- Just ‘be’
First thing in the morning… do not reach for your phone, business or the news; your sub-conscious is at its most sensitive and receptive at this time, spongy even… it is a great time to fill your mind with something positive. Walk around; read aloud a poem or psalm… Let the words wash over you. Go outside, listen to the birds and early morning sounds… Count your blessings, literally, speak them out and give thanks for each. Irrespective of your challenging circumstances, it is important to not focus there but instead, rise above any current negative circumstances that you may have to face later in the day, with thoughts of love and peace and hope. It matters not how low you may feel, even at that point, there is much to be thankful for. We are human beings not human doings and first thing is a great time to just ‘be’. Taking control of your thoughts first thing and choosing specifically what to focus on; that one great act of choosing one thought over another, is a mighty key to success and happiness.
- Positive affirmations
This is closely linked with ‘just be’ and should also become part of your early morning routine; speak out positive affirmations. This habit should continue throughout the day! The quality of your overall life is determined by how you feel, moment-to-moment. Positive affirmations keep you thinking and talking about what you want and keeps your mind off, what you don’t want. Try it for a week and experience the difference for yourself! It’s like weeding a garden. Your mind will not work effectively during the day if it is full of useless junk that is affecting your productivity. Your mind is your most valuable asset, so take care of it and fill it with healthy thoughts that it hears from your lips, all day long.
One of the most powerful affirmations is: “I like myself”. It may seem strange to hear at first but a positive regard for yourself is incredibly healthy (this is particularly valid if there have been people of influence in your life, whose contribution was not particularly positive. That trash needs to be weeded out). You are wonderful, beautiful, loved and can do anything you put your mind to. This needs to be reinforced; replacing the negative words that were previously hard-wired into your sub-conscious. Another power affirmation is: “I am responsible”. This is particularly valuable in reducing stress and gaining control of your thoughts and emotions in a crisis or pressure situation. The greater the sense of control that you have; the ‘cooler your head in a crisis’, the better able you will be to respond calmly, logically and effectively, as opposed to emotionally negatively.
Here is a cool 30 day Affirmation Challenge for you. Not quite as cool looking as the blue water affirmation below but definitely something to add happy and healthy positivity to your days.
- Create a list
People with lists are more productive. Whether you created a list the night before or not, quickly jot down a fresh one. It is useful to have both. Important things may have been forgotten at either time and also; priorities can change with sleep. That is why “sleep on it” is excellent advice. Things can be clearer in the morning. It is really important to have a clear appreciation of what is important and what is urgent. There may be one specific most important task for the day, that can be tackled a bit later on, giving you time to get rid of a few urgent items in the meantime. Numbering items in the order you are going to do them is also a powerful strategy. A common error, is to tackle something that you like to do but it is neither urgent, nor important. Sometimes, you really have to eat that frog.
- Go for a walk
This may have already been achieved as part of your early morning routine. People who get out for a daily walk, live longer, happier and healthier; join them! If it is possible for you to stroll through a park on your way to work, that can be an excellent solution. Or similarly, to get out at lunchtime. Connecting with nature is essential and if you want to go for the whole healthy-back-to-nature-live-longer-happier-and-healthier-package, the little known practice of grounding is one of the most valuable daily activities you can do: get your life back. Plenty more on grounding here.
- Attack the day!
You had breakfast too right? Ok… your morning routine is now perfect; you are ready to attack the day and achieve more than you have in your life to date. Armed with your list, you have no excuse and every opportunity to be amazing. Why not? Why not be more amazing than yesterday? Why not be a daily self-improving machine? It’s never too late to be more amazing, do more and achieve more. Feeling better is an ever-increasing circle; there are no limits on how great you can feel, act and do.
If you have something in your life that you want to change, listen to the internal dialogue you have with yourself, as to why you have not acted upon this already: I’m too bust at the moment, there’s too much going on, etc. Your life is a series of days, one after the other. You need to make that change NOW, else regret will be the most common ailment in your future… It may be time… to set some serious goals. Is it not time for some positive change in your life? We all have twenty four hours in a day; some make more of this time than others. Twenty four hours that soon are passed, only what’s done with love will last. If you live your life today, just as you did yesterday, the years will pass in a flash and you will have made no progress and worse; your life will be mediocre. “It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us.” ~ Isaac D’Israeli
- Take a break
This is so important. If you can combine this with grounding, you really will get the full benefit! Ten minutes in the day at some point (the middle of the working day is a sensible time) is really key; for you to completely switch off from your work: A quiet room where you can watch the sky, a walk in woods or by the water… Completely relax. Some entrepreneurs just power through the entire day but it’s not the healthy option. Take a break! Be kind to yourself and grab that five or ten minute total quiet and totally switched off. It is highly cathartic… and grounding!
- Read
Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers. It is essential for your mental health and growth to be reading daily, something positive, educational or inspirational. Your mind is designed to be active and grow and there are no limits; whatever your age. It is quite reasonable to have a number of books on the go at the same time and this commitment to life-long learning is a habit of absolute joy; work your brain hard and it will reward you. Here are some awesome reads:
- Exercise
As with the brain, your body too: use it or lose it. You may have cunningly included this point in a combination of points one and four above… but if your walk is not fast and furious, then you need to participate in a little additional perspiration. You need to exercise EVERY DAY (ok; have one day off, if you like… but) exercise is essential for your health. Exercise also improves all areas of cognitive function, including thinking, learning, and memory: Your Brain Loves Exercise! Stay hydrated too; feelings of worn out lethargy are commonly associated with mild dehydration. Be smart.
- Write that list!
The end of the day is a great time to rewrite that list for tomorrow. Score out all tasks achieved, re-write and prioritise for tomorrow.
If you are an entrepreneur, in business, working for a promotion, on commission, or working towards any kind of target… what are your reasons? There were reasons when you started. The statistics on people giving up on something and how that relates to the forgotten reasons of why they started in the first place are frightening. Do you have an unfinished project? Is your life a bit of a history of unfinished projects? If you are not afraid of reality… take a pencil and paper now and list all the projects you started, in whatever sphere of your life they were in, list them now; all the ones you remember: what did you start but not complete… this could be a life-changing exercise; let’s go! Do it now… it will take just a minute or two…
Ok… now, forget the reasons why. Some of these are from years ago and there’s not really any going back. The interesting ones are the ones you still want to complete. Circle them.
Most humans will now have circled two or three projects, goals or plans that have fallen by the wayside but are still very much important. Chances are, there is at least one that is a health/exercise related goal! We are not so different! To love yourself properly, you really need to factor these goals back into your life. Now.
We all have twenty four hours in a day; some make more of this time than others. Twenty four hours that soon are passed, only what’s done with love will last. If you live your life today, just as you did yesterday, the years will pass in a flash and you will have made no progress and worse; your life will be mediocre. “It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us.” ~ Isaac D’Israeli
You owe it to yourself. You owe it to yourself to become more amazing. You owe it to yourself to pick up that tired goal, dust it off and re-write it; re-plan it. This post may really help. What are you going to do this time to help you remain on track?
This is where REASONS really can help. Write down, right now, THREE reasons why you should achieve this goal; in 30 seconds: GO!
These are probably the core reasons and good enough to hold you to your task. But ten more will help also. Twenty that you read every day will give you the steel to keep going when the going gets tough.
- End positive
The late evening is a great time for reflection… How well did the day go? What specifically went well? If there were errors of judgement, what could you have done differently or better? Being a reflective practitioner is a highly valuable activity; it makes you daily more amazing than you currently are. There is nothing wrong with being great; it is there to be grasped. What do you need to let go of? What is so big, such a burden or a situation that affects you greatly but you have no control over? Can you trust God with it? Christ Jesus said: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Heavy laden, is burdens that we cannot bear. That is things that we worry about; often with ‘good reason’. God made us, he knew of us growing in our mother’s womb before the foundations of the earth; he cares for us… and with love, as a true friend would; would wish to carry our burden for us. Jesus took our burdens when he died on the cross; including our worry, which is actually a sin! He said: ‘Do not worry’ and ‘Everything that does not come from faith is sin’. So we have no excuse.
If you want shot of worry and have a good night’s sleep instead, have a read of how God vies worry in the picture below… you may like also, to pray this prayer out loud also:
“Dear Father God in heaven.
I have sinned against you in thought… in word… and in deed.
I am also particularly worried about {…speak out your concerns…}
I recognise this worry as a sin against you and I am sorry.
I repent (turn away from and refuse to participate any longer in) this activity.
And I now lay these burdens at the foot of the cross, where you died for me Lord Jesus: you died and took my sins away. I thank you Lord, that you now free me from this burden by the power of your precious shed blood. No enemy has hold of me anymore: you have rescued me from sin and death.
I need not worry anymore; as I am safe in your hands and protected under the shadow of your wing.
Wash me clean Lord, by the power of your Holy Spirit; wash me new, from head to toe.
Fill me with your spirit and protect me always; in Jesus wonderful name. Amen!
Ah! Well! That was an unexpected surprise!
We are left only with the one final habit not to forget. In all your busyness; what is your why?
Why do you do what you do? What is your motivation?
Is it your children? Your spouse? These are indeed worthy recipients of your ‘why-ness’.
If you water the garden, flowers will grow.
If you have spouse and children, you HAVE to prioritise time with them. Family time is essential. I know a great and successful entrepreneur called John, I know of none other that works quite so hard… but Saturday night you will not get him. Saturday night is his family night. Sunday morning too; completely unavailable to business. Be like John.
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