HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · AUGUST 2018
5
STEPS FOR A PURPOSEFUL MORNING RITUAL
Morning rituals are a hot topic at the moment . People are beginning to come around to the idea that the earlier you rise , the more purposeful and productive your days can be .
I used to be a night owl . I always believed that I was most productive at night , but the truth was that I felt busy all day ( not productive ) and by the time the kids would be in bed I ’ d be whipped and nearly ready for bed myself .
The single most transformative thing I did was to start getting up earlier . It has literally changed my life !
One question I get quite frequently is " What do you do when you get up early ?" So I want to take the time to share my current ritual with you .
Over the last few years my life has shifted , like everyone ’ s does , and I ’ ve tweaked and changed my routine as I ’ ve found suits my life best . For instance , back when my husband was still working his 9-to-5 , I had to get up early in order to get any work done . Everything in my business was relying on me because I did not have the income to support a team . Once Brian was home , I still found it very difficult to write while the kids were around , so I started getting up early to write . I ’ d knock out 1,000 to 2,000 words before their sweet little heads would rise from the pillow .
However , I am now in a season of life when I still want to wake up early , but I can now use it for dedicated self-care time . Over time , this is how I ' ve condensed my morning ritual down to a science that works really well for me .
I want to share it with you — each step , how I do it , how long it takes me , and how I make it happen every morning — in hopes that it will inspire you to take action on creating the morning that you desire .
01
MAKE COFFEE AND GET QUIET I typically get out of bed between 5 and 5:30 , and the very first thing I do is make a cup of coffee . While it ’ s brewing , I get quiet and sit down on the floor , which allows me to feel centered .
I focus on the things around me , like the silence , how good the coffee ' s going to taste ( That first cup of coffee is such a small , simple joy for me .), or maybe the smell of the candle I ’ ve lit or the crackling of the fireplace . I simply let my mind wander . After a few minutes pass , I allow the time to leak into meditation .
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