Permission to step into the next level YOU in life and biz
I start almost every client off with a morning routine that they can stick to.
But it’s those last two words that seem to make people cringe.
Because for creatives and entrepreneurs who are stressed and overwhelmed and simply struggling to show up consistently in their business, chances are, that very same belief has carried over into their life as well.
They’re doubting in their ability to stick to the goals they set for themselves. They’re questioning their ability to create results. Or they’re simply feeling so defeated by trying to make this whole life and business thing work together, that they’re not even sure where to start anymore.
And yet, when I suggest starting with a morning routine, I’ve heard almost every excuse in the book...
… A morning routine just isn’t for me
… My life doesn’t work like that
… I’m not a morning person
… That’s too much structure for me and it feels restrictive
… I don’t get how this is going to help my business
And SO MANY more stories around something you’d think was seemingly harmless to try. (Funny how hard our brains work to keep us comfortable, right!?)
Which is exactly why I love setting a foundation for this self-care practice up front.
Because I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Confidence in your business stems from confidence in yourself. Which means that for your business to operate at its best, YOU need to be operating at your best.
But here’s another secret I’ll share with you:
Your goals have a ripple effect.
Which means that by setting a morning routine for which YOU get to decide the parameters, you’re going to start showing up for yourself more often.
You’re going to empower yourself to stick to your own goals and stay accountable to the results.
You’re going to see what it feels like to be consistent.
You’re going to experience more clarity and focus in your everyday life with less decision fatigue.
In short, you’re going to FEEL so much better and you’re going to be able to create the results you want faster and with more ease, not only in your life but in your business too, because showing up and taking the right actions is half the battle there too!
Because once you’ve established that belief in one area, it’s SO MUCH easier to apply it elsewhere.
So today, I want to share how including movement in your morning routine is the single best way I know how to step into the next level YOU in your life and business so you can get started today and see more results tomorrow.
Movement as part of a morning routine
We all know that being an entrepreneur can bring up your own STUFF on a whole new level. The pressure you put on yourself, the emotional baggage, the self-doubt—it can be crippling and paralyzing if you let it. Which is why I like to suggest making movement a part of your morning routine.
You see, most people think of the physical benefits when they think of exercise, but I’ve actually found the mental benefits to have far more impact on my overall wellbeing. Working out in the morning sets the tone for my day. It helps me to start each day off with a positive and productive attitude knowing that I’ve already accomplished something, bringing that momentum into what’s next. The endorphins don’t hurt either.
That’s why when I’m in a busy season and I’m pulling longer days (or drowning in wedding planning as the case may be! 👰), I’m even MORE committed to getting that workout in. Sometimes that means trading my run in for ten minutes of pilates instead. Believe me, I know how easy it is to dismiss your own wellness when there’s so much else on your plate, but establishing a daily practice that makes your own wellness a priority is a wonderful reminder of what’s most important: YOU. Because spoiler alert: in most cases, you ARE the business.
Find a workout you enjoy
When I say I’m a runner, nine out of ten people respond that they don’t like running. “I don’t know how you do it. It’s soooo boring. I would run if it wasn’t for my [insert body part here],” they say. And that’s totally fine—I’m not trying to push running on anyone.
But this happens often enough that I like to steer the conversation toward what kind of workout you DO enjoy. Because finding some sort of physical exercise that you can make a part of your daily practice can have amazing RESULTS, not just physically, but mentally too. Those endorphins can be a real game-changer, helping you to find more joy and fulfillment in your everyday. And you guys—joy and fulfillment are magnetic, attracting more leads, more clients, more income, and more impact. Because trust me, no one’s jumping to get on a sales call with Eeyore.
You see, I believe that there’s some movement, some sort of exercise, for everyone out there. And I think that most people just haven’t given themselves a chance to find it yet. Similar to what I tell my Future You clients about getting visible on social media—you don’t give up on every platform simply because you don’t like Instagram TV. You keep trying things until you find something that you DO like and then you do more of that instead.
Meaning that your beliefs translate. So once you’ve established that way of thinking in one area of your life, it’s so much easier to move it over into another. So don’t give up on all kinds of movement just because you haven’t found something you enjoy yet. Keep looking because when you find an exercise you DO enjoy, you’re going to seeing results. You’ll find gratitude where there used to be stress, focus where there used to be overwhelm, and confidence where there used to be self-doubt. Those are the very feelings that cultivate more action and more income in your business.
Start slow
I picked up running after college when I moved to NYC and decided that I needed to do SOMETHING other than sit at a desk all day. But having never run any sort of long distance, I had little idea of where to start. It was when I actually picked up a book on the topic and I learned the magic of intervals.
When I started running, I would run for two minutes and walk for one. Rinse and repeat. Gradually I got stronger. And gradually I was able to run for longer. I ran my first ever 5-mile race in intervals. And later, my first ever half marathon in intervals.
When you’re looking to work exercise into your morning routine, remember to start off slowly. Ease into it, start with what you’re comfortable with, give your body time to adjust, and build up from there. The same way you don’t go from having a newsletter list of 0 to 60,000 engaged subscribers overnight, you also don’t go from couch potato to marathoner overnight. Experiment and give yourself a bit of grace along the way.
And know that these mindset shifts translate to business too—I see it all the time in my Future You clients. Giving yourself permission to experiment and go at your own pace will always serve you well because you’ll be creating a business that is aligned to YOU and how you want to create it. Furthermore, taking actions that are in alignment with that keeps you from being constantly in conflict with your own desires (aka the single best way to burn out and hate your business). Because let’s face it, when it doesn’t feel good, we never get the results we want—in life or in business.
Shift your mindset around getting that workout in
I also realize that I didn’t always feel this way about my workouts. There was a time when I felt those morning runs were taking up valuable space in my calendar that I could be using for other business-related tasks, like content creation of finding the bottom of my inbox. To be honest, sometimes I still feel that thought creeping in.
When that happens, I make a conscious choice to think about it differently. I repeat the mantra, “Taking care of myself is the most important work I do every day.” There’s a part of me that deeply knows I can only show up as my best self when I make my own wellness a priority.
Because taking care of your own wellness allows you to show up as your best self and that trickles into every aspect of your life—from how you work with clients to how you ask your significant other stop leaving their clothes everywhere but the hamper. ;)
I mean really think about it. When you’re showing up as your best self you’re wayyy more likely to keep that email response friendly and professional when a client asks you to revise the color purple in their logo for the 48th time this week (I’ve been there—I feel your pain). And consequently, you’re more likely to get a friendly and professional response. I can only think that the world would be a happier place if we all made our own self-care a priority because of how differently we show up for ourselves and others when we do.
Build your endurance and know that you can do hard things
Sure there are days when running comes easily. I’m jamming out to T. Swift. The weather is perfect. My muscles are rested. But there are also days when it’s hard. The dog is pulling me every which way. It starts to rain. I’m sore from the day before. The list goes on. But running has shown me again and again that I can stick with it, even on the days that it’s hard.
You guys, this is such a valuable mindset shift in business too. Anyone who has been in business for a hot minute knows that it isn’t always smooth sailing. Launches don’t go as planned. Ads don’t resonate with your audience. Clients don’t respect your boundaries. There will always be stuff that comes up. And yet, you can stay grounded in the knowledge that there will be bumps in the road and there will be things that are hard, but you can do hard things.
But sticking with a form of movement, whatever it is that you choose to do—from running to mountain biking, to yoga—will build your confidence and your endurance. It may push you, it may ask more of you than you think you’re capable of, but it will always show you that you’re stronger than you think. And THAT thought is pure GOLD in both life and business because it will help you to step into the next level version of YOU in life and business.
Because that self-doubt? It never fully goes away. I have Future You clients who have been in business for YEARS battling some of the same mindset challenges as those who are brand new to the game. This mindset work is an ongoing process because each next level of your business requires the next level of YOU. So acknowledge the voice in your head that says it’s hard and then remind yourself that you can do hard things. And do it anyway.
The bottom line:
Including movement in your morning routine is the single best way I know how to step into the next level YOU in your life and business. Don’t write off exercise completely just because you haven’t found something you enjoy yet because movement as part of your daily practice is one of the foundational ways you can take care of yourself and start thriving today.
Finding some sort of exercise that you actually LIKE can be a game-changer in both life and business, having huge physical and mental benefits. You’ll start your day feeling positive and productive, show up as your best self, and keep going even when it’s hard. And those skills are invaluable in both life and business, resulting in more aligned action, more income, and more success that actually FEELS like success.
Tell me in the comments below:
Have you found a form of exercise or movement that you absolutely love? How has it transformed your life and business?
Photography by Jennifer Morgan Photography
