How to Live a Happy Life with a Winning Morning Routine 9 Uplifting Options, What NOT To Do, & the Best Life Changing Daily Action What does a Winning Morning Routine have to do with how to live a happy life? Plenty! The moment we awake brain patterns quickly claim our attitude towards the day. For many of us by 12Noon we feel good or bad about what we have accomplished. By mid-afternoon, energy levels decline. Wait, we have choices… to take new actions for new results! Read on for 9 uplifting options, what NOT to do, and the best life changing daily action you can take. Prepare Ahead- Be clear on priorities. Plan action steps the day before. Think through the day to come. What can you do in the evening to save steps? Make lunches, your outfit is clean and ready, kids backpacks prepared with homework inside (yes, it needed to be said). What will save time through the day? Any errands you can knock out in the direction you are going? Keep priorities first and secondary tasks second. Wake up knowing your road map. Get the Best Sleep- Bedtime can be a soothing ritual of self-care. Your bed should be as comfortable as possible. Create the most relaxing atmosphere. In contrast, create a great environment to awake to with sunlight, fresh air, pleasing accent colors, etc. Get your body in rhythm by going to sleep and waking up at the same times daily. Shoot for 7-8 hours of sleep for an enthusiastic start and enduring energy. Turn Your Snooze Time into an Awakening Time- Allow a spiritual moment before the ego awakes to connect with your soul. Pray, be grateful, listen silently, or visualize and feel your ideal end result when achieving your goal. You can set your intention or a theme for the day that supports your success. Imagine the impact on your relationship if you used this awakening time daily to tell your significant other how much you love and appreciate them. Hydrate- I will save the abundance of health benefits from water for another day. The point is you just awoke from one-third of the day without water. Every cell in your body from head to toe needs water for you to function at peak performance. So when you are preparing fuel for your body, add a glass or two of water. Sunlight, Fresh Air, and the Morning Sky- Allow the sunlight in to awaken you naturally if possible. Open the windows or step outside on lovely mornings for a refreshing start to the day. A few minutes watching the beautiful changes of the horizon during a morning sunrise is uplifting. Self-Care with Benefits- At the very minimum, music is energizing. Exercise kick-starts your metabolism. Stretching and deep breathing stimulates the brain. Yoga combines stretching, breathing, and meditation. Whatever your propensity choose self-care with benefits to get off to a great start. Shower and Shine- Kind of a given. Feeling clean, fresh, and looking your best to start the day increases your confidence walking into the office along with the number and type of opportunities that come your way. Fuel Up with a Healthy Breakfast- Your body slows while you sleep but still a surprising amount of activity is going on within. Your eyes and brain become quite active through REM cycles. Tissue growth and repair takes place. The immune system increases production of certain proteins. Hormones are released and the list goes on, all running on stored energy. So it makes sense to fuel your body with a nutritional breakfast for a peak performance day. Quiet Moment- If you are looking for a deeper experience incorporate a quiet block of 10-20 minutes or whatever you choose for meditation, journaling, gratitude, prayer, spiritual reading, writing down your goals, etc. What NOT to Do Avoid Email First Thing in the Morning- Email can quickly detour you off your plan and lead to others rearranging your day. Set up blocks of time a little later to manage email. After Prep Time, The Best Action to Take First Every Morning Do what is going to make you happy long-term! Want to lose weight, write a book, or stop procrastinating? Then exercise, write, and do. Want to build a skill, develop expertise, overcome a fear, or create more income in your business? Practice the skill, read or call an expert, take steps to face your fear, or take action that directly develops income. Do it first! We learn in action. You may feel resistance. Growth is not easy. Use gumption to carry through. Feel great for going for it even if you are still emerging, and allow it to energize you for the remainder of the day. Action builds knowledge, experience, strength, confidence, and the list goes on. Taking the most productive actions puts you in the best position for the rest of the day and the rest of your life! On paper jot ‘My Winning Morning Routine puts me in The Best Position for the Rest of the Day & The Rest of My Life’.  Below it list options you want to create your Winning Morning Routine. Do what is needed to keep it forefront until it becomes routine. Pick up a free Rewarding Daily Habits Chart on the Develop Good Habits Page of the author’s website to track your progress. Begin incorporating your Winning Morning Routine and let me know how your days change… StartingNow! COMMENT to the top One Word, One Focus, Creates New Results “If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control - myself.” Stephen R Covey Happy New Year! Are you excited about 2013? Did you know significant change can occur with consistent, persistent focus on just one word? We all have within us access to many different traits with free will to choose. We can be enthusiastic or pessimistic, calm or impulsive, productive, courageous, determined, skillful, friendly, a learner, healthy, adventurous, etc. How would your life, career, or business change if you chose to focus on just one word daily as your theme for the year? Well, we are going to discuss exactly that here in a minute. First, if you look behind what is not working- those patterns of discontent, that sabotaging thought or behavior- what you are likely to find is a trait or characteristic which has not been developed. Yes, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and it is productive to leverage your strengths. In addition, no matter what your endeavor you may be called to stretch out of your comfort zone and strengthen a character trait in order to step up to the next level. What I would like you to consider here is what is your missing ingredient? How about developing a character trait that may be a positive influence in various areas of your life? Here are a few examples: Healthy- Being healthy daily can lead to making better food choices, exercise, better sleep, etc. that leads to looking your best, feeling more confident, higher energy, etc. which can open doors to new opportunities. Productive- Procrastinators and those easily distracted can focus on getting the important things done first, taking small action steps, and setting boundaries on tasks such as email, phone calls, etc. Courageous- Since fear is behind most sabotaging behaviors this is likely the best one yet. Choosing to be courageous daily helps you to take risks that lead to love, building your business, and impressing your boss. Skilled or Educated- If you are new in business or your career and want to build expertise this can be your reminder to take daily action steps to read, connect and learn from others, say ‘yes’ to a new class, etc. Efficiency- Consistently looking for the best way to get things done with the least waste of time. The more you work at it, the better you get, saving time at home and work. The more you talk with others and read about it, the more information you gather and the stronger the trait becomes. Friendliness- One who tends to be shy might focus here. While maintaining boundaries they may opt to say hello more often, attend a networking event with a smile, and take small steps to stretch daily that could lead to a promotion, a new relationship, etc. Keep in mind, however, that strengths can sometimes be weaknesses. Positive traits are not always positive in every situation. Being a risk taker is often a great asset in career-building. However, risky driving does not serve anyone. So become aware of how and when to best use your winning ingredient. "Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character." Stephen R Covey Now it is time for a new good habit. 1- What is holding you back? Get to the source. List thought patterns or behaviors that stop you. 2- What is the one character trait that will best serve you to turn things around? A character trait that positively improves various areas of your life is a fantastic choice. 3- As you wake up daily and carry on through your day focus on your word as if you already are pro-active, determined, imaginative, communicative, adventurous, decisive, frugal, a finisher, or whatever word best serves you. When a negative habit turns up remind yourself that you are your new trait. By seeing in your mind, doing, and experiencing yourself being this character trait your brain is working to strengthen that connection. 4- Expect success and step over failures. Plan to succeed each day and when you have a failure step over it like a fallen branch. No big deal. Life is not smooth but it is adventurous. Learn from it and continue to grow. 5- Add a daily structure to focus on your one word daily. You can use your screen saver, a smart phone reminder, daytimer, a daily habits app, web tool, the Daily Habits Tracking Chart, etc. to track your winning streaks until it becomes a habit. Each day as you focus on one word, one trait, it becomes more and more a part of who you are. Track your victories. The more victories you experience and as you build longer streaks of successful steps the more confident you become. As your new thought patterns and actions take root you begin experiencing exciting new results. So go ahead, try it out… one work, one focus… Starting Now! 50 Sample Character Traits: Adaptive Adventurous Articulate Bold Budget-Minded Calm Collaborative Committed Confident Committed Communicator Creative Courageous Curious Detail-Oriented Determined Doer Educated Efficient Energetic Enthusiastic Ethical Focused Friendly Goal-Oriented Hard-working Healthy Helpful Humble Imaginative Learner Listener Networker Opportunistic Organized Passionate Persuasive Persistent Positive Prepared Productive Resilient Resourceful Responsible Risk-Taker Self-Disciplined Self-Reliant Skillful Thinker Trustworthy COMMENT to the top Ideas Bank for Good Habits Here are some ideas for daily habits listed below. When choosing habits customize them to fit you and make them specific. Do what you want to do, not what you think you "should" do or what someone else wants for you. Skim through the list and see what chooses you! Pay attention to those that aren't on the list. The ones that just pop up unexpectedly.   Making Good First Impressions Confident posture Confident handshake Smile and say hello Listen fully  A friendly process for meeting someone A system to remember names How you answer the phone Eye contact when communicating How you greet a stranger Showing interest in others Self Care Exercise Slide under the bed covers earlier and get a full night's sleep Take 10 minutes breaks every 90 minutes for peak performance Eat 5-9 fruits and vegies per day Eat Breakfast Drink 1/2 your body weight in water daily Take Vitamins Regular extreme Self Care time (capitalized for importance) Pray, meditate, have spiritual time, or journal  Healthier foods on your grocery list Look your best Travel Floss Do something you absolutely love regularly Professional/ Personal Development Actions   Save money Read, Study, or Learn Know your priorities- daily, weekly, monthly, etc Develop a skill Watch less tv Stop charging, pay cash Declutter Plan the day ahead Handle items that need to be handled Focus on tasks that make the biggest difference Gratitude Hear critiques and brush off criticism Take time to think Business Make 3 new business contacts per day Write 1 blog post daily Schedule 10 tweets a day Contact 2 speaking venues per day 15 second biz intro 30 second ad that you leave when you get a voicemail Business marketing block of time Act on priorities before 12 noon Do the least appealing task first each day Product development time block Delegate Follow through on what you promise Check email no more than 2-3 times a day Block a specific amount of time for social media Give to Others Give something to someone Thank someone Let go of control, anger, jealousy, or resentment Give a compliment or add value in another way Respond vs. react to situations Listen without interjecting (especially with family) Tell someone you appreciate them Share your message with 1, 5, 100, or 500+ people Look at how people are similar vs different Spend 30 minutes+ daily listening to your children Set your intention in the morning More Personal Development Habits Try something new daily, weekly, or monthly Develop self discipline Take educated risks Speak up Face a fear Get support Be courageous Set boundaries Leverage your strengths Improve communication skills Shift negative thoughts to productive thoughts Orient your life around your values Become Your Own Best Coach thru Positive Self Communication Feel good about who you are and who you are becoming! Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Be Proactive Begin with the end in mind Put first things first Think win/win Seek first to understand, then to be understood Synergize Sharpen the saw- Personal renewal Check out The Good Habits Challenge Scattered to Accomplished in June 2013 Now Registering- Don't miss out! ADD TO THE LIST HERE COMMENT to the top Daily Habits- Are They Expanding or Diminishing Your Life Experience and Business Success? “Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.” Benjamin Franklin "Up to 90 percent of our normal behavior is based on habits," an excerpt from The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt. One-by-one daily habits generate a full life. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” In the past, habits formed that served you in some way…the time you go to sleep, how you react in situations, how you communicate, what you eat, how you focus your time, etc. Because habits run on autopilot we forget they are a major influence in the results we experience. Are your daily habits serving you? When was the last time you checked? Here are 5 A’s to support you to move beyond limits and make a long-term positive impact one habit at a time. Attention- First, pay attention to your daily actions. Are there any to improve, add, or eliminate? One positive, new, long term habit a month results in 12 rewarding habits in place by the end of a year, 60 after 5 years. Wow, imagine how your life might be different then! Secondly, pay attention to new possibilities.Take a look at the Ideas Bank above. Adjust- Make a list of the habits to develop over the rest of the year. What habits do you want to add or eliminate? Instead of eliminating a bad habit you may add a good habit. For example, instead  of choosing to stop snacking you may opt to drink more water. The water fills you and automatically reduces snacking. Consider habits with long term results. Then set your plan for each month. You may choose easier habits to incorporate in the beginning. The clearer your focus the better so 1 or 2 a month is sufficient. If you choose more, select one as your primary habit. Tip: Choose what you want, not what someone else wants for you. Activate- Get in motion by knowing your motivation. What will you gain by incorporating this daily ritual? How will you be different? How will you feel different? What results may you experience long term? Review your motivation daily while instilling the habit. Accountability- Choose a structure to keep your new habit in front of you daily. It may be helpful to schedule it at the same time daily, add it at the top of your “to do” list, or do it first thing in the morning. Tell the world what you are doing, find a friend to connect with weekly for support, or get a coach. You are welcome to pick up a complimentary Rewarding Daily Habits Chart for tracking purposes at www.StartingNowCoaching.com which includes your motivation and support structure at a glance. Action- Make a commitment and take consistent, persistent daily action. Don’t just try it… do it! When you miss a day because life gets in the way, don’t quit. You can do this. Jim Rohn says, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habits is what keeps you going.” Begin creating habits that lead to extraordinary results… one habit at a time… StartingNow! COMMENT to the top 10 Ways Life Gets Easier When You Build Good Habits “Good habits, once established are just as hard to break as are bad habits” Robert Puller Habits add enough structure to change life drastically long term. Picking up one new good habit a month leads to 12 improved habits over a year and 60 in 5 years. Even half of that could change behavior that leads to significant results. What kind of impact would that have on your career, business, goals, relationships, health, finances, etc.? How would your quality of life be different? Aristotle explained, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Here are 10 ways life gets easier when you change habits in a positive direction. Sharpening Focus- Setting up small habits to help you stay clear on priorities, plan ahead, or be organized can increase and sharpen your focus. This results in achieving more, faster; and saving time. Happier Relationships- Setting boundaries, daily gratitude and affection, etc. can lead to upgraded relationships. I once met a man who started his day turning to his wife and thanking God for her every  morning when they awoke. Imagine what this small habit could do for a relationship? Healthful Lifestyle- Exercise, deep breathing, yoga, drinking more water, increasing healthy foods intake, etc. can reduce trips to the doctor and hospital while allowing more time for feeling good, having fun, and getting things done. Begin with just one small addition at a time. More Energy- With some habits you can pick up bonus benefits. Developing habits above that sharpen focus and improve health can also give you more energy. Getting the right amount of sleep each night helps, too. Higher Education- Good habits that make time for reading, education, developing a skill, etc. can lead to developing expertise and a well rounded education that improves communication with others, opens more doors, and helps you make educated decisions. Steadfast Confidence- Naturally, all of the areas above can help build a stronger sense of self when you feel good about who you are, have focus and purpose, and the support of good relationships. More Opportunities- More doors open when you are feeling great about yourself, you are continuously developing your education and skills, and you have a network of great relationships around you. Better Choices- Good habits can add structure to save time and remove you from chaos. Then you can get out of your head and into your heart to connect with intuition and make great choices. Intuition is rarely wrong. In addition, educational habits help develop a library of resources that you can access quickly when needed to help make tough decisions. And developing good relationships leads to knowing just the right person to call for advice.   More Spiritually Connected- Studies have found that those who are spiritually connected are able to handle crisis more easily. Habits that develop your soul strengthen you to handle hardships. Feel Great- Notice how much of the above builds on each other to develop you, your career, family, and life in a way that makes you feel great. Personal development through change of habits creates the foundation to make your journey a whole lot easier and enjoyable. We all have habits that are in place or developing. The question then becomes: Are your habits supporting you to achieve goals you envision for your career, relationships, business, life, etc. long term? Follow these steps to change habits and change behavior one step at a time: ~ Choose one small habit to develop this month that will bring you benefits for years to come. ~ Keep it simple while developing the routine. You can always expand on it later. Create the lifestyle change. ~ Put structure in place to add accountability and stay on track, such as keeping a journal or having an accountability partner. ~ Stay focused on the benefits. Enjoy feeling life become easier as it transforms in a positive direction one habit at a time… Starting Now! COMMENT to the top