The Power Of Daily Rituals

I’ve clocked up a lot of air miles over the last six months and stayed in more hotel rooms than I care to count. I didn’t plan it that way but I’ve had some amazing opportunities (like the chance to spend a week with Richard Branson) that I just couldn’t turn down.

A few times, after returning home off a long haul flight, people have remarked how exhausted I must be.  Other times people just ask, “How do you do it all?”

Of course, there’s a long answer to that last question (juggle, drop, juggle.) But the truth is that I love my work (not that it’s really “work” most of the time) and for the most part, find it incredibly energizing. Even long haul flights can be a wonderful respite from the busyness of life (they’re one of the few times I watch movies!)

I also believe that most of us have far more capacity for life (travel or no travel) than we realize.

It’s the mindset we bring to life and the ‘renewal rituals’ we practice that help us to continually be at our best – body, mind and spirit.

I’m sure you can recall a time in your life when you’ve felt like you’re on top of your game. Energetic. Focused. Calm. Resilient. Passionate. Strong. Brave. Ready to take on the world and handle whatever came your way!

The question is: How can you feel like that more often? The answer lies in the small things that you do every day that, over time, give you that big edge in this game we call life.

• Small things that reconnect you to what you’re most passionate about.
• Small things that recharge your batteries and refocus you on what matters most (because let’s face it, distractions are everywhere!)
• Small things that strengthen your body and fuel energy.
• Small things that build your resilience and keep problems in perspective.
• Small things that steel your resolve to, pardon the French, “get shit done.”

The truth is that it’s those small things we do each day, that few may see, which create the big results that everyone wants. So let me ask you, what is something that, if you did it daily, would help you do everything else better? Or put another way, what one thing, if practiced often would help you be a better you?

As I share in the video below, the top five daily rituals that, when done often, will enable you to do everything else better are one’s I practice often myself. I hope they’re as powerful for you  as they are for me!

1. Set your intention.

Start your day by setting an intention for WHO you want to be. Choose 3 or 4 attributes to describe the person you will be that day, no matter what happens. For instance, set your intention to be focused, resilient, patient, assertive, brave, bold, purposeful, passionate, enthusiastic, optimistic, calm, generous.

    2. Practice gratitude.

Nothing shifts our perspective on ourselves or life more than gratitude. So invest time every day (ideally at the start of your day) to focus on what you have to be grateful for. Gratitude is a powerful tonic for life’s problems and helps you to handle all the challenges life brings your way better.

   3. Move your body.

You live in your body and if your body isn’t getting the love it needs, then you can’t possibly bring your best self to the big game of life.  I’m not talking about extreme nutrition or exercise. I’m simply talking about making sure your body gets to move and your heart has to be pump a bit harder as a result! So if some form of exercise is not currently a part of your schedule, then prioritize time for it. Even a brisk walk can help you process your stress hormones better and fire up your brain to handle your challenges with more calm and focus, less stress and distraction.

   4. Write down your priorities.

Yes, you have a lot you want to get done but you’ll do more when you have narrowed down your priorities to the top 3-4 things you want to get done over the course of any 24 hours. So either before you go to bed or before you start your day, write down (don’t just leave it in your head!) the top things you want to accomplish that day. Priorities those things above all others and watch the results!

   5. Breathe. Deeply. 

Simply taking time to breathe, deeply, right to the bottom of your diagram can change the game for you if you practice if often enough.

Nurture resilience daily. Courage calls for it.

There’s no way you can live the life you truly want, pursue your big bold dreams and pick yourself up from life’s inevitable setbacks unless you’re continually ‘sharpening your saw’, investing time in whatever enables you to be at your best. For me it’s exercising every day, even if it’s just a brisk walk or some yoga in a hotel room. Other times it’s writing in my journal or baking my kids their favorite chocolate cake (and licking the bowl!) And sometimes, when I’ve been busy jumping time zones, it’s taking a long bath or short nap! (My kids will tell you a short nap can work miracles when my patience is wearing thin!)

What about you? Watch my video above on five daily rituals that will take only a few minutes but can make a massive impact to your life.

It’s not the big things you do every now and again that have the most impact on your life. It’s the small things, done often. From them, the best things flow. From them, the ‘best you’ can blossom.

I’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR RITUALS
Please let me know what things you do for yourself – daily or just often – that make a big difference. Who knows, they may help others too (like me!) Please share below.