What does routine mean to you?
I think of routine as a set of things that I enjoy and don’t enjoy doing but, in the end, help me to be the best version of myself.What time do you wake up?
Typically sometime between 7 and 8am.What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
Honestly, the first thing I do is go to the bathroom. Maybe this is TMI but, hey, this is a men’s wellness company so I guess I should be comfortable talking about this here. My father once said if you have good, regular bowel movements everything else in life will be OK. It sounds silly, but I’m now a believer of that in many ways. It requires a number of things to go right for this to be “executed” well.
After that, I go through my self-care routine, brush my teeth, wash my face, and apply SPF moisturizer. I have oily skin and definitely struggled with consistent acne throughout my life so I’m currently using an acne face wash from Jack Black and Asystem’s SPF Moisturizer, which I’m a big fan of.
What are the non-negotiable aspects of your morning routine?
Coffee is definitely a non-negotiable. That’s the first thing I do when I’m done with my bathroom routine. I make a pour-over and one for my wife as well. The team over at Port Products sent us some really great beans for the holidays that make a great pour-over.Do you listen to anything in the morning?
When possible, I’ll typically listen to Up First, the NPR podcast that’s basically a 15-minute snapshot of the most important news stories of the day. I’ll listen to it as I’m tidying up the apartment. I’m working from home a lot right now and I find that clutter to my life adds clutter to my brain. It’s very hard to be productive when there’s clutter around.When do you typically start your workday?
It fluctuates based on meetings but I’ll typically jump onto my computer at 9, tackle email, plan for the day, and then jump into my team huddle at 9:30am where we chat through any pressing issues for the day.How do you structure your workday?
This has changed a lot through COVID. I’ve started to write down a task/to-do list at the beginning of the day. I actually try to make it shorter rather than longer because it feels more achievable. Getting 3-4 things done every single day really adds up in the long run. At first, I was putting too many things on my list and would feel like a failure at the end of the day. I generally prioritize by importance, not by urgency. I could literally respond to emails 24/7 if I allowed myself to.
I try to schedule as many meetings as possible for the first half of the day so that I can spend 1pm onwards on meatier things that require more thought—uninterrupted segments allow me to get into a flow. It’s hard to get those things done when your day is chopped up by meetings.
Getting 3-4 things done every single day really adds up in the long run.
Evening Spotlight:
Recently, when possible, I’ve been trying to take “off” from around 4–6pm and use that time to workout or do something unrelated to Bottlecode. I use the Rise Science app to track my circadian rhythm and I have very clear energy dips in my day. Rather than trying to push through those low points in my day, I’ve found that it’s better to step away and come back to things later.
What time do you eat dinner?
I’ll usually eat around 7 or 8pm, spend time with my wife, maybe watch an episode of something, and then jump back into work for about an hour to finish things up for the day.What time do you get ready for bed?
I’ll usually do my night skincare routine around 9–9:30pm. Right now, I’m using a Retinol night cream from Verso. I love the way it feels and the scent, for whatever reason, reminds me of being back home in Indonesia and in many ways makes me think of my parents.
After that, I’ll jump into bed and read for about 30–45 minutes and that usually sends me right into sleep.
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