Welcome to my blog. In this post, I share my morning routine to get myself ready for the day. Think about your morning routine. Does it prepare you properly to make the most of your day? (Edition 1:4)

You’ve heard that old saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?  I am all for proper nutrition following a good night’s sleep, but today I want to focus on the other parts of my morning routine that get me moving, alert, creative, and ready for my day. You can create a morning routine specific to you. 

1. Be Thankful – I begin and end each day by saying thank you for the gift of another opportunity to live, love, laugh, and contribute something to those around me. Like Dr. Wayne Dyer did in his book and movie, The Shift, I say thank you aloud three times first thing in the morning and again when going to bed. For me, it is sending appreciation to our creator for the new day, and on another level it is important and reinforcing self-talk that reminds me to continually appreciate all the blessings that come my way. 
2. Get Your Body Moving – My dear friend, Chris Palmer, always said, “Movement is life,” and that is great advice to follow. Instead of remaining sedentary all morning, take some time to carefully stretch and get some exercise. As always, review your exercise routine with your doctor to ensure it is safe and appropriate for you. I like to walk my dogs – Mollie and Georgie – and perhaps ride my exercise bike, do some light weights, and play some tennis and golf. Make your routine specific to you so you will be able to follow it regularly.
3. Get Your Mind in Gear – Many people like to get right into the news by either reading the newspaper, listening to the radio, or watching news programs on television or their computer. It is important to keep up with what is going on in your community and beyond, but too many people make it the main point of their day to focus on the news for hours and hours. We all know most of the news is negative in some way, and I refuse to let negativity into my morning routine. So, I wait until a little later – after I’ve really started my day off right – to peruse the news. Instead, I do a couple of things each day to stimulate my brain in a positive way. One is to do my daily Duolingo™ French lesson. It only takes about five minutes, but it pays dividends to think in another language even for a short time each day. Another is to do a daily crossword puzzle. I typically do an online crossword that takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Ok, once in a while I look up the obscure answers.
4. Accomplish Something – Completing my daily French lesson and crossword puzzle means I can be proud of myself that – even though it is still morning – I have already accomplished something. This sense of accomplishment pays dividends in keeping a positive attitude when you go about your other tasks throughout the day.

I hope you find this helpful. Have a great day!

REMEMBER…

◊ Develop a morning routine that gets your mind and body into gear and sets the tone for the day.

◊ Take a few moments to think about this quote from President John F. Kennedy: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” (From www.brainyquote.com/authors/john-f-kennedy-quotes 

◊ Remember to be loving in your thoughts, words, and actions.