Before a rock band launches into a song, the drummer “counts them in”. That’s what it’s called when the drummer strikes his sticks together and grunts “One-and-Two-and . . .” He’s establishing the beat and kicking the song into gear.

Without that kick-start, the band would be floundering its way into the rhythm of the song.

That’s why you need to “count” yourself into your day – each morning.

You need a way to establish the rhythm of your day. To set the tempo and bring the day into focus before you launch yourself into action. You don’t need drum sticks to do this. You do it through a morning ritual.

Ritual may seem like a strange – even archaic – word.

But, you’ve performed rituals all your life. Whenever you’ve intentionally engaged in a practice in order to establish a new pattern of thought, speech, or action – you’ve been using the power of ritual.

Rituals are different from habits – those patterns of behavior that operate without intention or awareness.  A ritual is any intentional practice that you engage in to put your mind/body/spirit into alignment with – your values, your calling, and your life. Even with Life itself.

The root meaning of ritual – is from the Sanskrit rta meaning “order’

Practicing ritual is a way of bringing your life into order. Not obsessive, lint-picking order. Rather, ritual is a practice for aligning your daily life with the deep, creative, and purposeful direction of your life-as-a-whole.

Ritual is a way of pausing and realizing – this precious moment is part of your life and Life itself.

Through ritual you merge the current of your life stream into a larger current of meaning, purpose, and direction.

This moves you towards greater creativity, higher performance, and deeper fulfillment

Ritual is a way of liberating yourself from distractions, of grounding yourself in the sacred nature of your particular life story. Ritual situates your life’s joys and challenges in a broader – enriching – spiritual context.

Almost any activity can be converted into a ritual.

Even something as commonplace as a greeting can become a ritual. The intentionality you bring to the act of saying, “Good morning” to a colleague – turns what is typically an act of habit into a creative ritual.

Reflexively saying “Good morning” won’t enhance or deepen your relationship.

But saying “good morning” as a ritual can contribute to relationship building. Why? Because you infuse the simple act of greeting with awareness, intention, and creative power. You don’t have to be dramatic in what you do – simply mindful of why and how you are doing it.

The most powerful rituals are initiating rituals.
You know about the power (for good or ill) of first impressions, first dates etc. These “firsts” are initiating rituals that sent in motion a new arc of activity or a new relationship. It’s just like the drummer “counting in” the band. The way you start anything sets a tone, a tempo, a dynamic that tends to persist. Better to start in rhythm.

That’s why a morning ritual is so important.

Everyday can be a new beginning. A new arc of activity. An opportunity to realign the arc of your day with your life’s purpose and direction. Your morning ritual is a way of starting your day intentionally – with body, mind, and soul focused on creating what matters most.

So what is a morning ritual?

It’s a 30 – 60 minute sequence of practices for mind/body/spirit integration that sets the direction of your day. It’s a way of counting in your day, setting the tone and tempo – and grounding your awareness in a place of inner peace and creativity.

What are the elements of a morning ritual?

It involves three M’s:

1. Meditation – a practice of connecting to Spirit, your spiritual center, and the source of creativity within.
2. Movement – a practice for stretching and strengthening, and renewing the body – that is tailored to your physical condition and needs.
3. Mental Prep – a practice of identifying 3 high value actions (an idea I learned from Mark LeBlanc)  that will further your purpose – personally and professionally.

These three simple ingredients can be combined, customized, and tailored in ways that work for you.

How much time you spend on each element can vary depending on your needs at different times in your life. But, these three elements – meditation, movement, and mental preparation are key to a powerful morning ritual. Here’s an overview of each element (for more details – listen to the audios at the link at the end of this article)

Meditation

The practice of meditation quiets the mind, opens the heart, and connects you with an uncontrived, natural inner strength. Meditation increases clarity so that you are aware of outer events and inner states without being overwhelmed or compelled by either.

There are hundreds of ways to practice meditation. The spiritual traditions of the world are rich repositories of methods for steadying attention, stilling thought, and expanding awareness. If you are aligned with a particular spiritual tradition – turn to the great teachers and mystics of your faith. In their teachings you will find guidelines and techniques for developing meditative attention.

The key is to start practicing. Begin by making meditative silence and meditative stillness a part of your morning ritual. Make time every morning– even for only a few moments – to simply breathe and connect with a presence that transcends than your everyday mind.

Movement

The key to incorporating body movement and exercise into your morning ritual is mindfulness. Whatever exercise you choose – do it mindfully. In other words, don’t listen to the radio, TV or any other device. Just be present with the movements of your body and the rhythms of your breath. Let go of competition and striving – rather go deeply into the experience of your body as it works and warms up.

Mental Preparation

What is it that matters most in your work and life? What are three High Value Actions that you can take today to serve, realize, further that which matters most. Keep this process simple and focused. Notice if you think of actions that are highly valuable – but also scary. This is common. And a good sign that you’re onto something important. The most powerful actions are those that cause you to lean into your discomfort. Go for a few each week.

Create a morning ritual.

Because when you want to rock your life – it’s important to count yourself in every morning.

Let me know how this works for you. (And also – what doesn’t work, so we can customize the ritual more precisely).

Here’s a link to some audio tracks about

1. The morning ritual
2. Introduction to meditation
3. A guided meditation

Related posts:

1. Are you in shred mode?
2. Why should leaders meditate?
3. How to be more creative (without trying)
4. How Strong is Your Attention Muscle?
5. What’s your mantra?