Have you ever heard the saying, “The way you start is the way you finish?” If you haven’t heard this said before, think about it. The saying is true, especially when it comes to having a good day. The way your start your day tends to impact the whole day. If you start your day in a calm and peaceful manner, you’re setting yourself up to have a good day. Rushing around in the morning, feeling stressed out about all of your responsibilities and trying to get too much done in a short amount of time are not the ingredients for success. Trust me, I’ve been there.

But, here’s the good news: there are things we can do to help ourselves. Ways we can set ourselves up to make the most of the day ahead of us.

Here are 5 things you can do each morning to help yourself have a good day:

Set Your Alarm And Get Up

Decide the night before what time you need to get up, making sure you give yourself plenty of time to do whatever you need to do in the morning. Here’s the hard part: when your alarm goes off, you actually need to get up and get out of bed. I know it can be hard. I know it can be painful. I’m not a morning person and this is seriously difficult for me. Here’s the thing: not getting up and oversleeping is actually more painful in the long run. Remember this when you want nothing more than to hit the snooze button and give yourself another fifteen minutes of beauty sleep. All the beauty sleep in the world isn’t going to help if you have mascara running down your face and messy hair because you didn’t have time to get dressed properly.

Have Some Quiet Time

Take a little time each morning for yourself. To sit with your thoughts, read something inspirational and even write in a journal. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time. Even fifteen minutes of quiet time can have a significant positive impact on your day. I like to write in my journal in the morning and I sometimes do this while I’m still in bed. You might prefer to get up and make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, sit in your favorite chair while you take a few moments to wake up, or read inspirational material outside in your yard. The options are endless.

Figure out what you like, what works for you, and do it. Every morning. I promise you, even fifteen minutes really will make a difference.

Be Organized

If you know you need to have certain items ready in the morning, pack them up the night before. There’s nothing more stressful than not being able to find what you need and knowing the clock is ticking. How many times have I rushed

around like a crazy woman searching for my keys. Have you ever done this? It’s not a great way to start the day, I assure you. Take a few minutes before you go to bed to think about what you need for the next day, and get it ready. Don’t forget to think about the food you will need, including healthy snacks. You can even pick out your clothing the night before. Anything you can do to help yourself have a calm morning is a good thing. The more organized I am the night before, the more time I have in the morning to get centered for the day.

Establish A Routine

You might like to shower in the morning, exercise before you go to work or eat a healthy breakfast. Everyone is different and we all have activities that work best for each of us. Try various things until you find a routine that works for you. You might have family members you need to assist, children who need your help or pets to take care of.

A structured routine is the best way to stay organized and on track.

With a little planning, you’ll be able to manage your morning responsibilities and carve out a little time for yourself.

Expect To Have A Good Day

Look at the day ahead of you with appreciation and joy. Even if you have a meeting you don’t want to attend or something you dread doing, expect it to go well. If you have a positive outlook going into your day, you’re more likely to actually experience a good day. You don’t have control over what happens to you but you can certainly control your attitude. Expect to have a good day and you’re more likely to have one. If this seems simple, it’s because it truly is.

Expect good things to happen to you.

Mornings are stressful for a lot of people. Hopefully, these steps will help you start your day off well. Remember, “The way you start is the way you finish.” Start this tomorrow, establish a routine that works for you and your family and then stick with it.

Find meaning each day,

Dara