Private Victory.

Every morning my alarm goes off at 4:40am.   I putz around the house, sometimes do some journaling, drink a cup of coffee, have a light breakfast and head to the gym.  Sometimes when that alarm goes off, I bound out of bed ready to conquer the world.  Other times,  I hate everything and all I want to do is stay under the warm covers.  But I know the consequences of hitting that snooze button.  It’s not about missing the workout and then feeling like I can’t fit into my jeans, it is so much more than that.  When I complete my morning ritual, I feel better, I feel energized, I feel positive…I feel in control of my life.  It is my personal victory.

Anybody who has read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, is familiar with this term.  What is a personal victory?  It is something that you do for YOU.   A ritual of how you start your day, or maybe how you end it.  Maybe it is spending an hour in prayer.  Maybe it is going to the Yoga studio.  Going on a morning walk.  Writing in your journal.  Anything that makes you feel rejuvenated.  That is your private victory.  Why are these so important?  Because they are the ONLY path to public victories.

A public victory is that deal you just made at work.   An interview you just nailed.  The feeling of having all of your chores and tasks accomplished around the house.   Being able to be the best friend you can be, the best spouse…the best parent.  Public victories are what others see of you and benefit from as well.

Have you ever had a point in your life where everything was just flowing?  You felt like everything was going as it should?  During these moments you were probably spending time accomplishing your private victories.  For many people, this simply means taking better care of your health.   This is always a good start.  When you ignore habits that are so important to your mind, body and spirit…it might feel like everything is falling apart.

When I miss my morning workouts, stray away from clean eating or don’t take time to pray and reflect.  I feel crabby and un-motivated.  This is also when things tend to go wrong.  I forget to make an important phone call or I mess up a presentation.  This then translates into my work and my relationships.  I am a better person when I stick to my rituals.  FACT.

What are some rituals you have been neglecting?  Get back to those, you will be amazed at how it impacts all other areas of your life.

Stay blessed in the mess 🙂