A Great Day Begins in the Morning

I believe the most critical time of the day is the morning. We’ve woken up from what was hopefully a great night’s sleep and we have an entire day ahead of us to create. What we read or listen to first is crucial to how our day could go.

What is the first thing you read or listen to every morning? Is it your email, Facebook, the local TV news, the radio, a newspaper? These are some of the easiest things to start reading or listening to right when you wake up.

I’m no exception. I would start with my email, then head over to Facebook. Then I realized how it either stressed me out or put me in a bad mood. I would read my email and be reminded of who I need to get back to today and what problems I need to fix. Then I’d hop over to Facebook and kill time scrolling through updates and then reading or watching videos that would, at best, entertain me.

Let’s get even deeper right now and think beyond what we read or listen to, and think about what we tell ourselves every morning. The thoughts that we fill our own heads with in the morning are just as critical, if not more, to the direction of our day.

Toward the beginning of the year, I wrote quotes and motivational sayings on small blank business cards, front and back. I started reading those every morning, hoping it would become a habit and set me on the right path and motivate me to positivity and productivity throughout my day.

There were weeks when I read them diligently, and boy did my days turn out great! It’s not necessarily that everything that happened that day was great, but I had the mindset and the tools to get through any situation in the best possible way.

On the other hand, I noticed that when I forgot to read my cards or when I didn’t feel like it so I didn’t, my day headed in a different direction. I didn’t make as wise decisions, and my thinking was smaller and more negative. I felt more like I was trying to get through the day, rather than create the day on my terms – in my best interest – ways that serve and empower me toward my passions and purpose.

Imagine starting your day with a healthy breakfast, a workout, or inspirational reading (or all three!)? As we get closer to the close of 2013, I’m also thinking of ways to incorporate more or better daily practices to my morning. I’m human, just like you. It’s not always easy to stick to healthy habits. It takes motivation and a commitment to excellence within yourself to wake up 15 or 30 minutes earlier every morning to read or workout. It takes discipline to put the newspaper down, close your computer, or shut down the TV and read something inspirational instead. It takes effort and enthusiasm to put your workout clothes and shoes on and get a sweat going.

Start thinking now, as 2013 comes to a close, what will you commit to doing every morning (even if it’s reading your favorite motivational quote that takes you 1 minute) in 2014 (or today!) to jumpstart your day in a positive direction?

Will you share your ideas over on my Facebook page?  I’d love to share your journey.