Our recent YanaTV guest, Alexi Panos, talked about the importance of forgiveness, connection and authenticity for those who truly want to achieve unlimited success and genuine happiness.

While you must have heard many times from various people that “connecting to yourself” is the first step towards an extraordinary life, the big question that often goes unanswered is how to do it.

Today, I share with you my personal tips and practices that I use. They are bulletproof and always work. All that you have to do is to integrate them into your daily routine.

1. Start Your Morning Slowly

The way that you start your morning will determine the rest of the day. If every day you are waking up to an alarm, jumping out of bed, rushing to take a shower, getting dressed in between having your breakfast, and then rushing out to start your commute or first errands for the day, you are priming yourself for a day full of stress, shortage of time, unpleasant conversations with people, overwhelming work, followed by an exhausting evening.

To avoid all of that and to create space in my daily life for happiness, incredible opportunities, quality time with the right people, and stress-free days, I practice a “slow living routine”. The key point here: do not rush.

There is enough time for everything. Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg have exactly the same 24 hours as you do. I have interviewed a countless number of successful people for YanaTV and the common trait amongst all of them: they have a highly optimized morning routine.

All of them do different things but the goal is the same – priming yourself for success. Morning activities can include any of the following: exercise, reading, talking to a mentor or a coach, meditation, creativity, writing or anything else that will help you to start the day in your prime state.

2. Stay True To Your Values

Have you ever clearly defined what your values are? Not just for your business, but for you personally? If not, maybe it is a good time to do it right now? If yes, it is always great to refresh it! Just ask yourself a simple question: “What are the top three values that I hold dear to my heart and do not want to compromise under any circumstances?”

Got your answer? Here is mine. My top three values are: freedom, love and integrity.

What I have noticed over the years is that people get disconnected from themselves the moment they start compromising their core values. I see it happening over and over again in my own life and in lives of my clients.

A little story: in my own experience of growing business, I have hired and contracted different people. As you already know, branding and positioning is a big part of any industry. Coaching and speaking are not an exception. On the contrary, these industries rely heavily on personal branding and image to get lucrative contacts. I had a period of time in my business when I was approached by several people with the offer to “build my brand”.

My first instincts questioned their integrity, but, eventually, I was sold by their shiny success and refined selling techniques. In fact, it happened several times. And all those times were a disaster for me, my team and the brand itself. While I was getting more visibility, such “branding” polished away all personal touches and the “soul” of my business. I became just another very polished speaker and a coach with a perfect pitch and “Here are my top 10 tips” line. The irony is that while the success was rising, I felt so extremely disconnected from myself and I didn’t know why, until one day, I realized that somehow along the way I allowed external factors to compromise one of my top three values: integrity.

What is my biggest lesson since then? Before making any decision, always ask yourself “Is this action aligned with my core values?” If the answer is “no” or “I am not sure”, bravely walk away from such people and deals, and be reassured that the right opportunity will knock very shortly on your door!

3. Travel To Unusual Destinations

If you have been following me for a while, you will have noticed that I travel a lot. The reason I do it is because traveling is one of the best ways to disconnect from “your life” and connect to yourself.

You see, when you are in the middle of your routine, work schedule, family commitments, or social responsibilities, it is very hard to step outside yourself and look at your life and ask, “Am I going in the right direction? Is this path the best to reach my full potential?”

The reason that I say “unusual destinations” is that the moment you leave your daily routine (even for a short while) and go to a place that has nothing to do with your social status, family situation or current job, you will experience an incredible sense of enlightenment and inner expansion. You will start suddenly seeing things about yourself and your life that you might not have seen before.

It was exactly during one of those trips (when I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro) that I realized my “brand” went a bit too far from who I really was and that it was time to change the people I work with and reclaim my own identity.

I am sure you will have your own very strong realizations, “Aha!” moments, and insights. I know that you will do the right thing for you. Trust your inner compass, choose a peaceful morning routine, identify and stay true to your core values and travel, travel, travel! Once you do these things, staying connected with yourself all day long will become second nature.

P.S. Do check out my “People Power” website as I share 8 tips you can use to network and connect with high-power people.

_{This post was first published on Yana Fry blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: Enjoying beautiful morning. Beautiful young woman stretching out hands and smiling while lying in a big comfortable chair at home from Shutterstock}

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