Change Your Life One Habit at a Time

Years ago, my therapist recommended a book called The Artist’s Way. My biggest takeaway was a ritual called Morning Pages, where I got up early, took a pad of paper and essentially did a brain dump on the paper. The purpose was to clear everything out in my mind, send the critic packing, and simply keep the pen moving until I had 3 full pages. It was, quite frankly, liberating and was the beginning of my journaling journey. Beyond the healing effects of journaling, I loved the quiet of the morning while I settled on the couch with my pad of paper, my pen and my coffee. It became a ritual.

Over the ensuing years it morphed into a gratitude journal and when I discovered Hal Elrod’s book, The Miracle Morning, it reminded me of my time with my foolscap pad. In it, he expanded the morning regimen to include what he calls S.A.V.E.R.S. - Silence (meditation), Affirmations, Visualizing, Exercise, Reading and Scribing (journaling). He also shows how all of these can be done in an hour. I’ve now been doing this morning ritual for the past 3 years and it has been game-changing for me. As a coach, it’s an integral part of keeping me aligned with my goals and staying in flow for my clients.

Granted, it might seem like a lot to take on if you don’t have a set morning ritual. Before you dismiss it, let me share a few things with you that might encourage you to adopt this empowering regimen.

Here are my top tips, in no particular order:

✨ It can be short. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal and incorporate 1 to 2 new habits. Determine what your non-negotiables are. Perhaps it’s meditation or exercise. Hey, it can be as simple as stating “Today is an AWESOME day” when you first wake up and you’re in that hazy theta / alpha state. You’re sending the message to your subconscious and setting a beautiful intention for the day. You’re also raising your vibration right from the get-go.

✨ Keep gratitude front and center. Spending at least 10 minutes in gratitude can have an enormous impact on your day, your life. By engaging in the higher vibration of gratitude, you engage the Law of Attraction. Express gratitude not only for the things you have, but the things you KNOW are on their way - those things you WANT.

✨ Move it your way. You can do part of your exercise (say, 5 minutes of yoga or a 10-minute dance party in the kitchen) and do the rest later in the day. Robin Sharma takes a walk in nature every day at 5pm to move his body and decompress. The point is to move your body in an intentional way before your workday starts.

✨ Affirmations made easy. Do your mirror work while you’re brushing teeth morning and night. As a colleague reminded me the morning I wrote this - you are speaking to the giant within and calling it forward when you do mirror work. Tip: speak into 1 eye, then the other. The bonus here is if you piggy-back your affirmations on an already-existing habit, you’re riding on the theta brain waves which is when you’re most receptive to ideas.

✨ Ya gotta have the vision first. Bob Proctor said, “if you can hold it in your mind, you can hold it in your hands”. If you don’t have a vision board, make one! This powerful tool has been instrumental for some of the most successful people you know. TD Bank reported in a survey that 82% of small business owners who used vision boards from the start reported achieving more than half of the goals they set. I can attest to that - I created my first vision board in May 2023. By November 2023, I had already manifested 3 of the images on my board.

My vision board sits between my bedroom and the ensuite where I can pause when I walk by, take in the beauty of my vision for a few minutes in the morning and just before bed - that’s when it’s most powerful.

✨ Make the time. As you work your way up to a number that works for you (6 seems to be the magic number for a lot of people), build in whatever accountability is effective. I am part of a 6am study group so this is where I get my reading and studying done (one of my non-negotiables). You might want to put it in your calendar with reminders, or commit to joining a group like I did. The new Badass Coaching membership includes weekly Study Groups that can help cement your new habit.

✨ Be a little insane. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Incorporating new daily habits that serve us flips that quote on its ear (and leverages it at the same time). That is, if you don’t like the results, do the polar opposite and do THAT over and over again.

For example, I found myself experiencing different results by reading the same book over and over again and absorbing its message. Recently, that was Atomic Habits by James Clear. I was headed to a retreat and the audio book was exactly the time it would take to drive there and back. BOOM! I’ve done this with The Big Leap, Think and Grow Rich and a host of other books that hold a message I want to integrate.

💭 It may seem illogical to get up earlier and start doing things that seem innocuous like reading, but believe me, these repeated, consistent habits pack a giant punch. Since starting this work, I’ve released 30 lbs, got engaged to the love of my life (we’re in the process of building our dream home), and launched a new career in my 60’s! As Steve Jobs said “ you cannot connect the dots going forward, you can only connect them going backwards”.

If accountability is what you need, then you’ll want to become a Founding Member of the Badass Coaching Program. For $209 for the first year ($19/month, with one month free), you’ll have access to a monthly group coaching call, weekly study group and deep discounts on world-class self-study programs that you can bring to the study group once you’ve gone through your “shelf-help” (you know, those books and programs you’ve purchased in the past but never cracked open). This is your chance to get important habits on your calendar and get in with a community of like-minded individuals that can change the direction of your life.

I can’t wait to hear about the new habits you’ve adopted and the impact it’s having on your life.