Start Your Day Amazing

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design into the present.

My students ask all the time, “Mr. Brown, I want to be more productive in my day, but I feel like I’m running around in circles day after day. I have a hard time just getting going in my day. What do you do to be productive?”

I like to say that the day may have 24 hours of equivalent length, but every hour is not created equal. I personally feel beginning the day with a purpose and a plan increases your chances of success.

I have a bit of fun when I tell my students I’m one of those weirdo kind of people…LOL! I love getting up early in the morning…real early. My students laugh at me. 😊

To me, the morning is extremely important. It is the foundation from which the rest of the day is built. How you choose to spend your morning can often be used to accurately predict what kind of day you’re going to have. I’d even go as far as to say what kind of life you might have.

Now hold on, I’m not saying that people who don’t get up early won’t have a happy or successful life. I’m just saying, the foundation of an early morning has worked for me. But not just an early morning but using the foundation of the day; the morning for a valuable purpose.

When I was a teenager, I’d get up at 6:00 a.m. to practice basketball before the bus picked me up at 7:00. In my 20’s, I’d get up early before going to work to practice the piano. Today, I’m up two and a half hours before I need to be at work.

Now, if you are a student reading this you are thinking, “Mr. Brown, yes you are a weirdo. There is no way I’m getting up early…”

I get it. However, I remember when I was in junior high, high school and college, I wanted things. Things that could bring me joy, and purpose in life. At a young age I realized that if I chose to be intentional and do the right things, I’d get the right results.

If you want more out of your day and if you want more great things for your life, I’d like you to really consider the extreme value of the day’s foundation…mornings.

Remember, we really can do most anything if we start small and turn them into a habit. Start small like getting up 5 minutes earlier than you normally do. Next day, 7 minutes earlier. Why? This little habit of using the foundation of the day…mornings, can have a huge positive impact in your life.

Here’s how to make your day a happy productive one…

Tips From Marc & Angel Chernoff:

Begin with an early start. Why?

This early beginning of the day can be slow, calm and coffeelicious! Be amazed by the sunrise and the freshness of the still morning air. As you progress through the day events will get faster, and more intense. So enjoy what will be quite possibly the most peaceful time of the entire day.

Doctors suggest that rushing in the morning can cause stress and anxiety. Just sayin’, stress and anxiety, I dislike them both, a lot. Besides, this extra time will help you avoid speeding tickets, tardiness and other unnecessary headaches.

1. Practice 15 minutes of positive visualization

Life coach, Tony Robbins explains the importance of gratitude visualization first thing every morning. In a nutshell, spend roughly 15 minutes thinking of everything you’re grateful for: in yourself, among your family and friends, in your work, in school and the many others. After that, visualize the joy, happiness, love, fun and excitement you long for in life as if you were living in it right now. The effect? I’ve found elevated certainty in most things I do, and pretty much always being in a peak state at the very beginning of the day. Despite how ‘new age’ this sounds, it’s had incredible effects on associating success into my every-day life.

Just for 10 seconds think about it. How crazy beneficial this could be in your life?

2. Exercise

I said I’m a weirdo…yep I sure am. Exercise in the early morning.

Other than the obvious health benefits, movement increases brain function (I need a lot of help in this area…LOL) and decreases stress levels. Developing a consistent habit of exercising is a discipline which will carry over into your busy day.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, is 58. That’s my age. He’s in the gym by 5:00 every morning. For me, often I will go outside for a walk, or hit-up my treadmill and start out slow. This will jump-start your metabolism and your day.

Again, just take 10 seconds to think about a simple form of movement you could do a few days a week. Nothing crazy, something very doable.

3. Put first things first

Successful people recognize that not all hours are created equal, and they strategically account for this when planning their day. For me and many of us, our minds operate at peak performance in the morning hours when we’re well rested. So obviously it would be foolish for me to use this time for a trivial task like reading emails and checking social media.

These peak performance hours should be 100% dedicated to working on the tasks that bring you closer to your goals.

I teach my students an acronym: W.I.N. This means, “What’s Important Now?” I will prioritize my day in the peaceful hours of the morning. Often, I’ll do this when I’m on my walk or the treadmill.

4. Connect with the right people

Relationships are the basis of daily life – communication is the basis of relationships. Successful people associate with people who are like-minded, focused, and supportive. Birds of a feather REALLY DO flock together. It’s very common for me to connect with my like-minded friends between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. It’s usually a quick text or two of encouragement, kindness and care. Thank you Rick, George and Greg!

So why in the world could putting this lesson into practice help you now and in your future? Simple, it’s your life. We really do reap what we sow in life. That means what we put into our lives; we get out of it.

When it comes to the morning, I like to say, “All’s well that begins well.”

Now, it’s your turn…

Let today’s lesson sink in. Take a deep breath right now. And another…

Please leave me a comment below and let me know what could be helpful for you from this post. Your feedback is important to me.🙂