What if I can't? What if I'm not ready for “this?”
These two questions paralyzed me for years. I desperately wanted to be like the amazing people who had empowering morning rituals – habits like meditation, exercise, visualization, affirmations – but …
What if I can't? What if I'm not ready for “this?”
I finally (finally!) just broke through my self-imposed limits of creating a set of morning rituals and the results are profound.
I haven't given up hours of sleep or sacrificed my relationships to do it. Instead, I've gained a ton like:
- Beginning the day the way I always want to … with silence, darkness, and intention.
- Turning meditation into a habit and receiving all the fantastic benefits that comes with it.
- Learning how to consistently keep promises to myself (big ones and small ones).
- Honoring the actions I've previously skipped when the world wanted too much from me, which lets me give so much more to the world.
I'm no wise man, but this Smart and Simple Matters episode is all about sharing my and others' insight about morning rituals.
Meaningful morning rituals make the difference between feeling like the day is almost instantly out of control and slowing it down to match your preferred rhythm. They are the cornerstone of knowing what's going on inside you before the outside world of email, Facebook, and the news comes knocking.
Morning rituals give us our daily strength, center us, and prepare us for whatever comes our way (expected or not). So before the kids, the Internet, and work show up to disrupt and reprioritize your day, get yourself ready.
Our thoughts, or their deliberate absence, drive everything we do and will be. Let's sculpt them like a fine artist.
Our brains and bodies have evolved to be pessimists. Let's show them why they don't have to be fearful anymore.
I'll share more words from my complete, unedited, and (formerly private) morning promises when you crank up this episode.
Your kids are looking to push buttons. Give them levers that generate kindness instead.
Here. We. Go.
You're about to Learn …
- What my complete, unedited, and previously private daily promises are.
- The misunderstood – but essential – difference between routine and rituals.
- Why maintenance is for gardens and machines … not humans.
- How pessimists can begin each day sunny side up (and become optimists).
- What practicing dying has to do with my morning rituals.
- Why unlearning is as important as learning.
- What I'll be doing for National Hugging Day 2016.
- Where I'm going after 200,000 downloads of this show.
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Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode:
- Websites:
- SimpleREV 2015 Tickets
- Coffee, Bacon & Books
- Master New Media
- Simply Clearly
- Resources:
- Books:
- Podcast Episodes:
- Blog Posts
- Celebrating One Year of Experience Curating
- Courtney Carver's 5 Minute Habit Stacking: Mini-Mission
- Leo Babauta's An Intentional Life
- Leo Babauta's Practicing Slowness & Being Present
- Hal Elrod's The (6-Minute) Miracle Morning
- Laura's Routine Habit & Ritual For A Simpler Life
- Practicing Dying to Simplify Living
Topics
- [02:25] An update on all things Joel
- [09:07] Why morning rituals are so dang important
- [15:58] The ins and outs of how I meditate
- [20:36] My challenges with visualization
- [22:06] My full, unedited morning promises
- [34:50] What I'd like to add to my morning rituals
- [36:19] How to start your own morning rituals
- [43:12] Examples of other people's morning rituals
- [46:18] The wrap up
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Transcript
The transcript will not be available until I find a new transcriptionist (if you know someone good, let me know).
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I really enjoyed the episode Joel. You were very honest and targeted about your routine and promises. I am disabled and bed bound but it made me make the promise that I will travel even if only virtually in the web. It has prompted me to start a morning routine with meditation and plan my day to have value and purpose. Thanks for showing vulnerability with your promises. It made it easier to be honest for how life could be purposeful and simple with a disability.
Wow Anne. I’m both impressed with what you’ve already done since listening to the episode and grateful for your courage. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable really is a form of confidence, and I’m glad we can help others do it, too.
Have you found someone for transcription yet? Looking forward to adapt your promise to my needs.
No, Karsten, I still don’t have a cost-effective transcriptionist lined up. By the way, something might have been lost in translation when you wrote, “Looking forward to adapt your promise to my needs.” I don’t understand what you mean by that.
Hi Joel,
I want to express my gratitude for this podcast with your great walk-through. Struggling with the own implementation of my morning routine I find your input very helpful.
And a big – yeah really big – thank you for sharing your statement/promises. They fell right into a very deep place of my heart. I want to ask you for something … after reading this, please look for someone you like and let them give you a big and long hug from me.
Thanks for your open and free giving, that’s the kind of love that makes the world a better place, by making us more open and more human. I very much could connect with you about the part of your wife and your kids. But every part was interesting in my point of view. Do you know that your ideas make strong impacts on my personal to-do lists (PUG, Perfect Day, read your book, and now writing my Personal Promises).
And do not let the pessimist-voice in you say: “The guy does not mean what he writes.” I hope that many others will give you the same feedback. Just spread your wings and let us be your wind.
I’m deeply touched by your note, Felix. I found a gal I particularly enjoy and got a hug with your virtual name on it. And you know, I rarely get to see other people’s Personal User Guides. There’s no obligation or expectation, of course, but I’d love to see the hard work you put into yours some day.
Hi Joel,
about the hug – you are welcome.
about the Personal User Guide – you will get mine if I pulled it together. Still may take some weeks with my three toddlers at home. But thats a promise.
I will put it on my (new) homepage anyway.
Guess you will hear from me…
You said to comment if we had any questions about your promises to yourself, so here I am –
What did you mean by “maintenance is for machines, not people?” You clearly believe in healthy eating, which I often hear of as part of “health maintenance.”
Though you said that these promises are context-heavy, so perhaps “maintenance” has some context for you that it doesn’t have for me?
Thanks.
Thanks for taking me up on my prompt, Tyler. Here’s what I mean by my whole “Maintenance is for things like gardens and machines, not humans” statement.
Most people I know spend most of their time in relationships maintaining a certain baseline. For example (I know I’m over-generalizing here), a lot of time and energy goes into making sure that your existing friendships don’t deteriorate. And I totally get that.
But I want the majority of the energy I pour into relationships – with my family, my friends, the communities I belong to – to go into growing them. In other words, my emphasis is on keeping all my human relationships in a constant state of blooming instead of simply keeping a status quo.
That’s why I leave the maintenance to things like machines and gardens. Because human relationships aren’t the kind I thing I maintain; they’re the thing I’m consistently cultivating all-year-round (and without being nudged to do it).