10 DAILY RITUALS FOR ENTREPRENEURS—Improving Everyday Routines

Most everyone has rituals in daily life. We will look at ten everyday routines. And then we’ll take those rituals and improve upon them to help you thrive as an entrepreneur.<click to tweet>

WAKE — get up and get ‘er done! But first, install morning routines to get off on a good foot. This will ensure that you take time to take good care of your self first thing—don’t jump straight into work. Instead, serve personal needs first. Two simple and effective routines are stretching and drinking water. The ritual of stretching will help get your body ready to work—take it from your pet, downward dog first thing is good for circulation. Then, a glass of water will kick start your metabolism and help you feel more alert. Add a bit of lemon to help cleanse your system, too.

FUEL — eat well at breakfast. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Once the duties get under way it can be tough to take time to eat well. So fuel well first thing, even if you need to eat it on the go. Be sure to balance protein, carbohydrates, and fat for optimal energy.

WORKOUT — get daily exercise. From a walk to a run or biking to work, the benefits of moving are physical and mental. Increased blood flow will boost strength, endurance, and ability to think. And it gives you energy for everything else you do.

PONDER — think! Take time to ruminate over ideas or to daydream. Set aside time to let your mind wander. Consider keeping a pen and paper handy for notes or doodling. If you combine time for thinking with a walk, use a voice recorder to capture key ideas.

PRIORITIZE — list to-do’s. There are so many benefits to making a list and checking it twice. First, it gets out of your head and then less likely to be forgotten. And second, it gives you a chance to distinguish which items are must-do/might-do/maybe-do-later for the day.

DELEGATE — share the load. Hand off those might do/maybe do later items and perhaps some must-do’s to a trusted team member. Dividing up the work helps grow productivity and strengthens the team. Consider delegating tasks to those who are most adept to manage them. Then share status reports to keep track of results.

NETWORK — reach out to someone every day. Whether casually in email, text or with a phone call or more involved gathering for a beverage or a meal, this is a great opportunity to share success stories, bounce around ideas, and gain insight. Or, enroll in local events such as Invest Southwest Improving Investability Workshops where you can gain education as well as contacts.

CONNECT — spend personal time with pets, family, friends. Entrepreneurship can be a really lonely job. And it can be all-consuming. It is essential to unplug professionally and snuggle up personally. Schedule personal time as you would any other important meeting.

REFLECT — look back and forward with insightfulness. There are many ways to reflect on the day. Meditate, pray, or journal at days end. Find memorable moments that stand out and take note. Learn from errors and from successes. Maybe even envision tomorrow.

REST — get good sleep. The first rule is to keep a consistent bedtime. This gives your body a sense of rhythm. Remove the stress of the day with a shower or a stretch and then unwind with a book or your journal. Meditation can also be a wonderful way to prepare for sleep. To help capture those nagging thoughts, keep a notepad by your bedside.

Rituals can be incredibly powerful tools. With the help of habitual routines, you can learn, connect, strengthen and revitalize. Make the most of every minute.