I’ve been struggling with my morning routine for a lot of reasons … some of them are more like excuses but that’s another post. This got me thinking about a business morning routine that I did at my brick and mortar store years ago.

In the early days of the business, I’d take a moment for myself in the backroom before opening. I’d stand there, sometimes with my eyes closed and palms pressed together, and I’d give thanks for my dream come true. I’d give thanks for the people who would walk through the door, the conversations I’d have, and the sales we’d make.

I set intentions for a successful day.

I had great days fueled by the novelty of the entrepreneur high but during the second year, as the store’s operations became more ordinary, I stopped starting my days that way.

The new business morning routine became unlocking the door, placing my bag and coat in the back room, and immediately getting to work. There was no pause for reflection and gratitude—the work behind the work. The recognition and appreciation for my Shopkeeper Dream faded into a brilliant burnout just as the store turned two years old.

I eventually got my spark back and continued to ebb and flow with the entrepreneurial journey. But I never fully got back to the mindful backroom sessions of my first year. Yes, the early stages of anything — a business, relationship, hobby, practice — are easy to feel excited about. We have the pinch-me moments of “wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this, here and now”.

It’s easy to recognize when we’ve entered a part of life we once dreamt of.

It’s harder to sustain that recognition as we continue through different seasons of life with that same dream.

So, I guess the question is: how do we keep the reasons pure and front and center, during all seasons? So that we may support the required energy of our best intentions and not make excuses?

Starting a business is one thing. Operating it is another. Both require mindfulness across moments, so why not pick the morning? As Hal Elrod popularized: “win your morning, win the day”. I think I’ll say that to myself when I wake up tomorrow.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my book:

OPEN: Big Lessons in Small Retail and Living the Shopkeeper Dream

Check it out here