It is 10PM, you are ready to go to sleep, you make a list of actions you want to accomplish the next day. You visualize your day ahead of time. Everything is clear and set.
It is 5.30 in the morning the alarm clock rings.
You wake up , and before you put your feet on the floor, your head still on the pillow, your mind brings you places you do not plan on going. But for some reasons it goes there and the dialogue start occuring in a matter of a second. “ I am tired, I haven’t slept well, I need to listen to my body. I need to be kind to myself. I need to sleep a little bit more.”
This is the crucial moment which is going to define how your day is going to unfold.
You have a choice to make here either to shut off the voice and go on with your plan no matter how you feel or you can listen to the “little self soothing, comforting” voice.
Our mind can be quite convincing and very creative at times and so “caring” (we think) especially when we want to escape from scary, uncomfortable situations.
And all the beautiful visualization we spent 10 minutes writing meticulously the night before gets rewritten in an instant.
“I am going to set up my alarm for 7AM. I will start my day after the kids are in school. I will go to the breakfast network before going to the gym .Yes, That’s it, this afternoon, it will be less crowded, it is even better. How come I haven’t thought about that last night. I will make all my calls this morning, and write my article after going to the gym. So much better.”
And off we go rolling under the cozy and warm comforter, reassuring ourselves that this plan is much better it will get done but in a different order.
Sound familiar?
We all have those moments for some of us they are more frequent than others.
I have dealt with this issue myself way too many times until I decided on doing the 5 daily early riser activities that are bringing me strength, sanity, health, and energy and the most important of all the drive to get free from limitations and enter a world of new possibilities.
In order to get to that point, I had to figure out what was working for me and what was not.
I have experienced going to the gym first thing in the morning. I have decided to take care of my mind first before I do anything else.
The 5 activities I am going to share with you may take over an hour, close to 1 hour and a half.. Find what is working for you. It is your choice. I really recommend you do step 1, 2 and 3.
The other 2 can be done through the day.
Step #1: Feed yourself with words of wisdom, encouragement
Read affirmations, inspirational quotes, daily devotional book, personally I read the words of God.
I have installed an app on my ipad called the Bible in one year.
I like their format.
They always finish with a prayer.
Goal: It is to start your day filled with empowering and inspiring words. It is to quiet the voices of false reason when they come up.
Action: Decide on a what media you want to use. Set it up. Put it on your night stand the night before.
This process can take between 2 to 5 minutes
Step# 2: Journal
Pour out your heart and soul on paper
Journaling is a wonderful exercise to go inside you, to know you better and increase your level of awareness about your feelings, your own self. It can also be a way to improve your creativity and let yourself express your deep self, your dreams, desires, ideas.
For whatever the reason, journaling is an excellent exercise for expanding your mind.
Goal: It is to have a gentle, encouraging, non judgemental, loving voice talking to you.
We are so quick to judge ourselves and beat ourselves up. This exercise if it is done on a regular basis will make a huge shift the way you treat yourself.
Action: Buy yourself a nice notebook. I purposely say notebook. Again you may choose to use a computer or an ipad, but there is something magic happening on putting your thoughts, feelings on paper. Write 3 pages non stop. If you do not know what to write write “ I do not know what to write”. There is a wonderful book I highly recommend you to read. It is called “the Artist’s Way” from Julia Cameron where she talks about the 3 morning pages.
This process can take 20 to 30 minutes depending on the flow of your writing.
Step #3: Listen to the Voice
We all listen to our own destructive voice.
Why not connect to your gentle self, the universe, or God or whomever you chose.
Personally, I choose to listen to God’s Voice.
This process can be done just after or during journaling.
What do I do? I write God in the margin, and I let God talk to me. I started doing this exercise
more than a year ago. I cannot tell you how this exercise have changed my way of thinking, talking and doing things. We are so quick on judging ourselves, so used to beat ourselves up. So to have a kind, loving caring Voice talking to us may be the best gift we can give to ourselves.
Goal: It is to write down words of kindness about yourself, words that will lift you up and empower you for the rest of the day. Listen to the Voice of no limitation and no judgement.
You will have a different perspective on things. Personally, it deepens my relationship with God and makes me realize how harsh I can be with myself.
Action: Chose who the Voice is going to be for you.
Write it down in the margin in your journal after you have done your own writing.
This process may take 20 minutes or more.
Step # 4: Make a gratitude list
Open Your heart
Give thanks to what you already have received.
What a better way to start the day.
Goal: It is to go on with your day with an attitude of abundance and soft heart.
This process can take 2 minutes.
Action: Write down 5 to 10 things you are grateful for in the back of your dairy.
Step # 5: Meditate
Be still .Quiet your mind. Do not do anything. At first this exercise can be tedious. It can be really hard to stay still for a small period of time, especially without thinking.
Empty your mind and be ready to receive higher voices coming to you judgement no limitation no restriction.
Goal: It is to bring you peace and serenity.
Action: Find a quiet place. Set up your alarm for 5 minutes, to start.
Add a minute every other day.
The ideal is to go to 30 minutes.
If you feel more at ease with 15 minutes. Stay there for a while and start increasing while you are really mastering the 15 minute time.
I challenge you to try these activities for at least a week.
I would love to know what you have experienced.
You can either live your comments down below or email me privately. For those who chose to do so, I am giving you 30 minutes of my time for a brainstorming session.
With all my gratitde,
Remember, it is only when we are in action today that we can change our tomorrow.
About the Author
About the Author
Isabelle is the founder of Break Free Live Complete. As a life Transformation Coach she helps women entrepreneurs and mothers who are struggling to move forward in their life and their business. Isabelle helps her clients recognize their old habits, limiting beliefs, and mental blocks in order to set them free, let go of the no I can't, to the yes I can, reconnect with their true self and tap into their greatness. As the results of her coaching, Isabelle’s clients feel whole, complete and unstoppable.
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