Are you lying awake every night asking, “Now what?!” Elana Lyn Gross knows exactly how you feel. The Forbes journalist is also the author of What Next?: Your Five-Year Plan for Life after College. The book is basically a survival guide for ambitious women in their early 20s, from starting a bank account to figuring out how much time you really need to spend on your resume.

Here’s how Elana handles her mornings, and what she’s learning about starting the day off right.

7:00 A.M. This is when I try to wake up. I have a habit of hitting snooze or procrastinating by scrolling on Instagram, so sometimes, it’s more like 7:15. Once I’m up, I make my bed.

7:30 A.M. I like to start my day with a morning workout. It puts me in a good mood and gives me energy throughout the day. I’ve been doing Barre3 using their online platform; it feels like a mix of Pilates, barre, yoga, and meditation.

8:00 A.M. I take a shower, get dressed, and do my morning skincare routine and makeup. My skincare routine is simple: I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion. I haven’t been wearing makeup frequently, but if I have a busy day of video calls or a virtual event, I’ll do my normal 5-minute makeup routine of concealer, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and my favorite bright pink lipstick.

8:30 A.M. I love coffee, and my Keurig is my most-used kitchen appliance. I make hot or iced coffee (Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend is my favorite) with almond milk. For breakfast, I usually have homemade granola with almond milk, or yogurt with berries or a sliced banana… While I eat, I read the news.

9:00 A.M. I make a second cup of coffee and then sit at my desk to start my work. I look at my calendar for the day and write a daily to-do list. I scan my emails quickly to see if there’s anything urgent. Then I start writing and reporting. I get my best work done in the morning, because: coffee!