The Activity

On November 6th, the Sleepy Bois gathered to discuss Aubrey Marcus’s book, Own the Day. Not all of us had read the book, but Tyson (who recommended the book to the club) provided some resources to help us familiarize ourselves with the book, such as Marcus’s free YouTube series that covers each chapter from the book. These resources are available in the study guide post for this activity.

Our discussion started with a brief synopsis of the book by Tyson, then we focused on our conversation on the first chapter of the book, “Hydrate, Get Lit, and Move it,” which focuses on morning routines. The chapter specifically covers three actions one should do immediately upon waking up: hydrate, get sunlight exposure, and move your body (though I admit Marcus worded it much better than me).

After our discussion, we gathered in Tyson’s kitchen to prepare and drink Marcus’s morning mineral cocktail, consisting of 12 oz water, 3 grams sea salt, ¼ lemon, and an optional splash of apple cider vinegar. Everyone at least tried the cocktail, some opting to freestyle a bit with orange juice or other additions (hey, maybe the morning mineral cocktail could make for a decent ACV switchel 🍹).

Own the Day

Own the Day is a book about taking control of your life–knowing the person you want to be and taking the small steps that will get you there.

When it comes to the perfect day and the activities that comprise it, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But Own the Day and the principles outlined in it are what work for Marcus. In each chapter of his book, he details the steps you need to successfully accomplish each activity, his and/or other philosophies behind the activity, and the science that justifies the activity as a crucial part of the perfect day.

Marcus says himself that there is no single way to have the perfect day, but the only way to start owning the day is to do one thing, right now that will make your day (and by extension, your life) a little more perfect. More than anything, Own the Day is meant to inspire readers to be the person they want to be, whether that means following every step of Marcus’s plan or truly owning their perfect day in their own way.

My TBH on Aubrey Marcus

To me, Aubrey Marcus seems like the stereotypical productivity guru–the kind of guy who makes a ton of money showing off his ripped bod and alternative lifestyle. And honestly, good for him.

But there is one thing that stands out to me about him, and that’s his Own the Day YouTube series.

I know that he probably makes some money from his YouTube channel and that it serves as a source of advertisement for his book. But I can’t ignore the fact that he hosts a free video for each chapter of his book on YouTube. Though the videos don’t cover each scientific detail from the book, Marcus walks through each step outlined in the book for the perfect day. This means that anyone can reap the benefits of Marcus’s work for free if they watch the YouTube series.

That speaks volumes to me. I think Aubrey Marcus really believes in his method for owning the day. His decision to cannibalize his own book by publishing free videos tells me that he values improving other people’s lives over making money from the sale of his book, and I think that says more about Aubrey Marcus than really anything we can derive from his book itself.

Group Discussion on Morning Routines

There were lots of great insights during our discussion, some about the topics in the chapter of Own the Day and others from Sleepy Bois’ personal morning routines.

From the Chapter

Hydrate

Many of the Sleepy Bois were already implementing hydration regimens in our morning routines before reading Own the Day, though very few of us had incorporated apple cider vinegar into that regimen. Now a handful of Sleepy Bois are shooting ACV on the daily, and all have expressed positive attitudes about the new practice.

I, for one, have been doing the morning mineral cocktail for a couple months now and feel that I can tell the difference on days that I do and don’t start the day with my acrid lemonade. Specifically, I notice my body is more hydrated on days that I drink the cocktail. I must admit that I cannot say for sure that it is the cocktail keeping me hydrated (it could be that the morning practice keeps hydration on my mind throughout the day), but even if the hydration comes as a tertiary effect of having started my day off with a ritual practice, the benefits of the practice are there.

You probably won’t enjoy the cocktail too much the first time, but I have come to genuinely enjoy the taste even if I won’t be ordering it with dinner any time soon (though Marcus suggests a similar cocktail post-dinner in a later chapter of Own the Day).

Get Lit

The discussion on sunlight exposure orbited around the seasonal elephant in the room: winter. Specifically, cold and dark mornings.

When the days get shorter, it can be difficult to get sun exposure early–especially for those who work on an early morning schedule. It’s not practical for everyone to have a personal full-spectrum light room in their house.

Several Sleepy Bois discussed the idea of hibernation. Not necessarily bundling up in a cave for 3 months without leaving, but the idea that winter may demand different expectations and practices from us. Think of it as a season of rest. For those who practice grounding in the outdoors, grounding emotionally through meditation may be the answer. For those who lose access to some of the outdoor activities they prefer for getting lit, winter may become simply a time of rest and a respite from things we look forward to defrosting in the spring. 😊

Get moving

When it comes to movement, there are so many ways to get it right and very few ways to get it wrong.

Many of the Sleepy Bois have movement incorporated into their morning routine, whether that be from a leisurely morning walk in the woods or pumping some heavy metal in the gym. When it comes to getting moving, it’s okay to be kind with yourself, especially if you find scheduling or even health to be a factor. Just one step in the right direction can be a victory.

A few of the Sleepy Bois talked about feelings of nausea from working out in the morning, and the remedy of eating before working out was suggested. But other Sleepy Bois protested that eating in the morning also made them nauseous… 😅 It seems there may be no answer. But, that shouldn’t be an excuse to throw away the rest of the day. Owning the perfect day means having the perfect day for you, not anybody else. Find the regimen that works for you and take one step towards the perfect day.

Aubrey Marcus has a trampoline that he uses for some morning movement, but he seems like a very active person who finds opportunities to move his body all the time. In his Own the Day YouTube series, he does a little playful Jiu Jitsu with his wife immediately after waking up and later plays a little chase with his dog in their yard as his method of moving his body. I thought this was a great example of how to move in ways that bring more value to your life rather than burden.

Morning Routines for Intentional Living

Of all that was said about morning routines, the common value among the Sleepy Bois was the desire to live more intentionally.

Some start their day with high energy and vibes, some start their day with peaceful calm, some with high-adrenaline movement, some with stillness. It didn’t matter what a routine looked like, every Sleepy Boi expressed that their purpose was to bring more intention into their life.

One practice that I think is sorely missing from Own the Day is some sort of mantra practice (now that I’m writing this, Aubrey Marcus seems like the kind of guy to use mantras, so I could be forgetting something). One of the Sleepy Bois talked about their daily gratitude practice, which opened the floodgates of Sleepy Boi comments about the value of these kinds of meditations. A gratitude reminder or some sort of mantra practice will definitely be making its way into my personal morning routine.

Whether you start your day in the fluorescent lights of a gymnasium or in the moody mist of the early morning forest, know that you are starting your day with the Sleepy Bois.

View the study guide for this activity here: Own the Day