Hello hello, friends!

I’ve always loved reading lifestyle bloggers’ posts about their daily routines and productivity style. Then I had the sudden urge to satisfy my growing desire to do my own post like that.

My morning routine changes as I go through different seasons, so I’ll probably do another one chronicling a killer morning routine once I crush this health stuff and get back to my boss productivity.

(CONFIDENCE IS KEY.)

But I still have a morning routine I’m somewhat satisfied with, so without further ado!

7 AM

First, my phone, right next to me in bed, goes off at 7 AM. It usually interrupts some weird dream I’m having, if I’m lucky, or cuts off my dream at the thrilling conclusion of an epic ninja mission adventure storyline.

I used to struggle to get out of bed thanks to health issues zapping my motivation, but I fixed that with a second alarm under my loft bed on my mom’s iPad. It goes off at 7:03.

I’m terrified of waking the house up with a loud alarm, even though it’s not actually that loud, so I usually pull myself out of bed within one or two minutes to turn it off before it goes off itself.

I’ve never overslept or taken more than five minutes to get out of bed since (I used to have the second one go off at 7:05)!

I drag myself to the couch in the dining room right next to the open kitchen. I feel how I look. XD

I check my productivity app, chat to or answer questions for a few people since I’m a contributor to it, and check off one of my “Dailies” (a recurring task in the app) for getting out of bed at 7 AM.

After about 10-15 minutes, I convince myself to get up and make myself some coffee. I’m fasting until January 22, so I don’t eat breakfast.

This is one of the hardest parts of my morning. As I mentioned earlier, I’m going through an Extremely Overwhelming Hard Time™/health stuff, so the same motivation-zapping feeling that kept me from getting out of bed (before my brilliant second alarm idea) keeps me from getting off the couch.

For exactly two hours.

Sometime right before 9 AM, when I’m supposed to start school according to my self-imposed schedule, I drag myself off the couch and force myself to start the day besides feeling 0% excitement.

9 AM

My first task of the day is to take a shower. I take one every day—I can’t stand feeling oily and greasy. I cannot be productive without feeling fresh and clean.

I set my phone on the little shelf we have in the shower and blast some morning tunes—whatever song on repeat I feel like listening to that morning.

I don’t usually blow dry my hair, but I will for just a little bit if I feel like it.

I hate being cold and I love warmth, so the minute I step out of the shower I turn on the hairdryer and set it on a drawer faced toward me so I am warm. ?

After my shower and getting dressed, I then put in my contacts. I just got them, and I can’t believe I’m getting the hang of it! I’m honestly really proud of myself.

It took me a very long time to get them out at the optometrist’s, but I eventually did it and now it’s pretty easy. Except for the occasional weird day where it takes me forever for some reason. XD

I’ve had glasses for over five years, but I’m so happy to finally have contacts so people can actually see my face!

After that, I come out of the bathroom and drop my PJs on the floor next to my closet. XD If I’m a good girl that day, I’ll pick them up during my “Clean 15” daily task later. (Clean for 15 minutes, although I love cleaning so much I’ll usually spend an hour.)

I then sit down on my desk to finish getting ready for the day. I turn on my Good Morning playlist, which spans a wide variety of genres from 1990 revival music to Christian rap and consists of the following:

  • Morning Song by Steffany Gretzinger
  • Good Morning by Kevi Morse & Beacon Light
  • Have a Good Day (feat. V. Rode) by KJ-52 and PoetiCS
  • This is the Day #520 by Rodney Howard-Browne
  • Today (JSapp and DJ Season Patrick Remix) by Blanca

While that plays, I do the following from left to right:

1. I just started implementing this, but I put a little moisturizing lotion on my face because I notice how dry it feels in the winter after my shower. I AM SO GLAD THE BOTTLE IS PINK—THANK YOU MOMMY ♥

(I’m trying to convert everything in my room to have a bright cyan/bright teal, pink, and white aesthetic)

2. I blow my nose. Every morning. Don’t ask my why my nose gets congested all the time. Yes, I’m a TMI gal.

3. I put on some makeup. Sometimes I don’t do it when I’m feeling lazy and don’t care, but I’m trying to up my productivity and have better days, so I force myself to look nice. I just do foundation and mascara. Sometimes I skip the mascara if I’m feeling extra lazy. XD

4. I brush my hair.

#4 Note: Now, if I washed my hair that morning, I leave it down. If it’s on the every-other-day-schedule that I don’t wash it, I Dutch braid it if I’m being a good girl and making efforts to look nice. I throw it back in a ponytail if I’m lazy.

5. I put on my favorite earrings.

My style is very consistent, versatile, and simple: same thing, every day. Same jeans, every day. Same shoes, every day. Same T-shirt for a few days in a row. Same routine. VERSATILITY, CONSISTENCY, SIMPLICITY, AND EXTEME PRODUCTIVITY ONLY!

So for a year at a time I stick with the same earrings until I find a new favorite. These gorgeous silver dangles are my current favorite that I asked for and got for Christmas. <3

6. Put on deodorant. Funny story, this is the only kind in the whole world (well, of everything I’ve tried) that works for me. I love Dove products!

This is my beautiful loft bed shelf, all organized and pink like I love it. Even the label on my cleaning alcohol spray is pink. XD

I spray some alcohol on my infected toenail (I am the most TMI person ever, deal with it :’)) and sometimes roll that peppermint essential oil roller on my wrists to sniff like a crazy person and get a bit of energy.

I dunno if it actually works, but it’s pretty and aesthetic and modern, and placebo effects work on me more than actual facts. ?

Sometimes I put on a necklace if I feel like it. My current favorite (because I consistently stick with favorites to keep things simple) is this “BE EPIC” one in the picture that Clara got me for Christmas <3

In this picture I’m not wearing the black braided hairband and I always wear on my right wrist because when it’s not on my right wrist, it’s holding my hair in a ponytail.

But in addition to my “lucky” hairband, I always wear these three bracelets on my right wrist: a white Pura Vida friendship bracelet (my best friends in TX have matching ones) and these two beautiful homemade ones from Clara.

I wear socks 100% of the time except for in the shower. Yes, even at night.

So I hurry to put them on after I get ready. These are some of my favorite socks, also from Clara. ? Wow, she might as well be the source of my whole wardrobe XD

I’d say I’m pretty ready for the day! Made an effort to look nice, donning a smile, even got a little peace-sign personality goin’ on. Good job Madi.

During all this, I usually do some competitive Pomodoro technique games with fellow users of the productivity app I contribute to. We also update each other throughout the day on our daily goals and progress.

The most important part of my morning is my morning swing time.

I am obsessed with swinging. If you follow my author website, you know it’s my “zone” for inspiration.

I talked about my love for swinging here on this blog, too.

These headphones are the bassiest kind my dad could find on Amazon. I got some Beats headphones for Christmas, but they didn’t have enough bass for this competitively adrenaline-fueled bass and Christian rap-loving girl.

So I got THESE BABIES. Adjustable bass you can feel. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. FEEL THE BOOM. FEEL THE VIBRATION.

I usually start off with whatever song is in my head at the moment, then turn on praise music for usually the rest of my swing time to say hello to my King, rejoice, and thank Him for the day. <3

I usually don’t feel the best in the mornings, but who cares how you feel when rejoicing is a command, I tell myself. I usually feel better afterwards anyway.

11 AM

At 11 AM by this point (although it’s supposed to be 9 AM in my dream schedule), I come on in for school.

School usually lasts to early afternoon or afternoon, but I take a break 12 PM-1 PM to watch a fasting and prayer services this month.

Usually I have an appointment once a week around 12 PM or early afternoon, so before school ends in the morning or a little afterward I get ready to go for that.

And that’s my morning routine!

This isn’t a blogging tactic to get you to comment, but I am genuinely curious and would very much love to know:

  • Do you enjoy reading lifestyle morning routine posts? Would you like to see an afternoon and/or evening one?
  • What is your morning routine like? Do you have any ideas for me? I want to make mine better and more energizing + motivating—I’d like to cut those two unmotivated hours on the couch to just one.

Hope you found this interesting to read! If you know of any morning routine posts or if you have any, please share them with me below because I love reading those. ?

P.S.: Would you like to vote for me in the Best of 2019 Blogging Awards?

If you’d like to vote for me, here are the categories I’m in!

  • for Most Influential Blogger, I’m “Madi @ Life Undefeated”.
  • for Best New Blog, I’m “Madi Grace”. (but this blog is actually Adventure in the Air)
  • for Best Photography Post, I’m “Ninja Photoshoot for International Ninja Day”.
  • and for Best Lifestyle Post, I’m “10 Things That Make Me Happy”.

No pressure to vote for me of course, and feel free to check out the other bloggers nominated!