The morning is my time. Five days a week, I’m up at 5:30. I come downstairs, sip a diet soda or a cup of tea (lapsang souchong), and spend a few minutes checking e-mail and approving comments. By 5:45, I’m in my gym clothes and out the door.<\/p>\n
I walk through the quiet streets of my neighborhood, greeting the birds and the cats and the dogs. I admire the flowers. I notice all the small changes in the yards. If it’s cold, I jog until I’m warm. I walk down past the retirement village to the railroad tracks and then make the five-minute crossing of the river. On the other side, I walk along the tracks through the tall, stately trees until I reach the highway, which I follow into town.<\/p>\n
After 2-1\/2 miles and 45 minutes, I reach my Crossfit gym. I spend the next hour working out with the men and women of the 6:30 class. We run and jump and climb and stretch and lift heavy objects into the air. We sweat together and we joke together. We share our lives. After an hour of exercise, I walk home again, basking in the sun, soaking in the warmth.<\/p>\n
I spend the next 45 minutes showering and shaving and eating breakfast. I down half a pound of organic chicken sausage, half a cup of egg whites, a piece of whole grain toast with local raw honey, and usually another diet soda. (I don’t like coffee, so diet soda is my caffeine vice.) My goal is to be out the door again by nine o’clock, walking up to the office where I’ll spend the rest of the day writing and talking about money. I know I have nine hours of work ahead of me, but that’s okay. I’m able to make it through the day feeling happy and strong because I know that in the first 3-1\/2 hours I’ve been awake, I’ve walked five miles, spent an hour at Crossfit, and consumed a (relatively) healthy breakfast.<\/p>\n
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Twice a week, I sleep in. And once every couple of months, I take a week off. During the winter, I drive to the gym instead of walk or bike. But five days a week, I make the mornings mine.<\/p>\n
Obvious parallels<\/b><\/i> <\/p>\n
\nI try not to belabor the obvious parallels between fitness and finance. Most folks understand the connection. But today I want to point out some ways in which my fitness regimen is directly related to my financial regimen. Here are a few ways to put first things first with your personal finances, helping you to pursue your financial goals:<\/p>\n\n
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