How to set yourself up for success everyday

It’s officially six months into the year. It’s half over, or as I like to look at it – there’s half the year left. 🙂 It’s also a terrific time to pause for a moment, reflect, and reevaluate where you are regarding your goals this year.

The calls I’ve been on lately with clients have been focused on wanting guidance to boost their productivity and being better at meeting their project deadlines.

Plus, they also want a better work-life balance. Is that why you became an entrepreneur? To plan your calendar, manage your time as yours, and work on things you love?

I’ve written before about productivity.

This time, I wanted to share with you something that I believe hasn’t been talked about a lot and that’s creating the one routine that will start off every day setting yourself up for success.

And this one thing has made a huge difference in my productivity. Many of my clients have asked me to share it with them. So I thought you might find some value in this as well—to inspire you to create your routine or update the one you may already have.

I promise when you implement a morning routine – it will set you up for success every day.

First — Let’s Talk About You:

Your Morning Routine – This is huge. How you start your day sets off the tone of your whole day. Pay close attention to it. As my client Alex Mandossian always shared with me – “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Your morning time, when you get up, is your sacred space. It’s your time for yourself and your family needs to honor that time you set aside for yourself. Get up before anyone else does, or let them know you need some space, or get up after they’re gone. Whatever works. 🙂

Currently, how do you start your day?
Do you start out by immediately grabbing your phone before you get out of bed?
Are you willing to change that habit?
What do you do for yourself in the morning that simply lights you up and makes you feel good, joyful, or simply at peace?

My Step-by-Step Morning Routine to Inspire You:

As soon as I wake up – I say my grateful mantra before I get out of bed. (It’s pretty long, so I didn’t want to write it here. Email if you want to see it.)Then I do the bathroom stuff – brush my teeth, etc., and I immediately drink at least 8 ounces or more of water.
Go for a nice early morning walk getting outside in nature with the dog and sometimes with my spouse too. Do something that energizes you and makes you feel alive.
Get home, drink some more water, and get my first cup of coffee (My spouse always makes it for me, and when she leaves early for work, she puts it in the microwave. I call it my magic microwave because it always has coffee in it for me in the morning!) For me, it’s coffee. For you, it could be tea, juice, or something that tastes good and starts your day off feeling healthy.
Get my coffee, and I walk out onto our deck, sit on our comfy sofa and watch the sunrise, usually with Emma, my pup. It’s important to sit somewhere that makes you feel good, comfortable, and at peace.
Read my daily morning books for introspection and inspiration. Since I’ve been in recovery (7 years alcohol-free this year.) I’ve read Melody Beattie’s Language of Letting Go – Daily Meditations on Codependency so much that the pages are worn, torn, and dog-eared. And I also read her next daily reading from More Language of Letting Go. Sometimes, I read Shakti Gawain’s Reflections in the Light- Daily Thoughts and Affirmations. Many of the mantras I put in this eNewsletter are inspired by her book.

Read or listen to something that inspires you and makes you feel content, peaceful, and connected to yourself and the universe.
I write in my journal – It has a red leather cover embossed with some inspiring words – Envision Greatness, Laugh out loud often, Be Creative, Today is the Day, and more. I started my journaling practice in 2020 after reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I promised myself to write my “morning pages” daily. It’s a way for me to clear my head and get stuff out before I start my day.

For me, it’s journaling. For you, it’s what’s best to connect with yourself and think about your day, how you’re feeling, what you’re struggling with, and where you need help. However, you find it best to do that for yourself.
Read some inspiring words – I made a copy of a page from Sonia Choquette’s book Tune In – It’s what I choose each day to feel empowered and be intuitively guided and at peace each day. Some examples: “Live for the moment, Consciously remember to breathe, and tune into my inner guidance each day. Easily release what no longer serves a useful purpose in my life. Do something I love every day. Set my intentions, and follow my inspiration daily. Show my gratitude for everything in life…”

You could write something yourself, maybe your goals, aspirations, how you want to show up for yourself, your family, your business, or a poem, mantra, prayer, or something else. Just as long as it inspires you and creates curiosity, good feelings, and gratitude.
I meditate for about 20 – 30 minutes, usually listening to one of my favorite musicians – Marine Raye, or walkthrough meditations I’ve collected over the years.

If meditation isn’t your thing, then sit quietly. It’s about quieting your mind and connecting to your higher self.
Then I’m ready to start my day, look at my phone, shower and get to my desk. The process, is usually 15 – 30 minutes, not including my morning walk time. That’s the longest part and that’s also one of the things I love – to be in nature in the morning. (Hence all my photos I share. 🙂

You are in charge of your day, feelings, thoughts, and how productive or unproductive you want to be. Plus, you can start your day any time you want. And if it starts off not how you want it, you can start it over at any time too.

And I’d love to say this routine happens daily, exactly as I wrote it above. Well, we both know life sometimes gets in the way.

That’s where compassion comes in and letting go.

When you create your routine every day, you wake up. You have a plan of how you want to show up and start your day.

When I start my day right, it sets me up for success because my head is in the right place.

If I’m feeling overwhelmed and stressed, that’s why I journal to work it out. Use whatever tool works for you, or talk with your partner, spouse, or loved one.

If you have a morning routine, I’d love you to share it. Mine came about years ago from all my reading, talking with friends and colleagues, and experimenting. It’s been fun adding new things.

Let me know if sharing this is helpful to you. I always appreciate your comments and thoughts.

Happy June 1 – it’s summer! Here’s to sunny days and cool summer nights.

Quote I’m Pondering:

“Together spiritual energy, creative mind, and the will form the essential trio of elements making up the soul.” ~ Mark Thurston

Two Powerful Mantras to Inspire: (From John Randolph Price ~ Practical Spirituality)

“I am determined to be all that I was created to be.”

“I now make a conscious decision to step out into mastery in this lifetime.”

What I’m Reading:

Full Circle Marketing: Transform Your Marketing and Turn Customers Into Evangelists by Wayne Mullins

Latest Book Review:

Retention Point: The Single Biggest Secret to Membership and Subscription Growth by Robert Skrob

Weekly Photos:
What a fun holiday weekend. Emma was home having a play date with our neighbor. And Alice and I were off to Bend, OR to see James Taylor in concert. It was a beautiful drive with lots of scenic mountain views. It was also the first concert we’ve seen as a couple.

We had a blast and met some interesting people on our travels. Had some delicious Oregon coffee and some lovely strolls through the Old Mill District which is right across from the Hayden Amphitheater where the concert was held.

The first mountain photo is Mt. Shasta and the second is called the Three Sisters. Then I took a picture of James Taylor playing on stage with his son Henry.