Gavin Weeks
Gavin Weeks is an entrepreneur, UX/UI designer, and front-end developer currently living between Bath, UK, and Los Angeles, California.
What is your morning routine?
I have a different routine depending on whether I’m in Bath or Los Angeles.
However, when I’m in the UK my routine is basically doubled, performing my UK routine and then the latter half of my LA routine, due to the time difference between the two locations and the teams involved.
When I’m in Bath
I usually wake up around 10:00am and go through the emails and tweets on my phone before putting the kettle on. I then take a shower, do my teeth, and pick my outfit of the day; usually some jeans, a shirt and jumper, and a nice comfy pair of trainers.
I then make a cup of tea and have some cereal or a couple pieces of toast.
Soon afterwards I leave the house and make my way into the city either by bus (15 minutes), cycling (15 minutes), or walking (45 minutes), depending on the weather and/or my mood.
Once I’m in the city it’s a short five minute walk to the office in the beautiful Guildhall. I’ll usually pop to Society Cafe across the road from my office to grab myself a large mocha before getting in.
Once at the office I tend to get set up before going back through the emails I flagged earlier to get them replied to. Then I’ll check Skype to make sure all the team that are currently online are okay, and to answer any questions they may have. I’ll then crack on with whatever the plan for the day is.
At around 4:00pm I proceed with step two of my day when I’m in LA (the part at Jinky’s — see below) and my ‘morning’ routine starts for a second time.
When I’m in Los Angeles
I wake up around 7:00am and get straight into the shower, do my teeth, and proceed to get a message from Mark (CEO of Xfire) to see if I want to grab breakfast (I’ve no idea why he asks as we do it most days).
Sometimes I go for a quick run on the beach, but only if I have the time. I then pick out my outfit for the day; usually a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and some comfy trainers.
I leave the apartment around 8:00am to walk to 4th and Wilshire to meet up with Mark and walk over to Jinky’s for breakfast, which is only a couple blocks away.
Over breakfast we discuss the plan for the day, any meetings we might have, and priorities for development. After eating a hearty meal and drinking lots of coffee we make our way back to the office. Sometimes I’ll pick up a cup of (English) tea from a place on the promenade so I can enjoy a little slice of home when I get back to the office.
Once there we catch up with the rest of the team, who are usually in by then. We’ll normally have a quick game of Mortal Kombat 2 on the arcade machine before cracking on with the day.
At Weekends
My weekend routine is pretty much the same in both locations, but not consistent. Sometimes I’ll spend the entire weekend at home gaming and doing a few bits of work, other times I’ll go out with the lads during the day to watch a few games on television (English Premier League).
If I’m lucky enough to have my fiancée at home on either day (she runs a restaurant) we’ll usually visit family or generally try and get out for the day.
How long have you stuck with this routine so far?
Since March 2013.
How has your morning routine changed over recent years?
Mostly the time I get up when I’m in the UK and the fact I now have an office to go to when I’m in Bath. Before then I would work a lot from home.
What time do you go to sleep?
Around 2:00am.
Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?
Nope, I just get up naturally.
How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?
Within a couple hours. When I’m in the UK I tend to just have a smoothie or some cereal. When I’m in Los Angeles I opt for a 2+2+2 (eggs, bacon, pancakes) or some cinnamon toast with fruit.
Both are always followed with a large cup of coffee!
Do you have a morning workout routine?
Not really. Other than cycling to the office on nice days I don’t tend to exercise in the morning.
When I do go to the gym (two or three times a week) it’s at around 5:00pm to break up my day.
Do you answer email first thing in the morning or leave it until later in the day?
I tend to go through my inbox and Twitter before I even get out of bed, flagging emails to reply to once I get to the office.
How soon do you check your phone in the morning?
Instantly!
What are your most important tasks in the morning?
Getting down to inbox zero. And coffee, lots of coffee!
What and when is your first drink in the morning?
Within an hour and a half of getting up I’ll have a coffee or cup of tea.
On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment?
Yes. No matter where I am I can follow the same routine within reason, the only thing that differs is where I get my breakfast from.
What do you do if you fail to follow your morning routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?
It doesn’t really affect me to be honest.
Sometimes I miss breakfast (I know!) and sometimes I go in a little later or earlier. I don’t think my routine (at least when I’m in the UK) is the most ideal, so it’s already a little disruptive from the average nine-to-five.
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