After writing yesterday's post on rebounding and how it stimulates the lymphatic system, I got to thinking about how it's an analogy to life. When we're born, our DNA has all the necessary framework to foster our physical growth. The first 20 years of our lives we're constantly changing, constantly growing. It's much like how our circulatory uses the heart to pump blood throughout the body. Delivering nutrient rich blood to the organs doesn't really require much effort from us. Our heart pretty much takes care of everything for us. The lymph system, however, needs active involvement (in the form of movement) otherwise, things stagnate. If you're passed the teenage years, your physical growth has pretty much peaked. Now it's time to focus on your personal growth.
But, unlike physical growth, your personal growth doesn't happen to you. You have to cause it to come into existence. You have to get up everyday and contribute to your evolution. If no action is taken on your end, your growth stalls. Things become stagnant.
I firmly believe that the results I'm experiencing now is the direct result of the work I've put into my personal growth up to this point. I realize that in order to double and triple my current results, I've got to multiply my growth. The place to get the most leverage, when it comes to personal growth is in the morning ritual.
Now that I work full time from home, my morning aren't as productive as they used to be. Most mornings consist of waking up and checking emails from the night before. Once that's done, I go to the office to check stats and start the workday. Most days I do a little meditation with hubby before he heads to work and I try to listen to a motivational video while working but this won't foster the kind of growth I need to create the kind of transformation I'm seeking.
I've decided to reinstitute the hour of power. This is where I intentionally wake up earlier than normal and begin a series of actions that nurture personal growth. After waking up, I'll drink water, then oil pull while search for motivational videos to listen to while rebounding. Then I reconnect with my vision by reciting affirmations and visualizing my intentions. Once all of that is complete, I'll capture thoughts and ideas on paper (via journaling), read scripture and pray. Then I'll get clear on what to create for the day ahead.
I anticipate to raise the level of clarity about the specific actions that align with my intentions. I also expect to go throughout the day feeling exhilarated after having completed the morning routine. Then there's the compounding result of exercising every morning and daily visualization. Beyond the morning routine, I plan on incorporating a couple other growth measures like attending a business/success seminar in the month of July and possibly taking on business coach to work with 1on1.
Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning, tells a story of how he lost half his business, and his home, during the economic crisis of the early 2000's. Desperate for help, he called a friend for business advice and instead his friend asks Hal, "are you working out every day?" Hal was a bit caught off guard by the question because he couldn't see how exercising could make any difference in his business. After the conversation, Hal Googled the habits of millionaires, CEOs and other successful people and found the common thread--the morning routine. Hal then made the decision to implement his morning routine by waking up at 5:00 am the next day. Two months later, Hal doubled his income, improved his health and shared his experience with others. Hal saw his results replicated by others who implemented a powerful morning routine and felt inspired to create the book.
Hal also talks about implementing a 30 day challenge with the new morning ritual so that we stick it out long enough to see the long-term results. If you feel a little stuck in a rut, take a moment to reflect on how you start your days. And if you're acting, thinking and feeling the way you did a year ago, maybe it's time to foster your personal growth. Time to evolve.
