• What does the beginning of your day look like? How do you spend the first 30 to 90 minutes of your morning?

Those first things you do in the morning set your tone for the day. A morning routine can set you up to feel more productive, empowered, and even accomplished.

Research shows that habits, like morning rituals, set you up for success.

Adding the right rituals to your morning routine can start a domino effect of achievement. Instead of reacting to things that happen to you throughout the day, a morning routine helps you shift to being proactive about achieving your goals.

You can even think about habits you want to remove from your morning routine.

Arianna Huffington, the founder of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global, has shared that a part of her morning routine is about what she does not do – like checking her phone.

Consider what you can do to create a morning routine to support your goals and the life you want to live.

How to integrate morning rituals into your routine:

1. Think about the person you want to be. Start with your “why” so you can envision the transformation you want as a result of your routine. Do you want to be successful? What does success look like to you?
   • Do you want to be happy? What does happiness look like to you?
   • What can you add to your routine that will help you start the day proactively?
2. Start with easy wins. Easy wins – or easy tasks – like making your bed will help you start the day off on a positive note.
3. Enjoy the process. Importantly, enjoy the process. If you are too busy to do each part of your ritual each day, be compassionate with yourself. Practice self-forgiveness if life gets too busy for you to complete your morning routine.

Having an intentional morning routine will help you put in that work to become the woman you want to be, feel empowered, and reach your goals.

Use these morning rituals to feel more confident:

1. Make your bed. Successful women and men suggest creating a domino effect of achievement by starting each day with making your bed. Making your bed each morning starts your day with a sense of accomplishment, pride, and encouragement.
   • Naval Admiral William McRaven said, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”
2. Drink a glass of water. Overnight, our bodies go eight hours without hydration! Start your morning by waking up your senses and rehydrating with a glass of water.
3. Journal. Journaling helps you get your thoughts onto paper and set goals. It can help you reflect on the past, appreciate the present, and decide how you want the future to look. If you are a person of faith, use journaling as a way to record your prayers. Use these prompts to guide your journaling:
   • How did yesterday feel for you?
   • Set your intention for the day.
   • Reflect on what you are grateful for.
   • Ask God for wisdom, discernment, and guidance.
4. Move. One of the last things you can integrate into your morning routine is movement. Going for a walk or hitting the gym can wake you up and give you energy. The movement will also help release mood-boosting endorphins!

Life is unexpected and you might have other responsibilities. Avoid giving yourself unnecessary pressure to complete your morning routine each day.

Make your morning routine fun – it should be your time to reflect, energize and reset.

Your morning routine is your gift to yourself!