Many successful entrepreneurs say that having a consistent morning routine, such as Mark Wahlberg’s infamous 3:30 a.m. wake-ups, helps them balance a packed schedule.
And for some, this mentality starts early in life — just ask 6-year-old Ayaan Holder, who begins his mornings at 6:30 a.m. before school, as documented by his mother, Angel.
“I was packing lunches for Ayaan & Alaïa, and I look over to see Ayaan just casually drinking his lemon & honey tea, and reading a new book,” Holder wrote about her son on Instagram. “At first, I laughed. Because…who does he think he is????. But then I realized that I’m glad he had this moment of calm and focus for himself before he starts his day at school. I hope your day is off to a great start.”
The clip shows her son adorably sipping out of a mug in a blue polo shirt while indulging in a book at his mini table.
“Ayaan likes his alone time, and he also enjoys a calm and relaxing morning. He does not like to be rushed,” Holder told TODAY. “So I’ll get him up early, and he’ll use the extra time to do a quiet activity.”
The video, which has received over 342,980 likes, drew in thousands of commenters who couldn’t get enough of the cuteness — and professionalism — of the young boy.
“I love that his collar looks like the 6-year-old dressed, but the old man needs his coffee and newspaper before work,” one commenter laughed.
“Oh, he looks like a real scholar! I love to see it,” another said. “He looks so engrossed in the book at that early hour! A peaceful and calm start to that day. Blessings for you to experience peace like this every day.”
Holder called her son a “kind and caring” boy who also plays the African drums and has a love of sports.
According to a Harvard Medical School study, waking up even one hour earlier in the morning can help reduce depression risk, finding that “people who were genetically predisposed to getting up one hour earlier in the morning compared with later risers had a 23% lower risk of depression.”
