Why Morning Rituals Are So Powerful

Regardless of whether you are a morning person or a night owl, a morning ritual can be the determinant of your day. If you are struggling to be productive, lack direction or have little belief in yourself it could be a direct result of your morning routine or lack thereof.

Willpower at its peak in the morning
It is believed we have the greatest amount of willpower in the morning, so starting your day strong could lead to success and achieving more throughout the day. Although some of us are struggling to wake up, most people tend to be more optimistic and ready to embrace the day in the early hours of the morning. You can think of willpower like a muscle. The longer the day goes on, the more fatigue we experience and our energy levels often feel depleted. Poor self-control and lapses in decision making often occurs later in the day. We crave rest and relaxation, rather than the desire to start something new or fulfil a goal.

Empower your life through a change in your belief pattern
Maintaining a daily ritual also has the ability to empower your life significantly by effectively changing your belief pattern. Most successful people embody a common trait of believing that they have the power to create their own reality simply through a change in their thinking. We see throughout history, highly successful individuals have recognised the power of rituals in reinforcing habits and in changing the way they view and create their own reality. Rituals are considered one of the most powerful and effective self-development tools available at your disposal and they are totally free!

Every morning is different
There is no one way to start your morning. Some of us jump online and check our emails, others scroll through social media, enjoy a mindful breakfast, scurry about getting the kids ready for school or do a morning workout. While there isn’t an ideal way to commence your day, there are some morning rituals which could be beneficial to your success and have a powerful effect on your life in the long term.

Morning rituals of highly successful people
You will find successful people often have a particular thing they do when they wake up as part of their morning ritual. Steve Job’s routine consisted of asking one simple question: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’. The CEO of American Express, Kenneth Chenault, would start his day with a list of the top three things he wants to accomplish which he wrote down the evening before as he left his office. Less about decision making and more about exercise, Anna Wintour, Vogue editor-in-chief kick starts every day at 5:45am with an hour-long tennis match.

While these are extremely personal ways to start their day, there are several morning rituals which successful people tend to have in common including:

Waking up early (usually before 6 am on weekdays)
They exercise first thing rather than at the end of the day
They start the day with intention
They focus on a top-priority project early enough to not be distracted by phone calls, kids, employees or colleagues
Their morning starts with work on a personal project
They allocate time to spent with their family or connect with their partner
They meditate to clear their minds
They express gratitude through journal or note writing
They plan and strategise when they are fresh
They check and clear out their inbox

It is not possible to take each and every one of these habits and make them part of your rituals, but you can use these as ideas to create your own morning ritual. Perhaps you day starts with 10 minutes of meditation, a sentence of gratitude, an intensive workout, a mindful breakfast and continue the day by following a list of to-do’s you compiled the night before. Maybe you commit to waking up 30 minutes earlier on the weekdays so that you can have some time in peace to focus on you and your goals before you are disturbed by your family and the outside world.
So how do you start your day? Do you have morning ritual that keeps you motivated and productive?

Inside the online gym we have guided meditations, workouts, webinars and so much more. All the tools to help you create powerful positive days. Learn more about the online gym and try it out for just $1.