New year, new rituals.
On The Launch Youniversity Podcast, we talked about the power of creating rituals and routines in your life. (Missed the episode? Listen here.) Rituals are the habits you put in place to help you reach your goals.
Do you have a goal to run a 5K in 2019? Make it a ritual. Simply identifying it as a goal won’t make it happen. Committing to running on the treadmill for 30 minutes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning will.
There are four times in your day that are critical for success. Your habits, routines, and rituals during these four times have the power to change your life… or keep you stagnant.
1. When your day starts
What are the things you can do first thing in the morning to set up your day—and year—for success? This could be exercising or meditating or anything that gives you energy and puts your mind in the right space for a good day.
2. When your workday starts
What are the most important things you need to do when your work day starts? Answer overnight emails, check-in with an assistant, quickly complete the tasks you couldn’t get to yesterday? Try creating a routine for the first 15-30 minutes you’re at work and replicate it every single day. If a meeting gets scheduled to start at your arrival time, it means you need to get there 15-30 minutes early that day. Remember, habits only stick when they’re consistent.
3. When your workday ends
How can you end your time at work in a way that helps you finish your important tasks and also helps you decompress? Some ideas are: answer all outstanding emails, review your calendar for the next day, review any files you saved that day and move them to their correct folders. When you have a consistent end-of-workday ritual, you’ll be able to actually leave your work at work.
4. When your day ends
As Jeff always says, “A successful day starts the night before.” How can you wrap up your day and make tomorrow morning better? Maybe it’s making sure your gym or work clothes are clean and laid out. Maybe it’s reviewing your calendar for the next day. Whatever it is, you’ll sleep better knowing that you’re ready for whatever the next day has in store for you.
Remember, there are no such things as “good” rituals or “bad” rituals, but rather… there are rituals that serve you, and those that don’t.
For a young entrepreneur, watching cartoons every night might not be a ritual that serves a goal to be a business owner. However, for a parent who is trying to launch a business, watching 30 minutes of cartoons with your kids at night may be really important to the goal of being more balanced.
You get to choose your rituals and figure out what helps you and what doesn’t. If you focus on these four times of the day, your 2019 goals will start to fall into place.
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