I used to not have a morning routine until a few months ago. I created a morning routine because to be quite honest, all of my mentors have one! Who are my mentors exactly? A ton of successful entrepreneurs that I look up to. They don’t even know they’re my mentors, obvs. Or that I even exist. Anyway, I digress.

I was introduced to the idea of a morning routine last Fall by Hal Elrod. Hal is the author of the Miracle Morning. A 6 step morning routine to help you have a successful day. Hal studied the most successful people in the world trying to figure out what made them successful. He realized that it was a collection of things which made up the 6 Step Miracle Morning.

I took what I needed from his routine, added in a few other things I needed, and created my own. The thing about morning routines is that it is made just for you. Not 2 people are made to have the same morning routine. The only requirement of a morning routine is to… do it in the morning. Setting up your morning for success will ensure you have a successful day.

Here is my morning routine that I do every single day:

1. Skincare – Find all of my favorite skincare goodies here.
2. Coffee – I drink coffee every single day and add a lot of supplements to it such as MCT oil and herbal mushrooms. They both help with brain fog, concentration, and focus. I get mine from Wild Foods Co. My favs are Lion’s Mane and Cocotropic. Check them out here.
3. Read – I try to read for 20-30 mins a day, at minimum 10 pages total. I’m currently reading Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi. I’ve only been reading books on business, entrepreneurship, and personal development.
4. Gratitude – I write down at least 5 things I am grateful for every day. 1 thing is always related to my physical body. Like everyone, I have my insecurities and when I write gratitude for my body, my insecurities go away.
5. Affirmations – I write down 5 statements of affirmations. Words of Affirmations is one of my Love Languages and it helps me with visualization and manifestation.
6. Start Today – I’m sure you have heard of Rachel Hollis by now and if you haven’t, what is you doinnnn?!?! The Start Today journal was born a few years ago and it includes writing gratitude, the goal you are going to achieve for the day, and 10 dreams you made happen. You write 10 dreams down as if you have already accomplished it. You are more likely to accomplish your goals if you write them down.
7. Journal – I just write down anything that is on my mind.
8. Power List – Created by Andy Frisella, the power list is your Top 5 Critical Tasks for the day that are non-negotiables. You have to do these 5 things no matter what.

A lot of people are struggling with all kinds of hardships right now. Some are silent battles that nobody knows about. It’s a strange time for everyone. Some people are processing it well and others aren’t. The best thing you can do for yourself and for others is to give grace and be kind.

No matter how you’re handling the current state of our world, everyone can use every bit of positivity right now. These are just a few things I do to maintain my positive mindset (in no particular order).

1. Practice Daily Gratitude
   
   Every morning, I write down 5 things I am grateful for and 1 of those things is related to my physical body. I have a journal, but you can write these down on anything! Find a napkin, sticky note, or even on the back of your hand. I always do this first thing in the morning so I can start the day off already in a positive mindset.

2. Affirmations
   
   Positive words lead to positive thoughts. My affirmations always start with, “I am.” These statements don’t have to be things you already are. It can be things that you are striving for.
   
   I am focused.
   I am giving.
   I am courageous.
   I am mindful.
   I am intelligent.
   I am a millionaire.
   I am an exceptional wife.
   I am a badass.
   
3. Self care Everyday
   
   Self care is not just made for #selfcaresunday y’all!! You need to do at least 1 thing every single day that is taking care of yourself. It’s not about face masks and bath bombs. Take care of your soul. Sometimes you need to throw something away, organize your planner, end a toxic friendship, or eat a piece of chocolate. Self care looks different for everybody.
   
   
4. Laugh More
   
   If you know me, you know that humor is my coping mechanism of choice. I try to find the humor in every situation. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh and forget about your worries. Follow those hilarious meme accounts and screenshot all the funnies so you can look back at it later.
   
   I created a Facebook community a few days ago where you can share funny quotes. Nothing is off limits and it’s the perfect place for you if you have a twisted sense of humor. Probably not the best place if you get easily offended.
   
5. 5-Year Test and 5-Minute Rule
   
   Sometimes, you just have to LET IT GO! I know this is easier said than done. One thing that has always helped me let things go is doing the 5-year test. Look into the future and if it won’t matter in 5 years, LET THAT ISSSH GO!
   
   Give yourself 5 minutes to feel your feelings and if there isn’t anything you can do about it, then move on.
   
   If it will matter in 5 years and there is something you can do to change it, then devise a plan and do it.
   
6. Meditate
   
   I am literally the worst at meditating, but I know there are so many benefits to it. I highly recommend checking out Headspace and Calm on your phones for guided meditation.
   
7. Practice Changing your Negative Thoughts

Negative	Positive
This is too hard.	What other ways haven’t I tried yet?
Yeah, but she has a lot of money.	So how can I get on her level?
I’ve never done this before.	I’m excited to learn a new skill.

Try this exercise the next time a negative thought comes through your mind.

Besides having mental clarity, there are also so many physical benefits of positive thinking such as:

• Increased life span
• Reduced stress levels
• Lower rates of depression
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Better cardiovascular health
• Better coping skills

What other tips and tricks do you have to maintain a positive mindset? I’d love to hear from you! 

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Hey! My name is Lo and I am the founder of Passion & Growth, a subscription box to help women learn to love themselves unconditionally and unapologetically. Self-care and personal growth has become increasingly important to me over the last 3 years. 

In the past, I was under the false impression that putting myself first was selfish. If I took time for self-care, I was being too self-centered. If I was focused on my own goals and career, I was narrow-minded. If I decided to dress up and do my makeup, I was being narcissistic. Anyone else ever have these thoughts, or just me? 

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not selfish, self-centered, narrow-minded, or narcissistic to make yourself a priority, even if your brain tries to convince you otherwise. Focusing on yourself allows a time for reflection, re-connection, and growth. Plus, you can’t pour from an empty cup! In order to help others, you must first help yourself. 

Take time to reconnect with yourself this week, add some additional self-care into your routine, and don’t feel guilty about it! 

Here are a few suggestions:

• You don’t have to say yes to everyone and everything. 
• Breathe. Take some quiet moments for deep breaths to slow your breathing, calm your mind, and help you be present in the moment.
• Recognize when it’s time for rest.

I hope you found this helpful! If you have any questions about personal growth or self-care, feel free to reach out to me! Find me on IG @passionandgrowth or email me at lorena@passionandgrowth.com 

It is 2020 and it took a crisis for people to understand the relevance of social media. It hurts me to say “it took a crisis” and hurts me to acknowledge that people did not understand social media previously. I feel I have been preaching the importance of having an online presence for a while now and I have been annoying EVERYONE. 

Gosh, I am just like you and I want life to go back to normal, but right now it is so important that we do what we can for all of our businesses. Yes, I am biased about the importance of social media because my job is social media-based. However, during the time of social distancing, the only way we can stay truly connected is through social media. 

Let’s be honest COVID-19 is a big deal. Honestly, I want it to be over with like everyone else, but it is our reality right now. So many businesses are suffering right now and it makes me so sad to see fellow entrepreneurs struggle especially after taking the leap of faith to start their businesses. 

During this time being in communication with your customers (clients) is more important than ever before! I am going to give you my current favorite example of a business that thrives off of customers coming to their locations and how they are utilizing social media to it’s finest…

**drum roll please**

Main Event! 

Did you know that Main Event is hosting virtual birthday parties (I believe daily) for all the children who cannot celebrate their birthday outside of their home and immediate family?

That is so HUGE! I want us to go into details on why:

1. Making a child smile (is everything)
2. Increasing your profile views (more views on your page)
3. Showing a personal side to your business
4. The parents are loving that you are taking the time to show their child you (Main Event) cares. Therefore, when social distancing is over YOU WILL BE THE FIRST PLACE THEY TAKE THE CHILDREN

Customer rapport is amazing and they are seriously crushing it during this time! 

Remember, this would not be happening if they did not utilize social media. A prime example of the importance of having an online presence. 

What does brand recognition mean to you? 

Here is a definition of, “Brand recognition is the extent to which the general public (or an organization’s target market) can identify a brand by its attributes.”

Have you seen this commercial? 

Marketing at its finest. In this commercial the name of the company was not mentioned EVER nor was it shown. The marketing and advertising genius behind this commercial effectively used brand colors and shapes to demonstrate the brand and trust me, we all know who it is. 

Like them or not. 

While you are understanding the importance of having an online presence you should learn about brand colors. When you are creating a brand you want to make sure that the colors you use to create images/graphics are all cohesive and bring a sense of familiarity. 

The goal is that when you have a graphic posted on Instagram (or whatever platform) your audience will know that it belongs to you. It is important to have that brand familiarity with your audience! 

Quick takeaways for you to build familiarity with your audience online:

1. Figure out your brand colors and use them
2. Use consistent fonts

I want to ask you an important question. Where do you think you’d be without your customers? 

If any of you said still successful…WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS ARE YOU IN WHERE YOU DO NOT NEED CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEY BRING YOU REVENUE!!

It is so important to form relationships with customers no matter what type of business you are in. 

Great customer service goes a long way and once you show that your customers matter and you care about those relationships you will continue to thrive in your business. 

3 great brands that have amazing customer service: 

1. Carnival Cruises: they make sure all of their employees are personable with their guests. For example, your suite keeper – he/she will direct you by name. Your server will direct you by name and when I tell you they are so amazing WOW. They really instill customer service into their workers!
2. Coffee Shops: Starbucks may have started this, but capturing your name once you place your order so that when your coffee is ready they can call at your name (that personable). 
3. ColourPop: Every time you order online from this brand they write you a note and it truly adds a great personal touch to your shipment. 

So, these brands are successful and I know you are probably wondering, “Terrah, this has nothing to do with the importance of having an online presence.” Eh, maybe you are right. However, I really wanted you to see the importance of building relationships with your audience online. 

Customers are the only reason your business will see success. If they aren’t buying you aren’t thriving. Show them you care and you’ll be surprised what will happen. 

Here is how you can build relationships with your customers online:

1. Respond to their comments
2. Thank them for showing love on your posts
3. Show love on their posts
4. If they share a story or posts about your products or services (SHARE IT + TAG THEM)
5. Do polls to see what they like and dislike about certain topics (make them feel involved)
6. Do BTS – give them an inside look of your business! They’ll think they have the exclusive
7. Create an email list where they can get discounts 

It is so imperative that you have an online presence and if you are hesitant on if it is right for your business to reflect on today’s climate and how because of “Stay-at-home” more people are online. 

You want to be on their mind so whenever they have the opportunity to purchase from you and give you business they’ll remember. 

Remember to stay social and elevate your business! 

Terrah LP

Terrah LP is a Social Media Manager and Social Media Business Coach. Her focus with her coaching clients is to help entrepreneurs in the early stages of their business create systems so they can sell more on social media! Marketing is her passion and the understanding of a social media presence is essential to any business. After obtaining her degree in Marketing, Terrah has worked in many industries such as: hospitality, fitness, gyms, real estate, clinics, natural shops, and lawyers. 

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Personal development is a lifelong process. It is taking charge of your life and improving areas that you are unhappy with or wish to change in a positive manner. PD is having self-awareness and figuring out what makes you ‘tick’ and why you are the way you are and how to capitalize on those characteristics to reach your highest goals and make those dreams a reality.

The toughest part of personal development:

Personal development is a really, really hard thing to admit that you need. It means becoming vulnerable. It means opening your heart to call yourself out on your mistakes and wanting to become a better person because of it. It means being ready to embrace every single imperfection you have and working extremely hard to become the best version of yourself.

You will find that you have to let go of relationships that no longer serve you. You will have to dig deep to find your passions, your goals, and your aspirations. You have to change your environment so you’re in the most optimal conditions to get shit done.

You have to be stronger than your excuses. You have to develop discipline. You have to do whatever it takes, even when it’s not the easiest route. You have to stop apologizing for doing what you want. You have to stop belittling yourself to make other people comfortable.

You have to do it for YOU.

Things you can do to start your personal development journey:

-Listen to podcasts

-Start reading self help books

-Take personality tests and understand yourself better

-Start talking to your spouse/partner/best friend about your journey and let them know how they can support you

-Getting physically fit

-Figure out what you need to build your confidence

-Practicing gratitude every day

-Writing down your goals and figure out how to hold yourself accountable

Personal Development Podcast Recommendations

-MFCEO Project

-School of Greatness

-Goal Digger

-RISE

-Rise Together

-Ed Mylett Show

-How I Built This

-Ted Talks

-GaryVee Audio

-Tony Robbins

-Mel Robbins

Personal Development Book Recommendations

-Girl, Wash Your Face

-Girl, Stop Apologizing

-The One Thing

-The Four Agreements

-The One Thing

-Millionaire Success Habits

-High Performance Habits