When you get up in the morning, what do you?  Recently I decided to pay a little more attention and tweak my morning routine.  This came from watching Brian Tracy on a short video on my personal development app. He was talking about how important the first hour of the day is.

He said everyone has a daily morning ritual or habit that they practice whether they know it or not. Some of those habits are more beneficial in preparing your mind and body for the day ahead.  He then focused on three things.

His first suggestion was to spend the first thirty to sixty minutes reading something inspirational or uplifting.  For me, reading the Bible in the morning is certainly uplifting and inspiring.  It is something I’ve done for a long time.

Our children grew up in a quiet house in the morning.  We tried to teach them to start their day with serenity and peace, without radio or TV.  The day ahead will have plenty of noise and demands, and starting the day with a little peace and quiet gets you settled, focused and ready to deal with the ups and downs of the new day.

Part of my “quiet morning” is spending time in prayer.  I open my heart to my heavenly Father, holding nothing back.  I thank Him for what He has done and I ask Him for the things I need. I pray for others and, at the same time, I tell Him how I feel, good or bad.

What’s For Breakfast?  

It was in the next two things Mr. Tracy shared that I saw I could and should make some adjustments.  Now I have made some really excellent improvement when it comes to breakfast, at least in my mind anyway.

I regularly have blueberries and yogurt with sliced almonds and granola.  Sometimes I add an English muffin because I think I am starving!  I also drink several cups of green tea in the morning, and only one cup of coffee.  Hooray for me, right?

But what about those mornings when I am running late and end up picking up something along the way? Even though McDonald’s now sells a yogurt parfait with granola, I will always opt for the sausage biscuit.  Don’t ask how often that happens.

So, to tweak this area, I can easily take a banana, a piece of cheese and a hard boiled egg with me as I head out.  If I don’t do that, I am not going to beat myself up over it.  I am simply going to do my best to tweak things that are beneficial for my life.

Brian Tracy’s third point is something I used to do all the time, but somehow, somewhere, stopped doing it.  Watching that short video was a great reminder of something that’s very simple to do. Plan your day the night before.

Good Night

Before going to bed, write down everything you need and want to accomplish the following day.  Then prioritize it. Doing this the night before really has two great benefits.

First, you’ll sleep better.  You don’t have to worry about all the things you need to do tomorrow. You’ll be peaceful because your mind now knows you have a plan.  You will wake up more rested.

Secondly, when you do wake up, your plan for the day right is in front of you. Sure you can rearrange some things on your list, but the point is that you are starting your day with your plan in hand. And your list is prioritized so you don’t need to try and figure out what to do first.

I used to do this, habitually and routinely.  For some time now, I do it mostly mentally.  But I have noticed in the mornings that I am trying to remember something I was planning to do.

I still write down many of the things I want to get done, but I could do a better job of prioritizing.  And, instead of writing things down during the day, I need to do this before I go to bed.

Having started your day with some quiet inspiration, a nutritious breakfast, and your plan in hand, you’re off to a much, much better start on the day ahead.  Mr. Tracy said he heard someone once say, “The first hour of the day is the rudder of the day.” So, what are you doing this the morning?

Mike Verdicchio
2013

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