On Rising & Shining

One of my biggest, most persistent goals for 2016 was to commit to a morning routine and create the space in my life for silence, meditation, (more) gratitude, affirmation, exercise and ideation.

I set this goal in January and here I am on the home stretch of 2016 reflecting that it took me until OCTOBER to really get going and be consistent & committed to this ritual. There are days where, believe me it is still a practise (isn’t everything?) but the difference being - Ive cracked that ‘runner’s high’ moment where you push through the pain and feel the glorious benefits & value to that 5am wake up call! 

Like you, I have read countless articles about the benefits of waking up early, seizing the day, meditation, how it relates to performance & well-being, and like you I have hit the snooze button time and time again and made every excuse under the sun to stay in bed and catch a few more minutes of sleep.

I get that a morning ritual is not revolutionary but this has been a game changer for me & if you are familiar with my work (Talent Lab etc) you will know that I am committed to sharing in the hope that it will impact your performance + drive your business forward. Heck, maybe you have been wrestling with this too and need a sign or a gentle push, here it is! 

What has shifted for me through this morning ritual:

  • My thoughts and decision making is more intentional and considered

  • I am responding to the world around me as opposed to reacting to it (think about it)

  • I have a 2 hour head start on the day before my son’s wake up wanting Cheerios - ‘in the GREEN bowl, NO! the orange bowl!’

  • I feel centred and calm

  • I am listening to more music and watching less TV

  • My use of social media has wound down significantly - I’m not going to bed scrolling through instagram or starting the day reading fb posts, in fact, I deleted some of these apps from my phone entirely.

  • I am experiencing more depth in my relationships. Deeper/more authentic conversations.

  • I feel more clarity on my 10 year vision. What I am working towards. The life I want today, tomorrow and how I will get there.

  • I feel like there are enough hours in the day

  • Idea’s are flowing through me. I feel inspired at work & home. I wrote this statement down last week ‘I am going to lead break through work in Talent Development & Human Performance’. The crazy (best) part is - I believe that.

Three things that inspired me into action:

This post by RYU Apparel

The book: Miracle Mornings 

This article: 8 things you should do before 8am

I feel like I have tapped in to a secret - these 2 golden hours of the day before the world wakes up. Endless possibility and potential.

My intention with this post is that it inspires you to discover these golden hours for yourself. Maybe it has been on your mind, maybe your golden hour is at midnight, maybe you have no interest, what ever it may be, it's there if you want it. It's never to late to change your game. 

"Every morning you have two choices, continue your sleep with dreams or wake up and chase your dreams. Choice is yours."

 

Tess Sloane; Director, Talent & Development at Earls Kitchen + Bar, Co-Founder of Talent Lab, Proud Meema to Jack & Samuel. 

Talent Lab