It’s never about doing what you’re supposed to do
Your morning routine is more than just starting your day right — it’s about aligning yourself with your business.
We all know that successful people have a morning routine. Oprah. Brene Brown. Michelle Obama. They meditate. They walk in nature.
This may inspire you to follow suit. I know that thinking. “If I do what they do, maybe I’ll get more of what they have.”
Hal Elrod’s Morning Miracle introduced me to start my day with an intentional daily practice. Before then, I was doing some of the right things. You know those things — meditate, yoga, workout.
I was fairly consistent, sitting on my meditation cushion for the minimal amount of time I thought was acceptable. I got to a yoga class a few times a week. I’d squeeze in a workout. I’d keep a journal on my bedside table, and would connect the pen to paper before I’d fall asleep at night if I wasn’t too exhausted.
These felt like a chore. It took a lot of effort for me to do these things. I felt bad when I conveniently forgot to meditate. Or skipped a workout.
I Started Letting Go…
And then something happened. I gave myself permission to stop doing what I thought I was supposed to do.
I stopped practicing yoga. Which is funny to admit since I’m a yoga teacher. I couldn’t force myself to unroll my mat and do one more Downward-Facing Dog pose.
I stopped working out to just get a sweat in. I’ve run marathons, loved intense, dripping sweat workouts. But my body was achy and tired. Forcing it to move fast and hard wasn’t fun. So I slowed down.
I did keep meditating. But only for 5 minutes. Long gone were the days when I sat for 20, 30, or even 40 minutes (this was a brief period, by the way). 5 minutes was all I could take. So I did do that.
And I did it as guilt-free as I possibly could.
And Realigned With My Business and Me
I was letting myself discover who I was as a human being if I wasn’t an accountant or a yoga teacher.
It’s not surprising that these behind-the-scenes shifts were happening in parallel with the transition of my businesses. I was letting go of my accounting business so I could spend 100% of my time and energy in my intuitive eating and transformational coaching business.
I wasn’t just letting my yoga practice and my accounting business go, I was letting myself discover who I was as a human being if I wasn’t an accountant or a yoga teacher.
When I stopped ‘shoulding’ myself, I was embarking on a process of discovering something new. All of this felt uncomfortable and uncertain. And necessary.
Like a new friend, I was getting to know myself. Something new was emerging inside of me.
I started to align with my business and discovered a morning practice that worked for me.
Here Are Some Ways To Try This Out for Yourself
This process took some time. As a business owner, I invite you to consider a few things I did.
I got clear around how I wanted to feel every day. I want to feel energized and connected to my creativity. I want to feel light and present.
I understood why feeling this way was so important to me. When I feel grounded, I’m available to my clients in the best way I can be. When I’m energized, I write my best content and create programs that I’m excited about offering.
I noticed how each practice made my body feel before, during, and after I did it. I feel so calm after my new yoga routine. I love walking and so does my body.
I dedicated myself to my morning routine. I schedule the time in my calendar so that it doesn’t get tossed aside in the busyness of my day.
I’m open to changing my routine when it no longer works for me. I know that my needs change over time and I expect my morning routine to change too.
The more personal our business is to us, the more our business needs our presence and energy.
It doesn’t take discipline to follow through with a routine that feels warm and welcoming.
Closing Notes
Create a daily morning practice that includes stillness, reflection, movement, and fresh air, and notice how the more you’re connected with yourself, the more you will thrive in your business.
I encourage you to dive in and enjoy this magical process of letting go and self-discovery!