Routines of Successful, Happy Women

I spend a lot of time reading about the habits of successful women, and, more importantly, how they find an element of balance (or happiness) in their lives despite a busy schedule.

I have learned a lot in the 3 years I have run my own business and also remained on faculty at a University, while raising my three boys (and a German Shepherd). From the the biographies of business owners I have devoured, to the women I have asked directly, to the blogs or pod casts and Ted Talks I have listed to every day while working in my studio, I have discovered there are similarities among them all.

They don't start their day jumping into email, staying in bed until the last second or scrolling social media. 

The morning routines of successful women involve one simple secret rule: they hold sacred time, usually before anyone else is even thinking of waking up, to start and ground their day.

In no particular order, these are the most common things successful women do to start their day:

• They drink a glass of water to hydrate

• They drink a glass of water to hydrate

• They drink green tea

• They set a goal for the day 

• They write an affirmation to reinforce their goals

• They jounal or plan their day in blocks, keeping time related to big goals

• They meditate to quiet their minds

• They work out so that it gets done (they take care of their bodies)

• They eat a healthy breakfast with greens, oats, berries, flax, protein

• They express gratitude (written or spoken)

They continue through their day and their week successfully by doing a few more things. At least, I have found this to be true:

• They prioritize - they think about what is most important and spend their time on those things. If you can think about how much time to devote to work or other---stuff--and how much time you devote to the things that matter most, and see that it falls to 70/30 in favor of work, eliminating the 'extras' is not as big of a deal as it seems. Just do it.
• They make decisions based on their priorities
• They are okay with not doing it all
• They don't waste time on unproductive things

After adopting most of these habits, I can honestly profess that the days I reserve the hour in the morning for my sacred morning routine, my day is optimized for greatness. Every single time. I always go back and see if I have met my goals on those days in my  journal - which I use to block plan and write an affirmation with  3 things I am grateful for. Those days are solid days.

Stay with me in 2018 as we delve into wellness beyond the level of skin-deep. It's so important to take care of yourself on the outside, but treating yourself well on a soul level is 100% a priority for all of us.