Christine Kane is one of my favorite guest bloggers – please enjoy her post today.
Your habits create your destiny. Have you ever heard that one? Even if you have, read it again. Then read it again. And yea, one more time. 🙂
Then, consider this:
Your habits also create your confidence, courage and even your creativity!
Don’t believe me? Read on …
I used to be a creature of zero habits. As a result, I didn’t have much direction or focus. Then, I began to shift. I began to create my life. I turned things around. I created habits and rituals – something I had previously dismissed as “too driven” or “too robotic.” (Let the winds blow where they will, right?)
For the record, it IS good to be in the present moment and adopt the principle of surrender. But many people use these ideas as an excuse for not even trying to “Live Creative.” They allow themselves to become “reactors” of their day, rather than the creators they were born to be.
So, how do you change that? How do you manage all the stuff on your plate? How do you create your day, rather than react to it?
Well, for starters, begin with your own personal morning ritual. Your morning ritual sets the tone for your day, your productivity and even your life.
Your morning ritual is personal. Your morning ritual is what gets YOU on track to create your best day. (And subsequently, your best life!) It can be simple or complex. The important thing is that it becomes a HABIT. (Which is why it’s best to start simple.)
My morning ritual combines a mixture of physical, mental and heart-centered activities to engage each of these human power centers!
Here are some easy ideas you can choose from to help you create your own powerful morning ritual.
Hydrate First
Many Eastern health practitioners recommend chugging down at least a half-liter of filtered room-temperaturewater first thing. (Yes, before your coffee!)
Upon waking, your body has spent hours without hydration. Drinking pure water at this time triggers a series of physiological functions that keep your body super healthy. Some report that this one practice can actually heal many diseases. (I’m not a scientist – but I can attest to the amazing results!)
Get Moving
Exercise is called “The Number One Form of Preventive Medicine.”
It is also a prescription for happiness and a cure for depression! Getting exercise first thing sets your day off right. You can do a simple stretching routine, yoga or an all-out heart-pounding hour at the gym. Pick something do-able and then do it.
Meditate
Start with just 5 minutes. Meditation connects you to your center and to the deep silence that surpasses any drama that might be happening in the world of your personality. Don’t worry about doing it right. Just allow yourself the time to BE.
Set Intention
Your intention is everything. It is your daily GPS.
Your intention sets the course and brings focus.
Reflect for a moment on your Word of the Year. Read a goal you’ve written down for yourself. Remind yourself of a financial dream. (If you’re one of my Gold or Platinum coaching clients, read your Goal Cards!)
You don’t have to know the HOW. You just need to set the intention so your inner GPS stays on target!
Be Grateful
Before I get out of bed, I silently create a morning gratitude list. When I begin my day remembering my “gratitudes,” (instead of my “anxieties”) my heart fills with extreme joy and deep awareness. I then bring that energy into everything I do – and to everyone with whom I connect.
Eat Creative
Your choice of breakfast foods can set up your success with other meals as well. Start your day off in the healthiest way possible for you – and make it a ritual, not a chore. And yes, it’s true what they say: Breakfast is essential!
Be Prepared: Create a Not-to-Do List
Create a “Not To Do” morning list so that you are aware of your Default Activities in advance, and you can catch yourself before you fall into their trap!
Suggestions here include anything that brings up a “reactive” state: Turning on Fox news. Checking email. Answering texts. Answering the phone.
Let these things wait until AFTER your ritual has been completed!
Do it!
After reading this article, don’t just think, “Wow. Those are good ideas. I should try one or two.”
Instead, deliberately create your morning ritual now. Take about 20 minutes to think about and write down what your ritual will be each morning. Start simple at first. Choose one or two items from this menu. Or come up with your own. Write out your personal morning ritual in detail.
Begin first thing tomorrow morning, and let your habits create YOUR destiny starting now!
Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.
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Great post. I’m inspired to create my own morning ritual, if I can just figure out how to get rid of the most stressfull part of my current one: getting teenage children out of bed and on the bus in the morning.
Deb – good luck with that! My dad used cold water to get us out of bed. You only need to do that a time or two ….