Mike Moloney
Mike Moloney is an entrepreneur, designer, and the founder of FilterGrade; offering high quality Photoshop actions and filters. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Mike now lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts.
What is your morning routine?
I typically wake up between 9-10:00am and will grab a quick glass of water and a small snack before heading to the gym for a short thirty-minute circuit workout.
After that I will come home, shower, and head to the computer for work.
How long have you stuck with this routine so far?
This has been my routine for almost three months now, it being something new I tried in the summer.
I find the earlier I wake up, the more I can achieve and the less stressed I feel. I’ve recently been testing getting up really early, around 4-5:00am, and am actually pleased with the results, so I may change it up a bit. That said, going to bed early enough for this to be effective is quite the challenge.
What time do you go to sleep?
Between 10:00pm and midnight if I can. Sometimes, when I am really into a project or conversation, I’ll stay up way too late.
Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?
I normally set an alarm on my iPhone, but I’m pretty good about waking up as soon as the alarm sounds.
How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?
I usually have a boost of protein in the morning with a peanut butter bagel and a nice, cold glass of water; the perfect combo to start my day.
How about morning meditation?
As far as meditation, I like to think and review my daily, monthly, and yearly goals. I’m not sure if this is considered a full meditation, but it helps to keep me focused and accountable for what I want to achieve.
Do you see to email first thing in the morning or leave it until later in the day?
I have a terrible routine of checking email, social media, and my site immediately every time I sign on my computer. It is a bad habit, and I blame it on my obsession with stats and analytics. This is one habit I’d like to work on so that I can focus more on work and less on stats and vanity metrics.
How soon do you check your phone in the morning?
I will occasionally read a few articles on my phone in the mornings or evenings. Most of my communication at this point is by email so I really try to stay away from my phone if I don’t need to use it.
Sometimes I splurge and spend hours on Netflix, but don’t hold that against me.
What are your most important tasks in the morning?
The earlier I wake up, the more I can get done usually. I tend to focus on writing for the blog, planning future products and marketing strategies, and reviewing some of my goals/to-dos in the morning. Then I execute on the more pertinent tasks immediately after this when I am most productive, and well informed.
On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment?
Not exactly, but I try to keep it as consistent as possible. Working on a laptop is something I actually don’t enjoy as much as most. I prefer a large screen, a keyboard, a (magic) mouse, and a nice desk to work from. I make do though :)
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