We see the Instagram morning routines constantly. The perfectly messy bun, the perfect cup of coffee, the sun shining through the perfect window onto an open journal filled with beautiful thoughts. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? How do they do it? How can they live like that every single day?

Guess what: they don’t.

Morning routines aren’t always pretty. And that’s totally okay. You’re probably alone, maybe in the dark depending on how early you wake up. You’ve still got some crusties in your eyes, and your breath might need a little… help.

But it’s your morning. Do what you gotta do. We all just need to find the routine that works best for us, and they aren’t always going to be Instagram-perfect. Actually, if they’re effective, they probably aren’t.

Tune in to this episode of AmyTV to find out the truth about my morning routine. This is my REALLY real walkthrough of what I do every day to start out on my terms.

MY REALLY REAL MORNING ROUTINE

Skincare

I recommend starting your day with 3 main things: movement, mindfulness, and mastery. And yes, skincare can (and should) be one of those things! Getting my skin hydrated and waking up the muscles in my face is my moment of movement that keeps me looking and feeling my best through the rest of the day.

Lemon Water (and Coffee)

Lemon water is my holy grail in the mornings. It jolts my system awake with the burst of citrus and cold water, but I can also have some time for mindfulness while I make the water itself.

Journaling

For some Mastery through the practice of writing, I sit down with 3 journals to start each day:

• Morning Pages: This is where I brain-dump all the thoughts that are clouding my head. If something is on my mind, I write it here so I can focus on more important ideas and decisions later on in the day.
• Goals Journal: Here, I re-write my goals and positive affirmations to get myself in the right headspace.
• Bullet Journal: This is where I keep my running list of tasks that need to be completed. I use my date stamp to mark every new day!

Daily Task Review

Time to get a move on! This is when I check in on my calendar and see what tasks I have lined up for the day ahead. I start digging deeper into my work for the day and see what I can get done in the time I’ve set aside from the rest of the world.

No matter what my day holds, the thing that remains true is: my morning is my time. My really-real morning is one that lets me slow down, reflect and say ‘yes’ to myself. I may have meetings back-to-back for the rest of the day, I may have a never-ending task list stretching out in my bullet journal, but I can say ‘no’ to that for a little bit longer during my routine. And in saying ‘yes’ to myself, I put my best foot forward when it’s finally time to say ‘yes’ to the world.

P.S. If you’re not sure how to come up with the morning routine that’s best for you, I wrote a book about it.

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QOTD: What do you look forward to the most in your morning routine?