Home
>
Time Management
>
How Do You Start Your Day

How Do You Start Your Day

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." --John Ruskin

As I mentioned in the introduction (which you should read if you haven't already) lasting change is only realized when we work on both how we think and how we act. Many programs fail because they tackle only thought or only action. Often we try to compartmentalize and change just one area of our life. We might focus on communication or cholesterol or calories or cardio. However the areas of our life do not operate in a vacuum. Sure, we can maintain a compartmentalized change for a few weeks, months, or even years - but ultimately we must change the other components of our life to create lasting change.

For this reason, you will see that the CYCL works back and forth between practical action steps and practical steps to change how we think. Today we will take a simple step toward changing our thought patterns. This very simple assignment can work wonders in your life. Imagine this scene with me:

Your alarm goes off and you struggle to get out of bed on time as the electronic beeping pierces your eardrum. Your first thought is "When is daylight savings?" How you would love the extra hour. With the realization that it just occurred a month ago, you stumble to your feet and head toward the shower. After showering and dressing you go downstairs to find your family at the breakfast table. "Good morning," you say as enthusiastically as possible for 6:00 AM. You are greeted with a few moments of silence, then a half-hearted "hello" before everyone returns to his or her breakfast bowls and conversation. You grab a cup of coffee and a muffin to have on your way to work. While driving to work your cell phone rings. It is your best friend from college. After a cursory hello she breaks into an auctioneer ramble. "I'm really in a jam. My babysitter called and she is sick. Can you watch my kids tonight for thirty minutes while I run and pick up Jacob's present?"

Always there for one another, you tell her you would be happy to watch Jacob before hanging up the phone. You get to work and find someone in your designated parking place. Frustrated, your "okay mood" is drastically deteriorating. You park near the back of the lot only to step into a wad of gum as you get out of the car. UGH, you think, it's going to be one of those days.

You shuffle into the office, passing the receptionist. Normally she welcomes you with a cheerful greeting, but today she is busy taking notes while talking on the phone and doesn't offer so much as a nod. You sigh again and trod to the meeting room.

Have you imagined this scene? Any idea what is missing? Two simple words: GOOD MORNING (backed by sincerity and enthusiasm).

The first thirty to sixty minutes of our day set the tone for the hours to come. Getting off to a cheerful start has a dramatic impact on how our day will flow.

Your Assignment

Let today be the last day that you have not said "good morning" to yourself and the last day that you begin your life on "auto-pilot." Tomorrow when you awake, don't jump into a crazy-pace and forget the crucial step of giving yourself a "morning hello." Before you even get out of bed, take a few deep breaths and say "Good morning." Run through your positive qualities. Say a quick prayer. Focus on your day ahead and imagine moving through it effortlessly. Research has shown that those who visualize their day beforehand have a much better success ratio than those who do not. Look in the mirror and smile. While showering, think of five things you are grateful for. While getting dressed, develop curiosity about the day. Try saying, "I know something wonderful will happen today ? I can't wait to see what it is."

Try to spend at least three minutes each morning doing positive-thought activities. It might be awkward at first, but stick with it. Likewise, remember that you have a great impact on everyone around you - especially in the morning. Breakfast is considered a vital physical component of getting our day off to a good start. Likewise, a positive morning routine is vital to getting our day off to a positive emotional start.

There is an interesting phenomenon that you will likely notice when recollecting your life or examining the lives of others with whom you are close. If we think the day is going to be "not so good," we will likely be right. If we think the day will "be great," we will likely be right. Our thoughts about what is to come act like a magnet - thus the clich? "What we think about, we bring about."

Take a moment to reflect on your morning thought patterns. Can you detect a correlation between your thoughts and what is happening in your life right now?

This program is about change - changing our external environment, aligning our life with our priorities, and creating internal change to support the external. Feeling good about ourselves is a necessity for implementing any lasting change. When something makes us feel good we are much more likely to stick with it - that is why it's so important to focus not just on your external surroundings - but on your internal approach as well.

Brook Noel is the author of The Change Your Life Challenge: A 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women. Her unique program has helped thousands of women "makeover" all aspects of their lives. Learn more at http://www.changeyourlifechallenge.com

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

How Do You Start Your Day

Time Management