My twenty-minute morning routine

I used to start the day with email, in bed, before my eyes were fully open. By eight I was already reacting to other people’s plans.

Minutes 1 to 5: water and light

A large glass of water and the curtains open. In the Kuwaiti summer I step onto the balcony before the heat arrives.

Minutes 5 to 15: a short walk or a stretch

Once around the block, or ten minutes of stretching on the living-room floor. Nothing ambitious, just moving.

Minutes 15 to 20: three priorities

With my coffee I write down the three things that would make the day a good one, on paper. Only then do I open my inbox.