit, muscial instrument, lunch, mask and bag… (phone is never a problem)
• Successful departure for school – on time, just
• 20min on bike
• Shower… lukewarm
• Make more tea
• Start work, first meeting

Do you think ‘the Rock’ has cats?? I do seem to be missing the quiet focused contemplation, meditation and educational reading. I am just not sure how to fit it in, until there is no school run or I become an international movie star… Now there’s an idea 🙂

All of this of course is a lockdown enabled routine. Pre-lockdown it was simpler. Get up, go to airport/train station, commute to destination, start work.

On balance I know which I prefer!

Have a good weekend everyone.

Other key stories this week

• EU watchdog takes deep dive into banks’ use of tech
• Analysis: Britain’s subprime lenders buckle under weight of complaints
• Council Tax arrears soar at ‘worrying rate’ amid concerns over missed payment rule
• Office re-entry is proving trickier than last year’s abrupt exit
• One in ten single parent households saw debt rise during lockdown
• UK house prices rise at fastest rate since 2004 amid stamp duty rush
• UK Covid recovery at risk as furlough scheme phased out, say economists
• NatWest sells Irish lending division to AIB