Don’t you sometimes wish that someone would come along and give you whatever it is that you need in that moment?

Well, the good news is, that “someone” is YOU!

Think about it. You have the power to give yourself exactly what you need every single day. You really do – I’m not just saying that.

Here’s something I’d love for you to try as the new year gets underway:

As you begin each day, spend a few moments with yourself. You could try meditating, going for a brief walk, doing some journaling or stretching – anything that slows you down and puts you in touch with yourself.

At the end of those moments, think about one thing that you want to give yourself as the day progresses. Don’t limit your thinking – all the possibilities are open to you.

• Maybe it will be something intangible like self-confidence or focus.
• Or maybe some days it will be something quite concrete like a movie at 7:30 PM, or a piece of chocolate after dinner.
• Whatever it is, it should be something that you would like to give to yourself based on your connection in that moment.
• And whatever it is, be sure that you follow through on it!

At the end of each day, check in with yourself. Did you give yourself what you promised? Or did you give yourself something different?

It helps to keep a small notebook and just jot down, each morning, what you offer yourself. Then at night you can revisit your book and write down what you received. You may begin to see some interesting patterns.

When you give yourself exactly what you need every single day, you are building a warm and trusting relationship with yourself. You will notice that everything feels more positive and more possible as you build a track record of self-nurturing follow-through.

This is such a powerful and sustaining practice … I highly recommend it!

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They needn’t be long, and they needn’t be ‘scheduled’.  Just be sure that you pause periodically and come back to yourself.  That’s because, as you journey through time it’s fundamentally important to take care of yourself along the way!   As Greg Anderson has written:

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.

That most certainly applies during this time of year.  It’s easy to push to accomplish “just one more thing” or buy “just one more gift” or write “just one more card” … only to find that you end up feeling overwhelmed, irritable, and depleted in the end.  I am guessing that is not how you want to be journeying through holiday time … or any time, for that matter.

Reflection points give you breathing space and re-energize you so that you can live your moments as fully as possible.  Think of your reflection points as pauses along a mountain path.  If you are tired and the climb feels long, a reflection point gives you an opportunity to take a breath.  If you round a corner and come upon a breathtaking view, a reflection point gives you a moment to fully appreciate its beauty.

Reflection points are about YOU – what you are experiencing and what you need.  They are moments that can powerfully and unerringly bring you back to the moment.  And it’s in each moment that you live your life.  Remember …

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. Omar Khayyam

Reflection points bring you back to your life, and isn’t that just where you want to be?

So, are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Path as you move ahead this month?  Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way …

I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management - my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success!  In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

As you work with the ideas I offer, you’ll explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them.  You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link to get the details!

Let’s explore time together …

Related articles

• Find Time to Let Your Routines Deepen Into Rituals (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time to Celebrate and Feel Grateful (thetimefinder.com)
• Finding Time for Feelings-Move Ahead Powerfully by Looking Back (thetimefinder.com)

Rituals can help you live your moments in Strong Time:

Anything that causes us to pause and contemplate, I think, offers an opportunity to connect with strong time – with the deepest experience of a moment. Strong time is not about duration but about depth. Getting to strong time often involves some form of tradition or ritual – and these can be family rituals, rituals involving religious traditions, or simple, personal practices, like meditation, that connect you with your heart and the deepest parts of your life.

As we’ve explored rituals here, we’ve contrasted them with routines, noting that “Routines can often feel rushed or monotonous – or both!  They get you through one part of the day on your way to the next chapter.”

I was struck, yesterday, though, when a reader mentioned that she was happy to be returning to her normal routine after the holidays.  As I reflected on that statement, I realized that it may be helpful to think of routine as a part of ritual, rather than something different.

You might view routine as the raw material for ritual.  Routine is the foundation that makes ritual possible.

There’s a saying, often attributed to Woody Allen that states:  “90% of life is just showing up.”

I think it applies in this case.  In order to be present for the element of depth that ritual offers, you must “show up.”

Holidays and vacations, for all the richness they give us, can also be disruptive to routines that sustain us.  So it can be very refreshing to return to routine.

Indeed, it’s vital to re-establish and maintain routines, as they offer you a beginning place for your deepening into ritual … and into Strong Time.

… and are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Path as you explore ways to deepen, enhance and energize your relationship with time? 

I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management - my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success!  In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

As you work with the ideas I offer, you’ll explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them.  You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link to get the details!

Let’s explore time together …

Related articles

• Find Time to Celebrate and Feel Grateful (thetimefinder.com)
• Finding Time for Feelings-Move Ahead Powerfully by Looking Back (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time to Value Your Values the Heart-Based Way (thetimefinder.com)

I’d like to suggest that rituals are one way of keeping the slivers of precious time that you find from being swallowed up by routines that may not serve you so well.

Are you wondering what the difference really is between a ritual and just another routine?

Well, sometimes it may boil down to what you choose to do. And sometimes, it may be simply a deep level of mindfulness you bring to activities like drinking a cup of tea, or walking around the block.

Here are two things to consider.  They will help you see and feel the difference between rituals and routines.

• Routines can often feel rushed or monotonous – or both!  They get you through one part of the day on your way to the next chapter.

• Rituals, on the other hand, send down roots, here and now. As they go deeper and deeper, you draw sustenance from your inner wellsprings.  You feel nourished and refreshed.

When you honor what you do with loving attention, you honor who you are. So you enrich your activities with deeper meaning. When you engage in rituals whole-heartedly, you immerse yourself in the moment, and time expands.

This is no small achievement!  You drink in more pleasure with quiet focus upon your movements, moment by moment.

Being fully present to yourself can be as heart-opening as watching a newborn baby sleep, each little breath a miracle. (Having welcomed my third grandchild into the world recently, I can attest to this first-hand!) Why not maximize this potential when you first greet the day?

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You can share this very special event with your friends – just e-mail them this post, or Tweet about it, or share it on Facebook!

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• Find Time to Create a Morning Ritual: The Heart-Based Way to Start Your Day! (thetimefinder.com)
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Ritual doesn’t mean rote, after all. My morning ritual provides consistent support, yet it’s fine-tuned to meet me wherever I am.  That means it’s flexible and changes from one morning to the next.

You might find it helpful to brainstorm a list of activities that provide a boost, and then select the one that speaks to your heart for the upcoming day. Here are a few questions you might ask yourself when compiling your list:

• What engages my interest?
• What energizes me?
• What relaxes and centers me?
• What sends me into the day ready to face the unexpected?

Does the last question surprise you? Well, your day may challenge you to focus where you’d hoped to relax, and to flex where you wanted to stay focused. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel more prepared?

When your morning ritual includes pastimes like memorizing favorite quotations, you plant in your imagination “seed phrases” that serve as mantras throughout your day, whatever it brings.

And when you move your energy with pleasurable activity during your morning ceremony, you will feel more sure-footed when new challenges come knocking.

See how far-sighted you can be when you look within!  Envision what challenges stretch you and which ones generate strain. Try playing with choices that provide a comfortable stretch.

At bedtime, you might reflect back. Ask yourself a few questions to open things up:

• How well did your ritual support you?
• Did it help balance your energies, inspire you, orient you or keep you focused?
• Was it fun?
• Did you rush through or skip certain portions altogether?

Don’t include any activities wearing a “you should” hat! Reshape your ritual until it sparks your enthusiasm and invites your commitment.

So are you ready to create a morning ritual for yourself and keep it fresh?  There’s so much to explore … so stay tuned!

And in the meantime, if you’d like to explore ways to increase your power and effectiveness – whether it’s in your business, or your personal life … I am so pleased to be able to offer my expertise and support as The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to “Time Management”.

You can visit by clicking the link, and when you do you’ll find lots of time management articles by experts in the field, along with a vibrant and welcoming on-line community. Stop by my Expert Page and leave a comment or question … or just say hello.  There are lots of ways to connect … I’d love to get started!

Related articles

• Find Time to Make Your Morning Ritual Sparkle (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time to Create a Morning Ritual: The Heart-Based Way to Start Your Day! (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time to Make Your Morning Ritual Truly Yours: More Time Tips (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time to Let Changes Change You, Too! (thetimefinder.com)

Today I’m extending our exploration of morning rituals with a few tips for creating a most enticing treat for yourself as you begin each new day:

Tip #1:  Create a heart-felt intention to energize your ritual each morning.

What a straightforward way to bring happiness into your day!  Tune in, and open your morning ritual by inviting yourself to express what activity (or lack of activity) would feel most welcome.

Speaking your intention aloud helps attune you to your feelings and to the sense of ease you experience in your body. As you close up your ritual, validate that you have given yourself this gift because you care about yourself. On some level, you are always listening to yourself. Kind words are always welcome.

Tip #2:  Plant the seeds for a fulfilling morning ritual the night before.

As you drift off to sleep, you are especially receptive to positive suggestions. So envision fully immersing yourself in the pleasure of your upcoming morning ritual the evening beforehand. Allow the pleasure to add a few more rays of brightness to the day you are ending. You’ll awaken from sleep more refreshed and prepared for your special time.

Tip #3:  Let your ritual honor your essential self.

What makes you unique? Do you follow a path of intention that guides you when challenges arise? Rituals can be opportunities to turn an appreciative eye inward. Ask yourself meaningful questions, and allow any answers or images to arise intuitively. You may be surprised by what pops up!

Notice what happens when you actively validate who you are. In fact, consider spending a few minutes in front of the mirror. What do you need to hear today? Tell yourself, and take it in.

And before I forget, here’s an important reminder:  Melissa McCreery’s “Too Much on Her Plate Week!” is nearly over.  Melissa created this week-long holiday to help busy, high-achieving people – (sound familiar?) – take control of their lives and make lasting changes to create more success. There’s still time to access the great (FREE) gifts that she has collected for you, but she is closing it down at the end of the day TODAY!

So, while there’s still time, why not go to http://TooMuchOnHerPlateWeek.com  and sign up? As soon as you do, you’ll be able to select which gifts you want to receive. It’s as simple as that!

Here’s one more idea for taking your next step toward time success. Sign up for our free gift, “The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!”

This time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration. Using a workbook format, with room to record your answers, you will discover that 24 hours really are enough!

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