Michelle Grisdale: I’m a small buisness owner, this is how I kickstart my day

Do you action/plan/do anything specific to prepare for the morning the night before?

Yes, at the end of the work day I review my calendar for the next day and week ahead. I pack whatever I need if I am leaving my home office so I can keep everything out of my head.

What time do you wake up? And how do you do it? 

I set an alarm for the early starts as I prefer to arrive everywhere early and relax prior to whatever I have on for that day. On other days where I am working at home I set an alarm for 7 am but nearly always wake prior to my alarm.

What is the VERY first thing you do after you wake up? If you eat, what do you eat?

First in the morning, I have a cuddle with my two Kelpies. They are not allowed on the bed at any other time so it is special for them. They allow me to start the day with a smile and keep things in perspective.

What is your first drink of the day? Where are you when you’re drinking it?

My first drink of the day is water. I drink a lot of water and find I feel better if I have water before coffee or tea in the morning.

What part of your morning routine makes you feel the best?

Definitely my dogs. No matter how I slept or didn’t sleep they make me smile.

What part of the routine could you really live without?

Again my time with the dogs. I have spent my life hitting the ground running. I raise 4 kids and have always been a morning person. During my corporate life, I never had breakfast or even a cup of tea at home before racing out of the house. Working at home and having the dogs have changed that for both my husband and myself.

Describe your ideal morning

On a work morning my ideal would be:

• Waking up without an alarm.
• Cuddling the pups for a few minutes then feeding them.
• Turning on the coffee machine or kettle before heading to the toilet.
• Get dressed for the day and ugg boots on.
• Put the house back into order (lounge pillows and throws back in place, dishes from the night before putting away, kitchen tidy, general check of house to be sure in order),
• Make breakfast and a cuppa
• Heading into my office to start the day.

On a day off:

• Wakeup next to my hubby without an alarm
• Cuddling the pups for a few minutes then feeding them.
• Get dressed and taking the pups to the beach
• Have a nice leisurely breakfast with my hubby.