Rituals that Energize YOU
Ever read one of those articles titled: “9 things to do this morning to make your whole day more productive” or “14 Things Successful People Do First Thing in the Morning”…
While I know these articles spark ideas for me, they also piss me off. What if I can’t wake up at 5:30AM or I don’t want to drink a triple espresso while reading five newsletters — does that mean I won’t be successful? UGHH.
Something many of these articles / lists fail to provide is context and the fact that we’re all unique — our interests, our energy levels, our jobs, our home life. These lists in full likely won’t work for anyone, maybe one item here and there, but what works for someone else might not work for you and that’s exactly the way it should be. No one can tell you the five perfect things to do to make your day the best or most productive … only you have the power to do that.
I am personally a routine junkie and I absolutely love structure. Through asking myself some questions (listed at the bottom of this article) and experimentation I learned that there are three things I need to start off my day right: stillness, movement, and organization, all before breakfast and my first work call of the day.
Stillness shows up with meditation or a quiet cup of tea. This brings me joy and helps settle any anxiety or stress I am feeling in the moment. I use Headspace for guided meditation.
Movement shows up as some form of activity whether it be a yoga flow, run, or twenty minute workout. This helps get those endorphins flowing, which all the smart people say is great. What I can tell you is I am happier and more focused during the day when I get my heart rate up in the morning. I use DownDog for yoga and Nike Training Club for workouts.
Organization shows up with me planning the day ahead. I choose three targets for the day, since it’s near impossible to get the 100 to-do list done. This helps me feel accomplished when I close out the day knowing I got done the three things I set out to do. I use BestSelf Planner to keep me accountable and organized. (There is a ritual I complete the night before that sets me up for this — more to come on that!)
Sometimes my morning routine takes me two hours and sometimes thirty minutes. I learned the term “Flexible Consistency” from Anne-Laure Le Cunff of NessLabs and use it religiously. Here’s how I think about it: I am consistent in making sure my key elements show up every morning but the amount of time I do each is flexible, based on the amount of sleep I got, the time of my first call, and how hangry I am! Practicing flexible consistency takes self-compassion — don’t forget to be kind to yourself if you didn’t get a full 2 mile run in — it’s okay.
This work for me, but might not work for you and remember, that’s perfectly okay. If you’re thinking of shaking up your routine, instead of looking at what your friends or colleagues are doing, take some time to think about what gives you energy. Test, experiment, reflect on what’s working, what’s not and adjust. Your routine is as personal as your relationship with yourself, no one but you can find the right mix.
A couple of questions to ask yourself as you’re building or evolving *your* rituals:
- What lights you up?
- What calms you down?
- What gets you focused?
- What gives you energy? What drains your energy?
- Are there certain parts of your day that drive you crazy? Why?
- Is there something nagging at you about your days / weeks / months? How can you identify some small habits to help chip away at this?
- Do you do anything today you should be doing more of? Can you fit that into an already established habit / action?
- Do you do anything today you should be doing less of? Are there healthy alternatives?
Most importantly, don’t forget to be kind to yourself as you experiment!
