You already have a sense of whether you are a morning person or a night person, that is when you think the most clearly, have creative ideas, and can focus on important projects.

Commit to a ritual

Our daily rituals contribute a lot to how creative we are, how energized we feel, and how focused and thoughtful we work. Even if a daily ritual requires you to get up earlier, to retreat to a room alone, or to withdraw from family members for a little while, you will find that it helps you serve everyone else more fully and from the heart.

Ideas and solutions will just float into your mind

A 30 minute walk and ten minutes of inspirational reading makes all the difference in the world. The walk increases your metabolic rate. Focus on your senses: what you see, hear, and smell. You will find yourself shifting to a “floating” mentality, where ideas and solutions can float into your mind.

Here’s what I do:

I often walk at 5:30 AM, taking my big dog, Jasper, and wearing a reflective vest. I have experienced the moon as a gigantic “spotlight,” felt the thrilling crunch and quiet of a new snow, and created new friends among other early walkers…even though we just say hello.

It gets easier

After you get started exercising, it is easier to increase your commitment. Now I  hop over to the gym for a vigorous class or to lift weights relieving the stress in my arms and shoulders.   Another short walk at the end of the day relieves stress for dinner time.

More exercise equals more energy

When I need to work late and have a very focused mind, I go to an exercise class at 5 PM, even if I went to one that morning. I always leave that class feeling as if I can take on the world. As we get older, we need to exercise more, not less.

Why read?

Inspirational reading is a necessary part of reframing the mind in a positive way. If you clear out the mental garbage, the accumulation of negative thoughts that we all have lurking around in our minds, you operate on a high wave length the rest of the day. Read a holy book of your choice, or check out my favorite  inspirational library.

The triple whammy morning power surge

If you want to experience a triple whammy of divine insight, go for an early walk, followed by a meditation, followed by journaling 3 pages. Keep writing until you fill up the 3 pages. WOW!

Night time rituals

An evening ritual is just as important for wisdom and success as the morning ritual. One of the most powerful resources for this time of day is The Mastermind Journal. Here are some of the things it includes:

• Each night, you add an item to a monthly gratitude list.
• There is another place to review the day (only a small paragraph)
• Still another place to list accomplishments (bit ones and tiny ones)  
• Still another place to write daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
•  There are also affirmations for each day…a powerful, loving thought to focus on first thing before you get out of bed.

I have been using the Mastermind Journal now for 9 years! 

Your sanctuary

Make bed time a special retreat for yourself. Create your bedroom as a peaceful, spiritual place. Remove clutter, take the TV out, and treat yourself to colors that call to you.  I like to think of my bedroom as a sanctuary. I even have a little alter.

Favorite books 

Finally, my favorite treat of the day, is indulging in a delightful, riveting book, the kind one can’t put down. I retire early just to read and work in my journal. That peaceful “self” time wasn’t available when my children were young. Now I relish in it. Reading is what makes life so very rich…expanding one’s view of the world, meeting loveable and unscrupulous characters, and taking unlimited adventures. For some of my highly recommended favorites, click here.