It’s a common saying that some of the most successful entrepreneurs are early risers. And when you’re running a business, it may seem like there are never enough hours to get work done. In this series, First Hour, we explore the morning side of creators and how they set themselves up for a productive day.
For Christian Benjamin, early mornings used to be the bane of his existence. Now the founder and CEO of 12.26 Studios has no qualms about jumping out of bed as the sun creeps over the horizon. Working on something he loved and truly believed in was just the jolt Benjamin needed to change his internal clock.
Today Benjamin encourages others to pursue their passions with 12.26 Studios, which helps companies and individuals develop an enticing brand and tell their own story.
This WeWork Wonder Bread member shares how getting in the right mindset in the morning can lead to a more constructive workday.
WeWork: Are you a morning person?
Benjamin: No, I actually have been a night owl for as long as I can remember, even to the point that my first few jobs were always night shifts. I’ve worked as an overnight grocery stocker and as an overnight security guard.
WeWork: What time do you usually get up?
Benjamin: I am pretty good at waking up around 5:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., or 7 a.m. on a rough morning.
WeWork: What gets you up everyday?
Benjamin: My passion for what I do. I know this sounds extremely cliché, but being a night person, it used to be pretty impossible to wake up early for anything, ever. But since starting my company, I don’t have a problem working late and waking up early to start again.
WeWork: What are your first thoughts when you get up?
Benjamin: Really, my business has a habit of jolting me up for the most part. I think about what needs to be done for the day, and what I hope doesn’t happen. I also try to focus on something other than work, usually prayer and meditation in the morning, to start a routine of separating work and home life.
WeWork: Tell us about your morning routine.
Benjamin: I think I have two routines. The good and the bad, and they are in competition with each other. The good routine is a 5 a.m. start when I go to the gym, grab breakfast, then get to the office by 7 a.m. to answer emails and mess around before I really dig into my work.
The bad routine involves jumping up around 6 or 7 a.m., skipping the gym, and heading into the office with the self-promise that I would work out and eat a little later. That usually ends with me popping my head out of the office at 1 p.m. wondering how time flew by.
WeWork: What do you eat for breakfast?
Benjamin: Unfortunately, I usually skip breakfast.
WeWork: What do you do during your morning commute?
Benjamin: I am a D.C. Metro rider, so I am 100 percent of the time listening to Spotify and either surfing the web or reading an e-book.
WeWork: What’s your secret to not stressing out in the morning?
Benjamin: My best mornings come when I make the conscious effort to start my day with a prayer and some light reading before I get into the office. It’s so easy today to open my phone and laptop and dive right into work, since I have the tendency to work head down for hours on end.
WeWork: What does your ideal day look like?
Benjamin: As much as I love my job, I think that a common theme throughout this interview revolves around taking time to myself to actually relax, think, and decompress outside of work, which puts my mind in a state to actually perform better when the time comes.
Photo credit: Alex Seeman