Rituals

You might not even notice it, but you practice certain rituals every single day.

When you get up in the morning, what is the very first thing you do? What do you do after that? And after that? Do you have a set of things  that  you do the moment you get in the driver’s seat of a car? Enter your office? Get in the locker room?

What does your bedtime look like? Do you randomly keel over whenever you’re tired enough or do you march your sluggish bum upstairs, brush your teeth, complete your necessaries, and burrito yourself under the covers?

I have rituals not just for getting up in the morning or going to bed at night. I also have a set stack of habits for getting the kids off the bus, taking care of my pets, and even calling my mother (thanks to author James Clear of Atomic Habits for the concept of Habit Stacking).

 

In conversation with a coaching client this week about morning rituals, we explored the value of having rituals in place to eliminate decision fatigue, increase productivity, and generally set ourselves up for success. Let’s dive in.

 

Personal rituals can have many benefits, including but not limited to:
Reducing Anxiety: Rituals can help us reduce anxiety and stress, especially before any task that we expect to be stressful. 

Improving Performance: Rituals can help us improve focus, execution, and confidence.

Increasing Resilience:  Rituals can help us become more resilient and less anxious socially, psychologically, and physiologically.

Connecting With Values: Rituals can help us connect with our own basic values and sense of self. 

Creating Stability: Rituals can cultivate a sense of stability and purpose, which can contribute to a healthier mind.

Coping With Challenges: Rituals can help us cope with challenging periods of our lives such as grief and other losses.

Setting a Pace: Rituals can help set a pace and give us a sense of movement, even when we are feeling overwhelmed.

 

If you’ve ever read The Miracle Morning or The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents (both authored by Hal Elrod), you know how powerful a solid morning routine or ritual can be.

Friends, I read those books cover to cover and I was so motivated to metaphorically turn my life around that I decided that the following Monday I was going to get up early and begin my new life with a Miracle Morning every day. High five. Full stop. Go me, I’m crushing it already and I haven’t even started yet.

You want to know how long that lasted? Two days. Two stinkin days. Yep. By day three I rolled over, hit the snooze button repeatedly, and declared “F**k that noise!” as I drifted back off to sleep. 

So how did I go from quitting the ‘new me’ plan to the actual ‘me’ plan I have today? I started small and built it up over time. 

Ask any physical trainer and they’ll tell you that the secret to getting stronger or losing weight isn’t a crash diet or spending hours a day in the gym because that lifestyle is impossibly unrealistic for nearly everybody. You know what does work? Healthy habits. Dave Horsehager (author of The Trust Edge) explained his weight loss journey at a leadership convention I attended last fall. He said that finding small changes made the largest impact on his health and fitness. He realized he was actually drinking a lot of his calories, so he cut down or completely eliminated the caloric-dense beverages he was used to having. That simple shift made a gigantic difference, and all he needed to do was order a water instead of a coke when he went out to eat. 
Anybody can make small shifts in their regular activities to improve their overall health and wellness. One of my colleagues refuses to take the elevator when he comes to the office every day. Another friend walks at least two loops around the block every morning so she can be sure to hit her daily step goal. Some people intermittently fast and refuse to stick anything besides water in their mouth before a certain time of day. 

Nope.

Let’s break down some habits and rituals and see how we might improve or add small things to our day to increase our production and expedience. 

 

Let’s consider our basic morning routine. Yup, I know, that’s our ‘me’ time and we’re not in the game yet, but we are getting ready to get into work mode so why not prep our heads while we’re prepping our bodies to be out in the world? 
Let’s imagine what our bodies and what our brains need the most every day to have the absolute best day ever. 
First, we need hydration. Let’s make sure we’re drinking enough water. 
We need hygiene, so manage your necessaries wherever and however you do that. 

We also need to center ourselves mentally, so that might include some form of gratitude, journaling or meditation. 
We need movement, so maybe consider what a realistic move goal would be to get the blood flowing freely through our morning brains. 
What else might YOU need to make sure you have a fantastic day? Do you need a healthy breakfast? Do you need cuddles with your pets or children? Write that down.

Now analyze that list and determine what of these things you’re already doing. 
You’re halfway there! Do you brush your teeth every morning? GO YOU you’re DOING IT! What else do you do? Circle those items. 

Now here comes the fun part: you’re going to pick your next move. What of that list makes the most sense for you to incorporate into your daily routine first? Do NOT take it all on otherwise you’ll run the risk of tripping. One thing. Is it journaling? Is it food prep? Is it exercise? Whatever it is, make it small and manageable and then commit to it. This is your assignment starting on Monday. For the following month you’ll work this new activity into your morning routine every day until the novelty wears off . It will become part of your morning ‘package’ and you don’t even think about it when you do it. Once you’ve mastered what James Clear refers to as your new Habit Stack, you’re ready to add on the next layer. Repeat for another month and then add another on, and another, until you’ve designed the ideal morning routine that will ensure you have the best day ever, every day. 

 

A full task list seems too rigid when you try to eat that elephant in one sitting, whereas a solid routine should feel like a natural flow to you once you’ve mastered these new habits. 

 

As always, it is an honor and a privilege to be in business with each and every one of you. 

 

Yours in Success, 

Coach Lins