I often get asked how I do it all — how I run a business; how I be a wife, a mama, a step-mama, a friend, a leader for my team; and how I manage to move my body, meditate and eat well every single day. If you ever struggle to fit everything in, you’re going to love today’s post, because right here, right now, I’m going to tell you some of my secrets…

You ready?! Let’s dive in.

The reason I get so much done and why I am so super-productive is because of my 8 daily non-negotiables. These are the things that keep me sane and well. They ground me and light my heart on fire. They allow me the space and freedom to do what I love.

Though I find all these activities enjoyable, it still takes discipline to ensure that they actually get done. For me, discipline is KEY to productivity. I believe that when we lack discipline in one area of our life, it seeps out into other areas too. For example, if you are sloppy around your house, you will most likely be sloppy in your work, relationships and finances. If you are nonchalant with what you eat, you may tend to have that same feeling toward your career.

That’s why I am extremely disciplined with these 8 things…

Meditation

I know I bang on and on about it, but seriously: meditation has changed.my.life. I used to suffer from depression, anxiety and panic attacks, and meditation has been key in helping me move through those things. Meditation has helped strengthen my resilience muscle, so that when life throws me a curveball (which it inevitably does from time to time) I am able to move through the situation with ease and grace.

Meditation has also helped with stress reduction, which was a biggie for me. On a daily basis, it helps alleviate the everyday stressors that we all encounter and which have a tendency to snowball if we don’t actively create the time and space to release them… Have you tried meditation? If not, get on the bandwagon, STAT!

Movement

I move my body in a loving way, every single day. Why? Because it is scientifically proven that movement releases feel-good endorphins and I am all about doing more of what makes me feel good and less of what doesn’t. I mix up what I do every day, because let’s be honest, I get bored! So switching things up works wonders to keep me interested and inspired. My body loves it too. I like yoga, pilates, reformer, dance classes, strength training, walking, hiking, and HIIT. On a Sunday evening I’ll plan what I am going to do for the week ahead and book any classes I want to do. Then I lock them in on my digital calendar — that way they stay a priority and will actually happen. (Like I always say, if it’s not in your calendar, it won’t get done!)

Movement also helps me release stress from my body, it gets my creative juices flowing, and it clears my mind making me waaayyy more productive. Win-win-win!

Discipline is key to productivity.

Gratitude

When you express what you are grateful for, the Universe recognizes that and will give you more to be grateful for. So every morning and night I write in my Wholy Mama Journal. It’s a beautiful practice. Again, it makes me feel good, so I do it. It’s also a great check-in to see what’s currently lighting you up and where you’re spending your time and energy.

Nourish My Body

Nourishing my body and looking after myself has become one of my greatest pleasures. In fact, it’s now my way of life. It’s so deeply ingrained that I never have to think about it. It’s so hard-wired into my DNA that it’s like brushing my teeth

Again nourishing my body makes me feel good, so I do it. It also keeps me well and happy, which in turn means I can get more done and be more productive. Yes, it does take a degree of discipline to stay organized and prepared, but BOY is it worth it.

Scrape My Tongue

Tongue scraping is an ancient ayurvedic detoxification technique that you perform first thing in the morning. It keeps me healthy and well, which means I get sick less often, which means I get more done, which means I am more productive. (Isn’t it amazing how the tiniest of practices can pay off big-time in other life areas?!)

Drink Clean Water

Our bodies are made up of about 75% water, so we must make sure we are putting in enough of the good stuff. Not only that, but every night when you’re asleep, your body is flushing out all the toxins, and drinking clean water really helps that detoxification process.

You won’t EVER catch me drinking tap water or out of plastic — it’s full of nasties and plastic is not good for you, your wallet or the environment. Invest in a good filter and drink your way to great health. I use Hydrogen Health (use the code Melissa for 20% off). Again, drinking clean water makes me feel good so I do it. Drinking clean water also allows me to feel clear and I no longer get headaches… mega bonus!

Nature Time

Divine Mother Earth is incredibly healing, so I make sure I connect with her every day. Sometimes that’s a walk in the park, laying in the sun, diving in the ocean, or sitting on my balcony eating my lunch with the sun on my skin.

I work from home, so if I spend the whole day inside I go a little cray-cray and get serious cabin fever. You don’t have to spend hours outside (if you can great). But simply three deep conscious belly breaths in the sun with your feet on the grass is better than nothing. Again, this practice makes me feel good, and I am more creative, more grounded and calmer when I do this, so I do it every day.

Connect With My Husband

We are all full! We all have stuff to finish, deadlines to meet, and long to-do lists.

Side note: If you have read Mastering Your Mean Girl, you will know that the word ‘busy’ is eliminated from my vocabulary. This is because ‘busy’ comes with a negative connotation, and in today’s society ‘busy’ is worn like a badge of honor. That’s not how I want to live my life. I opt for the word ‘full’ instead, it’s much nicer.

Back to it… that means that it’s very easy to go through your day (and your life, for that matter) just plugging away and not consciously stopping to experience a sense of connection with your partner, kids, friends or family.

We humans are hard-wired for connection; we are primal beings and we thrive off intimacy. So for me, no matter how full my life gets, connecting with my husband is one of my daily non-negotiables. Sometimes that might look like 2 minutes before we jump out of bed in the morning, or having lunch together, or an afternoon swim, or getting into bed at 8 p.m. to connect. And sometimes… all we get is the 2 minutes in the morning and that’s it. And you know what? That’s okay too. I’m not saying you have to do all of them, it’s simply about making at least one of them a non-negotiable priority in your life. For me, when I don’t take the time to connect with my husband, I feel icky. This results in being more stressed, less focused, and less grounded. So I make sure I take that time to connect each and every day.

So, there you have it — my 8 daily non-negotiables for supercharged productivity.

Do you have any daily non-negotiables that you can share with us in the comments below? Remember, your comment could be the one thing that sparks massive inspiration for another soul. So open your big beautiful heart and share away.

As always, thank you so much for being here, for being so open, and for sharing from a space of love.

I am honored to walk this planet with you.