What I do every morning

I want to share my morning routine with you.

Not because it's perfect. Not because you should do exactly what I do.

But because it's helped me start my days with less anxiety and more presence. And maybe some part of it will resonate with you.

Here's what it looks like (most mornings):

I wake up early.

I'm not going to tell you the exact time, because my "early" might be your late, or someone else's impossibly early. Early is relative. What matters is that it feels right for you.

My phone is in another room. So I have to get out of bed to turn off the alarm.

And when I do? I don't look at it. No notifications. No emails. No news. Not yet.

I drink a glass of water. Brush my teeth. All the basic morning stuff.

Then I make coffee.

This is the part I wait for. The ritual I actually look forward to.

And this matters more than you think.

Those small happy moments - the ones that feel too simple to count - are what make us happy. So don't underestimate them. Cherish them. Give them the respect they deserve.

(I'll write a full edition about finding happiness in small things soon. Stay tuned.)

Some mornings I play soft jazz. Some mornings I prefer quiet. Depends on the weather, my mood, how I'm feeling.

Then I sit on my couch, open my small notebook, and write three things:

1. One thing I'm grateful for
2. One thing I MUST do today
3. One core value that will guide me through the day (kindness, patience, optimism - whatever feels right)

Those three things help me start the day with direction and positive energy. A clear starting point.

Whatever's on my mind. Sometimes it's my to-do list. Sometimes it's thoughts that are bothering me. Sometimes it's just random noise.

I've become an anxious person over the last couple of years. And I've learned that just writing things down - getting them out of my head and onto paper - helps. Automatically.

It doesn't solve everything. But it creates space.

Then I go outside.

If I can, I find natural ground - grass, dirt, something real. I take my shoes off. I ground myself.

I look toward the sun (never directly at it), breathe deeply, and try not to let any thoughts cross my mind. Just for a few minutes.

Here's why this matters: when sunlight enters your eyes, it signals to your brain that the day has started. It sets your biological clock - your circadian rhythm. This gives you energy in the morning and helps you sleep better at night.

Your eyes are essentially your brain's receptors. Morning light is the signal that says "time to wake up."

After that, I do a short movement practice.

20 push-ups. 20 squats. Nothing intense. Just enough to wake my body up.

Then I go back inside and get ready for the day.

This morning routine helps me:

It's like putting quality oil in the car's gas tank. The engine runs smoother.

But here's the most important part:

Some mornings I don't do all of this.

Some mornings I sleep in. Some mornings I skip the journaling. Some mornings I reach for my phone first thing.

And that's okay.

Jeff Bezos once said: "Perfection is the enemy of good."

He meant this: waiting for the perfect routine, the perfect conditions, the perfect version of yourself - that stops you from doing anything at all.

Done is better than perfect. Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.

If your morning routine only happens 3 days a week, that's still 3 more days than if you never tried at all.

You don't need to copy my routine. You need to find what works for you.

Maybe it's 5 minutes of quiet with your coffee. Maybe it's a walk around the block. Maybe it's just drinking water before you check your phone.

Start small. Build from there. And give yourself permission to be imperfect.

I'd love to hear about your morning routine.

What do you do? What works for you? What have you tried that didn't stick?

Hit reply and tell me. I'm always learning, and I'd genuinely love to know.

Who in your life could use a pause today?

Know someone that would want to read this?