They Work Like Magic: Top Daily Rituals To Get What You Want And Elevate Your Spirit

They Work Like Magic: Top Daily Rituals To Get What You Want And Elevate Your Spirit
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As a teacher of personal growth, I am often asked about my favorite daily practices to stay on track towards my intentions and in alignment with the person I want to be in the world. I love this question because the fact of the matter is that manifesting your desires and living each day with an elevated spirit and aligned action is truly that: a practice.

Having tried countless rituals over the years, here are my tried and true favorites -- because they're effective, simple, and super time-efficient.

Morning rituals:

I like to start my morning by journaling. I jot down:

  • 3 things I'm grateful for
  • 3 things that would make the day great
  • 1 intention for the day
  • 1 "I am" statement (For example, "I am in love," "I am healthy" or "I am a great mom." You can write something that is true in your reality right now, something that you want to believe is true, or something you want to manifest into your reality. For example, you might write, "I am in love" and not yet be in love (but very much want to be). One of the key parts of drawing into your life what you want is acting as if you already have it. (The neuroscience and quantum physics behind this is mind blowing).

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After journaling, I do about 15-20 minutes of creative visualization. Creative visualization is essentially a fancy term for daydreaming. Conjure up what you want your life to look like and play that movie in your imagination. What exactly are you doing? Who are you being? And most importantly: how does that feel? Feel that feeling with every ounce of your being. If you don't catch yourself smiling, you're probably not doing it right. In doing this practice, you are training your mind and body to become the person you want to be, and magnetizing into your life the experiences you're dreaming up in your meditation.

I recommend you find a great guided meditation to help you start your creative visualization practice (email me and I'll hook you up!), or play uplifting music while you engage in this.

After my meditation, I go on a jog. Running is like another form of meditation for me -- I can't imagine my day without it; it's as routine as brushing my teeth in the morning (this from the girl that got doctors' notes to get out of gym class -- which is to say, if you haven't found an exercise routine that you love, yet, it's possible).

Anytime-of-day rituals:

Our days are hectic--emails and phone calls and meetings clutter our thoughts and create lots of static noise. I find it helpful to cut through the clutter by setting mindful reminders on my phone.

My favorite reminders are:

  • Take a deep breath! Yes, I literally set a reminder in my phone to take a deep breath and I have it go off at least once a day. I have found that it's important to change up the time of the reminder regularly so you don't get so used to it you just dismiss it when it pops up. This deep breath break helps me do bit of a system re-set, get some oxygen, and feel my entire body relax. Even when we think we're relaxed, our breathing may be quite shallow and we're often holding our bellies and our bodies tightly. This reminder helps me get grounded throughout the day, too.
  • Who am I being? What am I doing? I started setting this reminder a few months ago and found it to be profoundly impactful. It helps me catch myself and practice my values -- authenticity, resilience, strength, compassion -- in moments when I can get pretty weak or when I'm unconsciously acting out of alignment with the person I want to be. When I initially started setting this reminder, I had it go off twice a day. Of course, in order to engage in a practice like this effectively, you have to first determine who you want to be, what you care about, and how you want to show up in the world.

My other regular daily practice is getting outside -- even if it's for a brief five-minute break. The fresh air is invigorating, and on sunny days, the sun on my skin is replenishing. Getting up and getting outdoors helps shake off the tunnel vision that staring at our computers sometimes gives us.

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Evening rituals:

I top off my day with more journaling. I jot down:

•3 great things that happened today
•3 things I'm grateful for
•1 thing that I noticed with awe or wonder today (for example: pink clouds in the dusky sky, a father holding his baby, etc.)
•Bonus: 1 kind thing I did for someone today

It's easy to get sucked into the whirlwind of our lives -- commuting, work, caring for kids, making dinner, watching TV, crashing with exhaustion, and then doing it all over again. But truly meaningful living starts with conscious intention, and these daily rituals will help move through each day with just that.

To get another dose of wisdom to enhance your day and brighten your routine, sign up for Wisdom Wednesdays, a free interview series Alexis hosts, featuring personal growth gurus and wellness experts by clicking here.

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