Rituals are very powerful in creating the life that you want to achieve. If you set up “rituals of success”, it will only be a matter of time until you achieve success.

I’m sure you’re guilty of it. You get up in the morning always in the same way, scratching yourself for a minute and then sauntering off to the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. Not too long after, you hit the shower, eat breakfast, brush your teeth (starting always with the 1st Bicuspid) then head out to work.

We all have them: specific rituals that we follow, certain habits of convenience. While I’m not a fan of ruts, there is however, real power in creating “rituals of success.”

Think about it. Every thing that you have accomplished (or failed to accomplish) in your life up to this point, is the result of the decisions that you’ve made and the actions that you’ve taken. Much of that success or failure, is founded upon your daily rituals.

Here are some examples of “rituals of success” that can have a major impact for positive change in your life:

• Become an early riser. There are many benefits to getting up early: increased productivity, feeling of wellness throughout the day, beginning the day with less stress etc. This should be part of everyone’s daily rituals.
• Exercise at a specific time each day. Keeping your body in tune is essential for success. It’s surprising just how much of an effect this one little ritual can have on every other part of your life.
• Prepare and plan. By planning and preparing for the day ahead you create — in essence — a road map for achieving what’s most important.
• Read the wisdom literature of your choice. Whether it’s the Bible, Thoreau, or The Wisdom of Confucius, dedicating a moment each day to feed your mind with words that enlighten and inspire you will become a tonic to your soul.
• Spend time with your loved ones. Spending time with family and friends is a very important aspect of our lives. Whether you set a specific time each day or week, having regular “family/friend time” ensures that you’re keeping your life balanced by spending time with those who matter most.
• Write in a journal. Beyond the obvious benefits of improving your writing ability, journal writing is a great way to release tension, evaluate personal progress, solve problems, gain clarity, as well as provide a record for future generations. This is one of my favorite daily rituals.

Remember, successful rituals are at the heart of all successful people, They have not achieved what they have because of chance; They’ve become disciplined enough to set specific times and places to do certain things in a certain way.

These previous examples are some of the rituals that have and still work for me. Don’t stick to just these. Make up your own and discover for yourself the power of rituals.