Top 10 Daily Rituals That Make You Rich

This way to happiness

In a previous post, I talked about doing Power Rituals as the easiest, most fool-proof way to become self-disciplined. I suggest you read  it first before you read this entry.

For a Power Ritual to be effective, it has to get you “in the zone”. It has to be something that makes you feel motivated, on track, focused. It has to be something that makes you feel good about yourself.

I really believe that the success to adopting Power Rituals is the frequency of when you practice them. In my experience, committing to at least one daily ritual, one weekly ritual, and one monthly ritual is going to ensure your continuous and lifetime success.

Here are my Top 10 recommended Daily Power Rituals that can make you rich:

#10.  Freedom Writing

Freedom Writing involves continuous longhand writing of anything that comes to your mind in 30 to 45 minutes. No censorship, no judgement, no labeling, no analysing whether it sounds right or wrong or ‘appropriate’, no editing. Just writing whatever comes to mind. Just writing whatever you feel like saying. There’s no should’s or should not’s. Frustrated about your job? Had another argument with your mother? Need to sort the attic? Yadda yadda yadda…write them down. Freedom Writing is simply uninhibited self-expression.

I literally found freedom through Freedom Writing. All throughout my adult life I longed to be a writer, but my self-criticism was so strong, I couldn’t even compose a single paragraph without editing it at least twenty times! “That just sounds stupid, delete that,” my self-critic would say.  No wonder I eventually gave up writing altogether. That is, until I expressed myself through Freedom Writing.

Freedom Writing gave me the permission to be who I am without feeling the need to apologise or make amends or behave “appropriately”. It gave me the permission to make mistakes, to explore, to just be without feeling bad or guilty about it. This new-found self-acceptance soon poured into the other areas of my life – I no longer held as much expectations from others; I no longer demanded perfection from myself, just doing my best was good enough; I no longer felt the need to appear like I knew it all or that I had everything figured out; I also found the courage to move beyond my fears, and started doing the things I’ve postponed for so long like writing and becoming self-employed.

What I understand about the process is that it gives space to the many voices within us who are all clamouring to be heard, to be recognised. In Freedom Writing, you simply allow these voices to be, to find expression, to be let out, to be aired, to be acknowledged – and then you move on. These energies- negative or positive – are released freely out in the open instead of being repressed and trapped inside your body or mind, festering, until it consumes you and blocks your energy flow.

#9.  Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that something is already so.

Most of us have ‘conditioned minds’ – one that’s full of repetitive, fearful and negative thoughts. Affirmations will help you take control of your own thoughts, instead of letting the conditioned mind run your life. Think of it as your mental training – you’re flexing your mental muscles to ensure it is resilient and strong, able to protect itself from destructive and false belief system. You are training your mind to think only thoughts that will positively affect your performance, emotional state, health, finances, business and relationships.

Here are a few examples of positive affirmations from Shakti Gawain’s book, Creative Visualisation:

Every day in every way, I am getting better, better and better!

Everything is coming to me easily and effortlessly!

Everything I need is already within me!

I give thanks now for my life of health, wealth and perfect self-expression!

Tips

• Focus on your main goal and then describe the end picture of it in the present tense, in the most positive, clear and simple way.
• Say it with absolute faith and conviction!
• Be grateful. Trust that you will get exactly what you need in order to grow and progress in your journey
• Be open and accepting of what each moment brings. Accept what IS.

Do not make the common mistake of resisting what already is. It’s counterproductive and will never work. Each moment brings a gift, and it could be in a form that is different from what we had in mind. If you resist what already is, you’ll miss the gift the present moment holds for you.

Remember that nothing is ‘bad’ or ‘good’ in and by itself – these are just mental labels and judgments that we conjure in our minds. So curse not what already is; focus instead on recognizing the gift each moment brings.

#8. Creative Visualization

It’s been purported that much of our behaviours are dictated by our subconscious. Creative Visualization works by reprogramming your subconscious mind so that it actively directs you towards the things you truly desire.

Creative Visualization is the technique of visualizing your desires as already being experienced by you in the here and now. Imagine fully living your grandest dreams – tasting it, hearing it, seeing it, feeling it fully (in first person) with gratitude and faith that it is already happening now.

Creative Visualization had been scientifically proven to improve performance, which is why it’s common for many athletes to utilize this technique.  You may not be an athlete, but since the principles involved are the same, practicing creative visualization can improve performance in the area it has been applied to – so why not apply it in every area of your life?

Tips

• Engage all your senses
• Visualize in the first person, not third
• Focus on what you really want: no holds barred
• Have Faith that it is already so, and act as if it is already so! 

#7.  Ask Power Questions

Oftentimes, we lose sight of what really matters in our lives simply because we get too engrossed in things that are less important , and in our day-to-day concerns. Power Questions are designed quickly and effectively cause you to reflect about the most important things to you.

The quality of our life’s experience is determined largely by the things we consistently focus on. We can either focus on things that limit us, or on things that encourage us to expand, to be bigger and better. Questions have the power to get us to reflect and reconsider our situation. Asking Power Questions daily will help you ensure that you focus on the things that empower you.

Instead of asking questions that robs you of energy like: “Why is my life so damn boring?”, “How come I never seem to get anything right?”, “What the f#%*@ is wrong with me?”, try asking questions that help you figure out how to get what you want.

So every morning, ask yourself these questions (or similar):

What am I happy /excited / proud about in my life right now?

What am I enjoying most / committed to in my life now?

What do I love? Who loves me?

Every night, ask yourself these questions:

Have I lived my best life today? Have I been my best Self?

How has today added to the quality of my life? Am I any closer to my true goals?

Have I done my best today with what I have? Did I do my best/ give my all?

You can create your own questions, be creative and do what works for you. The trick is to pause and really reflect, and to be honest in answering your questions. Notice ideas that you seem to resist – it’s a sign that there is an underlying issue there that needs your attention.

#6.  Acknowledge Your Progress

This is one of the things that helped turn my life around. I used to be extremely self-critical. I always found a way to downplay my efforts and disqualify my achievements. I never felt fulfilled or proud about any of my achievements because I always found a way to make it look unworthy of praise. Soon I stopped achieving anything. I started to engage in self-sabotage.

One day, I had the insight that in order to really address this problem, I will have to learn to at least tame (if not get rid) my hyperactive self-critic. I knew I had to make a committed effort to acknowledge everything I do, regardless. So I made a habit to write a list before I go to bed every evening and acknowledge myself for 3 things:

1. The things I learned
2. The contributions I made
3. The risks I took , or how I consciously got out of my comfort zone

(I have chosen these three things because they are the top 3 things that I am moving towards right now: personal growth, contribution and holistic success)

If you have the tendency to be very hard on yourself (and others), give this a try and see how it works for you. Many of us had been trained to diminish our own worth, or to blame, hate or despise ourselves. Keeping a self-acknowledgement journal is a step towards learning to forgive yourself, to love yourself, to see your own worth again.

As you get into the habit you’ll find that you’ll naturally become more creative in coming up with new things to commend yourself for. You’ll find yourself getting more confident, adventurous, appreciative. As you learn to love and accept yourself more, you’ll naturally do the same to others, and they in turn will naturally find you more lovable and attractive, because you make them feel so loved and accepted!

Tips:

First, ask yourself: “What are the top things that are most important to me right now? How can I make an effort everyday to accomplish these?” Face your day and make an effort to accomplish things that you can write in your self-acknowledgement journal later.

There are no accomplishments too ’small’ to acknowledge. in fact, I encourage you to acknowledge and commend yourself for anything. You told the truth instead of a ‘little white lie’? Well done! You asked someone out for a date? Good for you! You refused to take it personally when a colleague used sarcasm on you? Pat yourself on the back! Celebrate! Find ways to reward yourself and make yourself feel acknowledged, loved, appreciated. You’ll love it!

#5.  Eat a Healthy Breakfast

Fresh Fruits and juices in the morning is best

Getting into the habit of eating fruits and vegetables is definitely one of the best things you can do if you want to look good, feel good,  stay in tip top shape, and have loads of energy.

Fruits, nuts and vegetables are the ultimate fast food! They’re convenient, cheap, colourful, fun to eat and they taste great!

Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – all essential to keep your body in its optimal state of health

Plant based foods contain all the necessary nutrients we need, and had been scientifically proven to significantly reduce our risk of catching many types of illnesses.

Tips

• Munch on fruits instead of having cereal for breakfast. Breakfast cereals are very high in sugar.
• On the go? Always have some fresh fruits handy with you. Keep some fruits on your work desk every day instead of chocolate bars.
• Go for Fresh and Organic produce
• When eating fruits and vegetables, the best way to get as much life force from them is to eat them unaltered, unprocessed and uncooked as much as possible.
• Eat varied colours

#4.  Cultivate Gratitude

The ritual is very simple: every evening before you go to bed, make a list of 5 things that you’re grateful for. It’s handy to write it down in one notebook.

Cultivating gratitude is the quickest way I know to happiness! When we are unhappy, it is because we are resisting what already is – we focus on perceived lack, rather than on the abundance we already have. All it takes to be happy is to accept the present moment, and notice the abundance already present in our lives.

This exercise trains you to pay attention and experience the grandness of life as it unfolds. If you learn to pay attention, you will soon come to see that miracles abound everywhere. I bet you’ll be amazed to notice, seemingly for the first time – things that had been right there in front of you all along!

Tips:

Every morning, make a committment that you will pay attention, that you will watch out and deliberately look for things you could be grateful for.

There will be days when you will struggle to come up with 5 things to be thankful for, especially on stressful and challenging days. This is understandable because most of us had been trained to see only the “negative” things. Just work on deliberately focusing your attention on 5 things you could be grateful for. This will sharpen your awareness to notice the things  that had always been there so we have come to take them for granted, such as the everyday, “ordinary” things.

Notice the seemingly simple things throughout your day like the feeling of hot water against your back as you showered, the warmth of your lover’s embrace, the taste of the food you ate, the new things you learned.

#3.  Review Your Goals

You can do this by quickly reading a list of your short to medium term goals, so that your attention gets focused on the things you must focus on NOW. Then quickly glance through to your long term goals, to remind yourself of the ultimate picture of your life.

Reviewing your goals daily is a powerful way of staying on track because it reminds you clearly of the things you really want. Doing this only takes 3 to 5 minutes every day.

Often, we fail to reach our goals simply because we forget what really matters most to us. So reminding yourself daily of your highest desires will help guide you to make the right decisions.

Tips:

Creating your very own Vision Board is actually very powerful, and I must say – thoroughly enjoyable experience! Your Vision Board is a visual rendition of your ultimate life goals. If you are the artistic type, you can make your own by drawing it yourself. Alternatively, you can collect relevant pictures and images and make a collage.

Put up your vision board where you can see it several times a day. Etch your vision in your mind and learn to recall these images whenever you need some motivational boost.

#2.  Exercise

Keep your body active

If your goal is something to do with your physical aspect, then exercising is obviously the best daily power ritual you can do.

The best time for exercising depends largely on your body’s rhythm.  Are you a morning person, or an evening person? As a pratice, exercise is best done first thing in the morning in my opinion because it puts you in an optimal state, physically and mentally – which is a great way to start the day!

Why Exercise?

• Choosing exercise will help you fulfill your highest goals, whatever they are. After all, of what good will it be achieving everything else but not having the health to reap the benefits?
• Exercise delays the ageing process
• Improves blood circulation and lowers high blood pressure
• Alleviates stress
• Aids the detoxification process
• Improves muscle tone and increases cardiovascular fitness
• Exercise helps you to look good and feel good, thus boosting your self-confidence!

Tips

Starting each day with a sense of well-being gives you the evidence you need in order to gain a high self-esteem and therefore self-trust. When you have self-trust, you will do the things you say you will do.Do what works for you. For example, maybe your idea of ensuring you start the day right is by running or cycling first thing in the morning while listening to your kind of music (Imagine “Eye of the Tiger” as Rocky makes the punching bag bleed!).

If you are going to exercise as a daily practice however, the optimal way to do it is alternate between various types of cardiovascular, stretching and toning exercises. Doing it this way will keep your body from complacency, which means your body keeps improving in terms of strength, fitness and overall health. A sample routine looks like this:

Cardio days (Mon/Thur/Sat) : 30-minute run/cycle/swim/martial arts/trampoline/power walk

Stretch days (Tues/Sun) :  Yoga or Pilates or simple stretching

Toning days (Wed/Fri) :  Weight Training using free weights or body weight or gym machines

#1. Meditate

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same: focusing the mind and cultivating awareness.

One of the key principles is that of reaching beyond the noises of your conditioned mind.  Normally, we experience life through our minds. What we actually get is a concept, a mental phantom – not a direct experience. Meditation can clear the mind of debris and allows you to experience life as it truly is in this moment.

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body. Meditation practitioners report:

• increased awareness, focus and concentration
• natural adoptation of  a more positive outlook in life
• It reduces stress
• alleviates blood pressure

Tips:

Be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration.  This may be while sitting cross-legged or on a chair, lying down, and even walking. The back should be straight, but not tense or tight.

Wear loose, comfortable clothes and ensure you’re well hydrated.

Meditate in a soothing atmosphere.  It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate. Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stock up on aromatic candles or fresh flowers.

Related posts:

1. Top 7 Weekly Rituals That Make You Rich