I have loved being on break. I feel like it was the kind of winter break that I used to take in college, where I sat on the couch, bothered my mom in the kitchen and talked politics and the terrifying Trump clown show with my dad. I met up with a few great people, had a lot of quality sweatpants time, and ordered sides of ranch dressing with things that should not be dipped in ranch dressing. It was pretty great.

But now as that time comes to an end, I am looking forward to getting back to Phnom Penh and straight up hurling myself into the design abyss. I have a lot of work to do. I also know myself well enough to know that I need to do it well, or my plans for international fashion domination will not work out. So I am setting up a routine before I get back instead of trying to work one out with jet lag and zombie eyes.

I have been reading a bunch of stuff on how artists work, how successful people start their days, and how to manage anxiety. There is a lot out there to read, and everyone from Buzzfeed to Forbes has ideas for re-organizing your life and making you a better person all together. A lot of it is probably garbage, but some of these things resonated with me.

1. From Forbes list on 5 Ways Successful PeopleStart Their Days, they recommend starting your day by doing something for someone else, instead of focusing on your own problems. I like this for a few reasons, and I think starting the day with some perspective and empathy is never a bad idea.
2. In the book, Daily Rituals, John Grisham discusses how he wakes up in the morning and gets going. He makes sure he writes his first word at 5:30am and writes at least a page a day. The idea of starting work before my brain gets going is great. Without the clutter of the day swamping my thoughts with little worries or the distractions of life, just getting things down is the best way for me to ensure that I do work. He also uses legal pads, and I love legal pads. But always college ruled, and not wide ruled. We aren’t animals.
3. No list is complete without a bit from Buzzfeed. On this list, they talk about creating an adult homeroom. I haven’t actually heard this one before, and I really like it. I never used actual homeroom for anything good. Instead of planning out my day and getting my tasks and goals in order, I was high school-stressing about some dumb crush or making sure my overalls were perfectly adjusted.
4. Tim Cook, the CEO at Apple, wakes up every morning at 4:30 to get a jump on the day. I’m not sure this one is going to work for me. I do love a little bit of sneaky morning productivity, so I will lean in to the jet lag upon returning, but I can’t see 4:30am being my thing. Maybe 6am. Maybe I am not destined to be the next CEO of Apple.
5. The last item on this tiny list is stolen from my friend Amanda, of Salt & Sundry in Washington, DC. The last few mornings, we have started off the day with a Firebreather; a shot of super juice inspired by ABC Kitchen in New York. Its ginger, garlic, lemon and cayenne, and will knock you out of your damn chair. Recipe here.

I hope your first Friday back in the game is a great one. Real life starting for me in t-minus three days. I’m going to need a lot of Firebreathers.

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