Morning Routine

Let’s talk about mornings—the sacred space between your dreams and your deadlines.

If you’re anything like I used to be, you wake up already “on.” Brain sprinting, inbox calling, coffee brewing… and somehow you’re behind before your feet even hit the floor.

For years, I thought productivity started with doing more. But here’s the truth I had to learn the hard way:

A powerful day doesn’t start with your to-do list. It starts with your inner state.

And that’s why I stopped checking my phone first thing and started checking in with me.

The Morning Routine That Changed Everything

I call it my PACE ACTIVATION. It is a system that works even when I don’t feel like working.

This is what I do, and why I do it.

1. Wake Up With Respect

I don’t slam out of bed like I’m late for the apocalypse anymore.

I give myself 5–10 minutes of quiet wake-up. A stretch. A deep breath. A glass of water. Maybe even a moment of gratitude.

Because rushing = reactive energy. And reactive energy leads to burnout, missed opportunities, and bad decisions.

2. Stillness + Visualization + Affirmations (Yes, all in one)

I have often said and maintain that creating your ideal life and business starts with being yourself. I am not a multitasker in general. But I must admit that I have always had a hard time sitting down and "doing nothing". Meditation for me fell into that category. This is the part of my morning routine where I blend my mindset work like a smooth morning latte.

I sit in silence, in a quiet place (for me it is the guestroom), often with eyes closed. I breathe. I drop into my body. And then…

I visualize the day I want to have: productive, peaceful, profitable. I see myself leading with confidence, solving problems with grace, showing up fully.

Then I affirm the woman I choose to be:

“I move through my day with clarity and calm."

"I attract the right people, and I serve powerfully.”

“Everything I do today aligns with my purpose.”

“I am not available for overwhelm. I am a strategist, not a firefighter.”

I don’t need a script. Some days I say a lot. Some days I say just one thing. But it’s always intentional.

This 10–15 minute practice centers me more than any caffeine ever has.

3. Move Like a Human, Not a Hero

I used to think exercise had to look like punishment to count. Now? I move to honor my body, not to shame it into submission.

Sometimes it’s stretching. Sometimes it’s walking. Sometimes, I join my husband for weight lifting. In the summer, you could also see me cleaning up the yarad. I don’t care what the fitness world says—I care how I feel. And movement clears the fog better than any motivational quote.

4. Fuel (Smart and Simple)

This isn’t a food blog, but let’s be real—starting your day with sugar and chaos is a recipe for a crash.

Most of the time, I fast for at least 16 hours. That means that I don't eat before 11am or 12pm. But whatever the time I eat my first meal, I fuel my body with something that gives me steady energy: Eggs, ham, sausage, a protein-packed bite. Nothing fancy. Just supportive.

And I always hydrate like a woman who’s planning to live a long, successful life.

5. Read or Listen to Win

Ten to fifteen minutes of something upward. That could be a book, a podcast, a chapter I’ve read a dozen times but still hits differently.

No drama. No news. No social scroll.

This is sacred space for upgrading my thinking. Because how I think determines how I lead. And how I lead? That determines how I live.

6. Write With Intention

Last part—and this one is underrated: I journal.

Not paragraphs of emotional chaos (although there’s a time and place). I jot down what I’m focusing on, what I want to feel, what I need to release.

Today I am focused on…Today I release…Today I expect…

It’s simple, but powerful. Like giving my brain a blueprint for how to behave. (Brains are trainable. I just had to become the trainer.)

But Nadia… What If I Don’t Have Time?

Let me be blunt: you don’t have time not to do this.

Even 15 minutes of this routine changes how I lead my day—and how the day responds to me. I show up more grounded. I make fewer reactive decisions. I don’t chase chaos. I create results.

This is not about being perfect. Some mornings are slower than others. Some routines happen in leggings with toothpaste on my shirt. But the commitment remains.

Because when I win the morning, I don’t need to hustle the whole day.

Final Word

Mornings are not magic by accident. They become powerful on purpose.

If you’re tired of waking up already tired—start here.

You don’t need a 2-hour ritual on a mountaintop. You need 20 minutes of intention, alignment, and self-leadership.

That’s how we build a business and a life that feels good to wake up to.