Why Should I Have a Morning Ritual?

Getting up before the sun never gets easy.  Honestly, most days, I want to roll over and go back to sleep. 

Here’s why you need to fight the urge to hit snooze.

Reason #1: Connection 

Before sunrise is my time to connect with myself.  To work on the person I want to be.  Reflect on the directions my life has taken and rejoice in those moments or learn from those failures.  

I unpack what’s on my mind.  First, by silencing it through meditation and then by journaling.

Reason #2: Habit

It’s the perfect time to build a habit.  Say you want to work on drinking more water, make it the first thing you do each morning.  It doesn’t have to happen at 5 am.  Just guzzle down as much water as soon as you hop out of bed.

Reason #3: Willpower

Willpower is stronger in the morning. 

Remember the last time you had friends over for dinner and you bought a dessert for the kids?  You bought those extra chocolatey brownies on Thursday and resisted the urge to splurge until your guests left Saturday night.  

You start out with a full tank of willpower, but it’s not a bottomless tank.

Reason #4: Feel Better About Yourself

Are you trying to build self-esteem?  Try this practice I found by Brianna West.  Make a simple list of reasons you should feel good about yourself.  

I haven’t tried this yet, so I’ll go first.

• I went above and beyond to make my daughter feel loved on her birthday
• I fixed my smart goals in Google Analytics
• Booked my next trial running event and my training plan is in place

Thanks, Brianna. Patting myself on the back is working. Plus, this is a good way to fit in reflection.

Reason #5: Harness the Power of Unconscious Thinking

Switching your brain into autopilot with a morning ritual allows your mind to churn on the enormous problems in the background.  A ritual is something you do without thinking, freeing your brain to work on the hard stuff.  

Reason #6: Set your intentions for the day.  

What the hell does “set your intentions” mean?  Think about how you want to show up today.  Do you have a meeting with clients?  How do you want those clients to feel when that meeting ends? That is your intention.  

Today is my daughter’s birthday.  We are meeting family later to celebrate.  I want my family to know that I love them unconditionally.  This was the intention I set today.  Shower them with unconditional love.

Reason #7: Own Your Thoughts

Neutralize the power of notifications.  Don’t let your phone hijack your mind first thing in the morning.  

Your morning routine doesn’t have to happen before the sun … we’re not all morning people.

It just has to happen if you want to capture its power.