Every day is an opportunity for you to be better than yesterday. Everyone has an equal opportunity to maximize their days to its fullest. No one has a “time advantage”.
Jumpstart your day with these actionable tips:
1. Prepare for Tomorrow
We like to spend the evening relaxing and pampering ourselves to make up for the day’s work.
Our usual routine is to entertain ourselves like watch TV or get busy on social media. Unfortunately, we miss out on the opportunity to start the next day with less worry and stress.
Try preparing things the night before (e.g., clothes, school or work essentials, exercise equipment). This will help you start the day without feeling rushed.
Make nighttime an opportunity to plan ahead by writing down your to-do's for the next day.
2. Sleep Early, Rise Early
A lot of us like to label ourselves as “night owls”, that nighttime (late, to be exact) is the prime time for creativity and productivity.
You might think you can get more things done if you stay up late, but you can actually get more things done if you sleep early. You’ll be surprised how things can drastically change if you assume the life of a lark.
Try sleeping and waking up 15 or 30 minutes earlier than you normally would and gradually adjust until your ideal sleeping schedule is achieved. This is life-changing, and I urge you to give it a try!
3. Fix Your Bed
The simple act of fixing your bed increases your self-efficacy by giving you a sense of accomplishment. This helps fosters the growth of other good habits.
Fixing your bed is easy and not time-consuming, so you don't have an excuse not to do it. Having a fixed bed also helps reduce stress... and wouldn’t it be great to come home from work to a neatly fixed bed?
4. Meditate
Meditating is a great way to mentally prepare you for the day! With our modern-day hectic lifestyle, we rise up and jump right into our working shoes -- we think about the day’s tasks and stress about ticking them off our to-do list.
Meditation helps to reduce stress and anxiety. It helps us appreciate life more, improves our immunity, boosts our metabolism and helps us think better.
Try meditating for 5 minutes (or less, it’s up to you) by assuming a comfortable position and focusing on your breathing. It's that easy!
5. Use Affirmations
Affirmations are words or phrases of positivity that is repeated in line with someone’s beliefs. It is a way of making a positive suggestion to the subconscious mind to enhance well-being and attract success.
Immediately after meditating, make time for positive affirmations. Having the right mindset is an integral part of your productivity and happiness. Start your day with more optimism and truly believe that every day is going to be a great day!
For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, affirmations sound like a cheesy concept. However, it’s a tried-and-tested method that the world’s most successful people have utilized. Here's how you can use affirmations to change your life!
6. Read a Self-Improvement Book
"Your level of success will seldom exceed your level of personal development because success is something you attract by the person you become."
Pick a short section of any self-improvement book or read at least 5 pages. This may be challenging when you're not into reading, but just give it a try, and see how your mindset will evolve over time.
A lot of the things I've achieved now I attribute to the books I've read. It has completely changed my life!
7. Journal
Journaling is a great way to keep track of things. You can start a gratitude journal and write down 1 to 3 things that you're thankful for, or you can jot down notes from the lessons you've learned from your reading, or you can celebrate your achievements—it's up to you.
Feel free to use a blank notebook, or go digital with an online journal.
8. Exercise
A quick 5-minute workout at the start of the day can help make a positive change in your health!
Avoid falling prey to the "I-don't-have-time-to-exercise" excuse by making it one of the first things you do in the morning. If you keep pushing it to later in the day or after work, you may have spent all your energy on other things, and you will have been too tired to exercise.
The reason very few people commit to exercising regularly is that they treat it as an optional thing when it should be mandatory.
Feel free to make your own mix of moves like squats, push-ups, crunches or jumping jacks. If you need some guidance, there's a huge selection of free workout videos online.
Incorporating these tips to your daily life can have an immediate positive effect. Make it a definite goal to start each day with more energy and productivity using these simple tips!