You can live a whole life before 9 AM. You can walk the dog. You can work out. Write in your journal—ask yourself, What do I really want? You can read. Go grab a coffee. … Bottom line… are you sipping from a cup half full or half empty? Let time be on your side. See what I did this morning by watching the video above 👆
Here’s the thing: mornings are not just about productivity—they’re about power.
Most people stumble into their mornings already behind. They scroll, they answer emails, they get swept into kids, partners, pets, demands, noise. And by 9 AM? They’re drained before the real work even begins.
But the truth is, you can reclaim that time. You can create a space that’s yours—before the chaos, before the demands, before the world gets a piece of you.
I call it your sacred hour. Further down I’ll share my 10-Minute Morning Ritual: Reset Your Mind, Body, and Spirit Before the World Wakes Up
But first…
My Chaos Years (a.k.a. Life With Two Toddlers + a Leadership Job)
I’ll never forget when my twins were two. Can you imagine two little humans crawling and wobbling around, getting into everything, eating Cheerios off the floor like they were gourmet meals? My house looked like a toy tornado had landed. My brain? Even messier.
I was juggling the hormones, the endless “Mum, Mum, Mum,” the work stress, the house stress—you name it. At the same time, I’d just stepped into my first director-level leadership role, which came with its own headaches. (Pro tip: managing complexity is basically the job description.)
This was pre-pandemic, so there was no working in leggings from the kitchen table. The rule was: go into the office. Which meant at least an hour in traffic each way. And the cherry on top? My boss at the time was a high-profile CEO—part tech entrepreneur, part celebrity. Which meant his time was… elusive. If you wanted face time, you often had to wait until late at night, after his “creative bursts.”
It was stressful. I was burning out. I had almost no balance.
And yet, something shifted when I found my morning sacred hour.
Discovering the Sacred Hour
Every morning, before the house erupted—before the twins needed breakfast, before the commute, before my boss’s schedule dictated mine—I carved out 6:30 to 7:30 AM just for me. Sometimes, with my husband’s help, I even got until 8.
And that changed everything.
The first thing I’d do? Lace up my shoes and go for a run. Even in the suburbs, just feeling fresh air on my face, my body moving, my heart beating… it was medicine for my mind.
Then I’d journal. Not typing. Not tapping into a phone app. Real pen on real paper, writing until my hands hurt. Journaling is like free therapy: it clears the cobwebs, sparks new ideas, and makes sense of the madness. It’s not just good for the soul: it’s a strategy for innovation.
That was my time. My hour. My reset button.
And that’s the key: you need personal time. Time to be a human, not just a worker, not just a parent, not just a partner.
Mornings Make the Makers
At other times in my life, I used that same sacred hour to write. (Fun fact: I’ve written three books, and I’m working on my fourth.) And guess what? Almost every single page was written in the early mornings.
Why? Because the mind is sharpest before the world barges in. Studies show that willpower and focus are highest in the first few hours after waking. This is why so many authors and creators swear by the morning hours.
Ernest Hemingway famously said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” But here’s the kicker: he did that bleeding first thing in the morning, every single day. Maya Angelou rented a hotel room where she wrote from 6:30 AM until early afternoon, long before the world could distract her.
In fact, one study from the University of Toronto found that “morning people” reported feeling happier and healthier overall compared to night owls. And bestselling author Hal Elrod built an entire movement around “The Miracle Morning,” showing how a few intentional practices early in the day can change your life trajectory.
So when I say mornings matter, it’s not just my story—it’s science and history talking too.
The Big Shift
The sacred hour wasn’t about perfection. Some mornings I only managed 15 minutes before a toddler meltdown pulled me away. Other mornings, traffic forced me to cut my run short.
But the ritual itself—the choice to claim time before the world claimed me—that’s what shifted my mindset. That’s what helped me rise in my career, write books, and, honestly, keep my sanity as a working mum with twins.
Here’s the truth: your mornings don’t need to look like anyone else’s. You don’t need to meditate on a mountaintop or run a half marathon before breakfast.
But you do need to ask yourself: am I letting the day run me, or am I choosing how I step into it?
Your 10-Minute Morning Ritual (Subscriber Gift 🎁)
Everyone can find 10 minutes. Yes—even you with the busy schedule, the kids, the meetings, and the coffee pot that always seems to take too long.
I’ve designed a simple ritual that walks you through a full “reset” in just 10 minutes. Do this before the noise of the world gets in, and you’ll feel more focused, grounded, and ready to tackle whatever’s on your plate.
👉 Subscribe below to unlock my free for subscribers ✨“10-Minute Morning Ritual: Reset Your Mind, Body, and Spirit Before the World Wakes Up.” In just ten minutes, you’ll move through calming breathwork, energizing movements, and simple mindset shifts that clear mental fog, spark gratitude, and align you with the creator, leader, or artist you’re becoming. This is your daily reset to step into the day with intention and clarity.
Your sacred hour is waiting. The only question is: will you take it?
xo,
Gilli
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