5 Powerful Steps to Start Your Day on the Path to Success
Have you ever wondered how highly successful women show up as their best selves every day while achieving their professional goals and balancing busy lives? For many, the secret to their success is well-planned morning routines that set the tone for their day. From improving focus to balancing moods and boosting productivity at work or in your business, there are many advantages to designing a purposeful morning routine or ritual that’s right for you.
It may seem like a daunting task to keep from hitting the snooze button repeatedly each morning, but a well-thought-out morning routine can be a game-changer, helping you take command of your day rather than letting it control you. Plus, it’s not as hard as you may think.
To power my day, I start my mornings with these five intentional steps:
1. Rise early
Waking up a few hours earlier each morning will allow you plenty of time to plan for the day ahead and refresh your mind and body—all without feeling rushed. These quiet morning hours when no one else is awake are what I call my "me time." It gives me a sense of calm, peace, and positive thoughts, allowing me to focus my energy on business planning, self-care, and other areas that require my attention, like my family, friends, and work.
2. Reflect, relate, and release
Initiate your mornings with quiet time to reflect, connect, and center yourself to eliminate any stressors and fuel your strength for the day. I make a point to spend the first few minutes of my morning praying, establishing my intentions for the day, and capturing thoughts in my gratitude OneNote journal. I spend time reflecting on the wins from the previous day and valuing the personal and professional growth in my life. I also use this time to let go of what doesn't serve me so I can step purposefully into my power each day.
3. Refresh and recharge your body
Adding an exercise routine to your mornings, such as yoga, a power walk, or working out in your living room, can help jumpstart your day. Every morning, I revitalize my body and mind with a simple 10–15-minute yoga and meditation sequence, promoting relaxation and reducing stress and anxiety. Replenishing your body with water and a healthy and balanced breakfast after your workout is critical to maintaining this momentum.
4. Reclaim your day
Prioritizing the day is a vital morning practice that should start the night before by simply capturing a list of the top three things to accomplish the next day. The morning is a great time to revisit those priorities and create an action plan that outlines the tasks and timeline. I like to combine my daily action plan with time management methods to reclaim the day and protect my time between meetings, allowing me to pause and refocus.
5. Reach out to loved ones
Connecting with loved ones should be an essential part of our morning routines. These powerful connections can make your day, whether it's cuddle time with your kids, breakfast with your partner, an early morning text or call to a loved one, or snuggling a pet. Intentionally being physically (or virtually) and emotionally present in their lives is mutually beneficial and will set the course for how you navigate the day.
These five steps will hopefully spark ideas to start your day on the path to success. What will your new morning routine include?