- Good Morning Good Life, welcome back to Amy TV!
It's time to go after the life you want
and one way of making this happen
is to start the day on your terms
with a powerful morning routine.
For most people,
a morning routine is fleeting,
it's arbitrary, it's not Instagramable.
Therefore, it doesn't last.
This is what happens when you truly don't understand
why a morning routine matters,
what it can do to change your life.
So in honor of my 38th birthday today,
I'm sharing with you 38 harsh truths
about successful morning routines
that you need to know so you're fully equipped
with how to take on the mindset of someone
who starts the day on their terms
so you can propel yourself into the life you want.
And as a birthday bonus,
I have a special little secret link
in the description down below.
It has a little surprise for you
in celebration of you working on your morning routine
and it may or may not include a little challenge.
And of course, our coveted Good Morning Good Life planner.
Check it out.
Another year wiser
means it's time to bring the realness, let's go.
Number one, morning routines are not a magical solution
to all your problems.
We often think this is the case
because we see beauty in social media posts
and different videos of people's morning routines
and how nice they might look,
and it seems as though if this looks as beautiful
as it is for them, then if I have one too,
then all of my problems will be wiped away.
The truth is that morning routines are practice rounds.
They are priming you
for the challenges that will come throughout the day.
So what's actually happening
when you have a great morning routine
is you're in training
to take on the entire day on your terms
instead of just the morning.
Number two, waking up early does not guarantee success.
It doesn't matter what time you wake up,
whether you're stumbling into the day
or you're about to have a killer morning routine,
the time you wake up is only relative
to the amount of time you've given yourself
in order to have that time and space to yourself
before worrying about other people
and the challenges that are gonna come your way.
So you can wake up at any time you want.
It has to do with what your life has in store
once the day has begun.
Number three, not everyone is a morning person
and that's okay.
You can keep making excuses,
but I actually believe morning routine
is even better equipped for somebody
who isn't a morning person.
If you're like me
and you don't wake up feeling like you're best
and you don't wake up ready and raring to go,
you want a little bit of time and space
to get going.
And so that's what a morning routine
really has the ability to do.
It helps someone who is not a morning person,
just like it could help somebody who is.
Number four, morning routines
can be hard to maintain consistently.
If a morning routine were easy to keep going,
no one would search for tips about it
or read books about it, okay?
It's hard and there's a reason why it's hard.
When you show consistency in your morning routine,
you're testing your ability to be consistent
in many different areas of your life.
It is just one sample of the whole story.
Number five, it takes time and effort
to establish the morning routine that's right for you.
No one wants to hear this.
Everybody wants the quick and dirty answer
to what their morning routine should be,
but this is the inner work that needs to happen.
We need to find out who you are.
So the morning routine you start out with this morning
you perfectly outlined last night and get going
may not be the right one.
You need to check in with you
to see where the adjustments need to take place.
Number six, some days you're gonna wake up
and not feel motivated or energized
to do your routine.
Motivation doesn't come through perfect planning.
Motivation doesn't come from having this outline
and checkbox marks
of the routine you're going to do.
Motivation comes from follow through.
Motivation comes from taking action.
So doing your morning routine
is what's going to motivate you.
It may feel like chicken and egg
but the more you decide that showing up
is going to put you on the better side of this,
doing it is going to become much more natural for you.
Number seven, morning routines do not automatically
make you more productive.
If you have for some reason figured out
how to have an extremely productive morning routine
but you can't figure it out in other areas of your life,
what have you actually accomplished
with a great morning routine?
This is something that is supposed to make you
better for everything else.
Mastering a morning routine is not what it's about.
Number eight, you should never sacrifice sleep
for an amazing morning routine.
If you've not gotten yourself on the page
of getting yourself the rest that you need,
that's priority number one.
So even if we sat down
and we started working on a morning routine for you today
and step one was get enough sleep
and that was all you did,
that was the only improvement you worked on for now,
that would be enough.
You've gotta get that minimum amount of sleep
and everyone's different.
And you know when you've had enough
and you know when you have it.
Get that amount of sleep.
Reverse engineer what it looks like to go to bed.
Wake up the next day at a time
that gives you a little bit of breathing room in the morning
and you'll be on your way to a great morning routine.
But stressing yourself out
when you've only gotten three hours of sleep
to do your morning routine is not it.
Number nine, a perfect morning routine does not exist.
Things are gonna go wrong.
Things are gonna go right.
Things are gonna be imperfect.
Your morning routine's gonna be different
every once in a while.
We're human, this is normal, let it go.
Number 10, it is normal
to feel a little tired and groggy
when you wake up in the morning.
I'm telling you right now.
I get ample sleep
almost every night.
It is actually very rare for me to miss out on sleep.
But I have never, ever, ever woken up and said, "Wow,
I feel like a million bucks."
It has never happened.
I always wake up a little tired,
a little groggy, a little grumpy.
It's just how it is.
I don't question it.
I power through it.
So if you blame that
as the reason you don't do your routine,
then you're gonna be blaming a lot of things in your life
as to why things don't happen.
Number 11, this may be an extensive experimentation process
for you to find the right morning routine.
Try something out today.
Try it again tomorrow.
Notice if it doesn't feel right
or notice if it's laziness and you're like,
actually, that could be kind of cool if I got used to it.
It does feel a little okay.
See what fits for you.
But know the difference
between this isn't right and eh,
I just don't feel like it today.
There's a difference.
You know the difference.
You feel it in your core.
Recognize it, choose the right things for you,
keep those things in your routine.
Number 12, morning routines cannot solve
all of your time management issues.
To better your time management issues
and challenges in your life,
you need to be self-aware about how long things take you,
and your morning routine can help you gauge that.
The three things that you decide you wanna do each morning,
how long do they each take you?
Do you get faster at them every day?
Are you noticing
that there are certain things you like to go slow?
There are certain things you're much quicker about?
When you recognize how long things take you,
you get better at planning the time that you need
for things in the future.
When you master something,
you get faster at it in the future.
So while a morning routine will help you learn more
about your ability to manage time,
it is not going to solve all those problems for you
unless you really start seeing what's happening
and learn from it.
Number 13, your morning routine
may work for you and may not work for someone else.
Just because someone decides to say to you,
"Oh my gosh, you do that in the morning?
That's so weird, I would never do that in the morning."
And you hear from them what their reasoning is.
If that works for them, great.
If you still say to yourself,
well, I kind of like it
or it works for me, power through.
You do not need to make adjustments to your morning routine
just because someone else made some commentary
or opinion about it.
Number 14, it's easy to become too rigid with your routine
which can lead to stress and disappointment.
Oh, how this one hurts my heartstrings.
I have spent years in my life
strangling my morning routine,
holding onto it for dear, dear life.
But in all actuality,
we just need to use it
the way that it lifts us up
and go with the flow.
As long as it's setting us up for success,
we don't have to check every box.
We don't have to be perfect
all of the time.
So do not be too rigid about your routine.
Just let it make you better.
Number 15, external factors
are going to affect your morning routine,
and they might be human with a little heartbeat
so get over it.
We're humans, we surround ourselves with humans.
Humans are going to interact with us.
They're gonna make changes in our lives
and it's going to happen.
Come to terms with it.
This is the preparation.
How do you deal with adversity?
How do you deal with changes?
How do you deal with the plan going awry?
That is what's happening,
in your morning routine,
how you follow through on that test
is what matters.
Number 16, it's important to listen to your body
and adjust your routine as it applies.
Your routine is going to change as you evolve as a human.
That's okay, it's not something
you have to do every day for 30 years.
It should just be what's right for you in this season.
I have recognized this as having a baby.
My routine changed when I started waking up
with another human being on my hip.
That's how it goes.
How do you adjust accordingly?
Number 17, morning routines do not rid you of the need
of additional self-discipline
and motivation throughout the rest of the day.
One of the ways a morning routine is meant to help you
is to illustrate what kind of motivation
and self-discipline you need
so you can pull those resources
at other moments in your life.
So let this be the teaching moment that happens daily
that makes you better when a challenge arises.
Number 18, not everyone has the luxury
of dedicating a significant amount of time
for their morning routine.
And by no means is that a requirement,
so please don't make it an excuse either.
Number 19, morning routines should be flexible
and accommodate different schedules and lifestyles.
The habits are the most important thing.
Stop trying to make it work
and start trying to make it yours.
Number 20, it's possible to have a hugely productive day
and not have done your morning routine.
The day is not lost when your morning routine falls off.
What you do about it,
when you get back on board,
and if you love it,
you will is all that matters.
Number 21, if you hate morning routines,
you probably already have one
and it's likely not that good.
Most people like to fight the idea
of having a morning routine
because they don't like change,
but in all actuality, they're waking up
and doing the same things
over and over and over and over and over and over again.
It's very likely not setting them up for success.
If what you're doing is disempowering and reactive
and contributing to a fixed mindset,
then you can continue doing the same thing
over and over and over and over again.
I'm just asking you to try different things.
Number 22, your morning routine may not make you
instantly happy or fulfilled.
Having this cute thing that you do every day
that sounds good is not a good enough reason
to have a morning routine,
especially if you're trying to crack the coat on happiness,
which is something that comes from inside of you.
The day you decide to choose fulfillment,
to choose happiness,
is the day that that will happen.
Doesn't matter if your morning routine happened or not.
Number 23, it's okay to deviate from the plan.
It's okay to take a break
from your routine every once in a while.
It's actually kind of refreshing
if you've been doing it so much that you're like, "Hmm,
let's just try something else,"
and just make a little bit of an adjustment
to see how you feel.
It's a check-in, it's empowering,
and it's totally fine to do that.
Take a vacay.
Number 24, morning routines should be totally tailored
to your personal goals.
If you are not reverse engineering your ultimate vision,
you're just doing things for the sake of doing things.
What's the point of that?
Know what your vision is
and have that be what helps you understand
why you're getting up,
and why you're doing what you're doing,
and why you're contributing to this cause.
It will make all the difference.
And you will stop asking yourself
if you're gonna do your routine
and you're gonna continue to remind yourself
of the person you're becoming.
Number 25, your morning routine will change
as your priorities and circumstances evolve.
If you're not changing, you're not improving.
Expect the shift.
Number 26, consistency is key.
Consistency is key in everything.
Showing up for yourself every day
is showing the promise you'll make for you,
that you'll follow through,
not just for anyone but for number one.
Number 27, a morning routine
is not a substitute for healthy habits
throughout the rest of the day.
One kale smoothie does not negate three cheeseburgers, okay?
So we use the morning routine to set the tone
for how we continue to run our lives.
Number 28, be realistic
about what you can accomplish in your morning routine.
Now, when it comes to your goals, lofty, unrealistic,
incredible, amazing, big vision,
but we're reverse engineering that.
And on the way there, we're taking small steps.
And in the morning, we take the small steps.
If you try to give yourself
too much to do in the morning,
you are not going to make it
eventually to where you want to be.
You're gonna burn out on day one.
So make sure that those steps
are clear to where you're headed,
but possible today.
Number 29, setbacks are inevitable, welcome to life.
Number 30, it's okay to seek inspiration
from other people's routines
but remember that everyone is different.
You will ?not become as successful
as Sara Blakely if you do her morning routine.
You will not become a billionaire
if you do the same morning routine
that Jeff Bezos does.
That's not how it works.
But you might get some good ideas.
You might get some common themes.
You might start to see what the thing is
that will make someone click.
Use what works for you, take it,
and focus on you.
Number 31, morning routines
should not be a source of stress or pressure.
If we wanted to wake up stressed and pressured,
we could just keep doing
whatever it was we were doing before, okay?
'Cause I can guarantee you,
that's what it was for you.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be looking
into a new morning routine.
So if you feel stressed or pressured
about your new thing to do each morning,
it's not the right one.
Number 32, you do not have to wake up,
the crack of dawn, before the sun
in order to have an effective morning routine.
Your morning routine could be 4:00
in the afternoon for some reason,
'cause you work the night shift.
That is your business,
not mine, not anyone else's.
Number 33, a morning routine can include self-care
but you need to know
what self-care means to you.
Just because people say to meditate
doesn't mean it's going to work for you.
You can try it and it can work out, awesome.
But if you know something
that makes you feel like your cup is full
and you know what self care would be like for you
and you could do it every morning,
use that as an indication
as to what should be in your routine if it's possible.
Number 34, the energy that you choose
to invite into your morning
is the energy you choose to invite into all of your life.
Think about the words you hear,
the people that are talking,
the news that's on,
what are you absorbing?
What are you scrolling?
What energy are you inviting?
You're letting outside sources set the tone
for your morning routine.
In some cases, that could work for you.
Maybe you've figured out
how to step into your power with that.
But just know that whatever energy
you invite in the morning
is the energy you've invited the whole day.
Number 35, no one cares about your morning routine.
Arguable, I know I talk a lot about morning routines here.
You would think people do care
about morning routines, they do
But if you just go on and on and on
about your morning routine to people,
they're gonna get bored.
I promise you, no one's impressed by your morning routine.
They're impressed with how you are training yourself
to what you're going to accomplish.
So if you just do a morning routine every day
but you don't seem to be finding
your footing in any other area,
something's not right.
No one cares about your morning routine.
There's no reason to tout it.
There's no reason to make it look pretty for Instagram.
It just needs to work for you.
Number 36, discipline and perseverance are required
for an effective morning routine.
The bad news is that's gonna be hard.
The good news is you're learning
two of the most important skills you'll ever have.
Number 37, the value of a morning routine
lies in how closely aligned it is
to your overall wellbeing,
not in how closely it aligns
with popular notions of success.
Stop worrying about what everyone else is calling success.
Start worrying about what you consider
your own personal success.
Your morning routine will follow suit.
Number 38, last one,
your morning routine doesn't matter.
Yeah, I know.
Isn't that crazy?
This is just a step.
You could take this step and you could take another one.
It all comes down to what is the vision?
And what are you doing to work toward it?
If you don't know what building
you've put your ladder against,
start looking into it.
If you don't understand the car that you're building
but you know kind of what you want it to look like,
start thinking about how it's going to run.
Your morning routine doesn't matter.
We're just putting inputs into a machine
to make it work the way we need it to work
for our lives.
And when you start looking at it that way,
you'll look at everything.
Your morning routine, your attitude,
the way you show up at work,
the way you have conversations in your relationships,
the way you parent, the way you are a partner.
All of these things are inputs.
What are you doing to make the machine work?
If you enjoyed this video,
please click subscribe, I make new videos every week.
And don't forget about the secret link
in the description down below.
I've got a special birthday surprise for you down there.
That's all for today.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
I appreciate it.
As always, remember, subscribe for good vibes.
Kiss the ones you love
and go after the life you want, cheers.