Wendy Anderton
Wendy Anderton is a political consultant, operations director, award winning graphic designer, and rescuer of guinea pigs from Scottsdale, Arizona.
What is your morning routine?
I keep a consistent routine going as much as possible. I’m a creature of habit, and it sets the tone of my day for control and consistency.
My first alarm goes off at 4:30am, when I check my phone for email or anything interesting on Facebook. It’s the snooze from there until the second alarm at 5:30am, unless I have something urgent to handle. At this point I wake up, start the coffee, greet the pets (I have seven guinea pigs, two birds, and a cat), give the guinea pigs their fresh food, and hop in the shower.
Once I’m out I brush my teeth and comb out my hair, before proceeding to make the bed and get dressed. If anything is going to go awry, this is where it happens! On occasion, I find myself with ‘nothing to wear’ and a closet full of clothes.
After getting dressed I pour a cup of coffee and do my makeup and hair. Somewhere in the routine is another one or two cups of coffee, and one to go. After that, I make a breakfast that I take to work, and pack a lunch. My final steps before going out the door are to feed and water all of the animals and give them all some attention, set the thermostat, pack my laptop, and open the blinds; then I’m out, watering the garden on the way out the door.
How long have you stuck with this routine so far?
Five years.
How has your morning routine changed over recent years?
I added a cat just a month ago. She’s always awake early, so I indulge her with attention while I’m in bed in the morning.
What time do you go to sleep?
10:00pm, give or take.
How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?
Either muesli or eggs and protein. I make it at home, eating it at work when I get there.
Do you have a morning workout routine?
I try, but usually just being vertical is enough of a workout.
How about morning meditation?
I do tend to talk myself into being a badass, but nothing formal.
Do you see to email first thing in the morning, or leave it until later in the day?
First thing, usually in bed. I keep my phone in the other room at night, but retrieve it at first alarm, 4:30am.
What are your most important tasks in the morning?
Pet care and making the bed. The pets don’t let me forget, and the bed doesn’t either. I can’t stand to leave the bed unmade.
What and when is your first drink in the morning?
Coffee, right after my shower, so about 5:45 am.
On days you’re not settled in your own home, are you able to adapt any of your routine to fit in with a different environment?
No. I’m a morning person, and that leaves me as the singular chipper one in most cases. When I’m alone, I tend to get up and stay up.
What do you do if you fail to follow your routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?
My routine is important. It’s mine.
As a political consultant, the rest of my day is often very unscheduled and reactionary. I guess you could say that my morning routine is the one thing I can count on to be consistent, and I thrive on that, so it’s kind of my meditation, even though I’m moving and accomplishing tasks I’ve set out for myself.
As a morning person, I enjoy coming home at night (often quite late after a 10-12 hour day) to a neat, clean space, with little to do.
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