Many successful entrepreneurs say that having a consistent morning routine, such as Mark Wahlberg’s infamous 3:30 a.m. wake-up, helps them balance out a busy schedule.
And for some, that mindset starts early in life—just ask 6-year-old Ian Holder, who starts his mornings at 6:30 a.m. before school, as documented by his mom, Angel.
“I was packing lunches for Ayaan & Alaïa, and I looked up to see Ayaan casually drinking lemon and honey tea, and reading a new book,” Holder wrote of her son on Instagram. “At first, I laughed. Because… who does he think he is????. But then I realized I was glad he had this moment of calm and self-focus before his day at school started. I hope the day off is off to a great start.”
The clip shows her son sipping sweetly from a cup in a blue polo shirt while immersing himself in a book on his little table.
“Ayan loves his alone time, and he also enjoys quiet, relaxing mornings. He doesn’t like to be rushed,” Holder told TODAY. “So I’ll wake him up early, and he’ll use the extra time to do a quiet activity.”
The video, which has more than 342,980 likes, attracted thousands of commenters who couldn’t get enough of the little boy’s kindness and professionalism.
One commenter laughed, “I love that his collar looks like a 6-year-old’s clothes, but the old man needs his coffee and the newspaper before work.”
Another said, “Oh, he looks like a real scientist! I’d love to see him.” “He seems so immersed in the book at that early hour! Peaceful and serene start to that day. Blessings to you for experiencing such peace every day.”
Holder described her son as a “nice, caring” boy who plays African drums and loves sports.
According to a Harvard Medical School study, waking up even an hour earlier in the morning can help reduce the risk of depression, and it was found that “people who have a genetic predisposition to wake up an hour earlier than those who get up later have a lower risk.” 23% of depression.
