Hey guys, Dr. Pete here.
Are you a morning person? Well, let me tell you, I am certainly not. Just ask my wife! It takes me a bit to get moving in the morning, which makes it really hard to start my day with purpose and with efficiency. I would like to share with you a few things that I have gleaned from people who I really admire in the field of Personal Development: Norman Peale, Jim Rohn, Jeff Olsen, and Darren Hardy.
You really need to start off your day with the right mental and emotional attitude. You need to start it with a sense of purpose and a desire to succeed. So, grab your coffee and get started! I wish that all it took was coffee. But honestly, it doesn’t take much more than that. Follow these few simple steps, and you will find your day more driven by purpose, efficiency, satisfaction, and joy. It has really worked for me. Try it for yourself and let me know if it helps you too.
Step 1. Turn on the Coffee Pot
Seriously, it’s what I do. I am a coffee guy. This may be one of my true vices. I love my coffee.
Step 2. Start Your Day Thankful
While your coffee is brewing, think about (or better yet, write down in a journal) three things that you are thankful for today. Starting your day with a mindset of thanksgiving chases away negativity and gets your mind focused on accomplishing things with a positive attitude. It sets your day up for success.
Step 3. Make a To Do List for Today
You might as well make your To Do List for the day. The coffee is probably not even done brewing yet. Or if you are blessed with a super-fast coffee maker, you can sip on that delicious cup of Joe while writing the list. You can make it a paper list. You can use your task function on your smart-phone. You can use a computer program like One Note. Just write it down with a box next to it for making your check. Trust me, it is very important to do this. There is great satisfaction in checking something off of the list.
Make categories for your To Do List. I suggest these four – work, home/family, health, and hobbies. You can adjust these as you like. But I feel that these four categories are important. If you don’t write it down, during the business of the day, stuff just plain won’t happen. This helps you approach your day with purpose and direction. It sets you up for success.
Step 4. Make Someone Else’s Day
When you get to work, the first thing you should do is encourage someone. Send someone an encouraging email or text. Stop by a co-worker and give an encouraging word. This is too rarely done in our lives. We get tons of negative feedback but very little positive. Be the one who gives the positive – the encouragement. It will have remarkable results. Your morale will improve. The morale of your entire work environment will blossom. This will help create an atmosphere where collaboration will flourish.
Step 5. Daily Reflection
This is part requires some self-reflection. What I want you to do is at the end of your day, sit down for about ten minutes and think about your day. I prefer to use a journal for this. I write down the following:
– What went well today? What were my successes?
– What could have gone better today?
– What are the things that did not go according to my plan and how could I have handled the situation differently?
– Who did I have a positive impact on today?
Step 6. Make Tomorrow’s To Do List
If you have time, I recommend making tomorrow’s To Do List before you go to bed tonight. Why? It’s one less thing that you have to do in the morning. It gives you a head start on tomorrow. If you already have the To Do List done, then you only have to review it the next morning. It allows you to start the day extra pumped up and supercharged!
Those are my daily steps for success. Let me know if it works for you.
Wishing you success and a brighter tomorrow,
Dr. Pete
Dr. Pete Publishing 