One of my New Year resolutions was to be more productive and successful during the day. Before, I’d wake up, get everyone ready for work and school, take my husband to work, then come home and start my own work. However, as time passed, I discovered that I was becoming less and less productive. It wasn’t until I took a good look at myself and decided to establish a positive morning routine that my days once again became productive and successful. By changing your morning rituals you too can set yourself up for a successful day.
How you start your morning affects your entire day. If you start out unorganized, rushed and frazzled, the rest of your day is likely to be spent the same way. Yet if you start out calm, prepared and willing, you are going to get a lot more accomplished. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to set yourself up for a successful day is to create and follow a positive and powerful morning ritual that you do every day upon waking. Not only will this help you feel more relaxed and calm, it will also make your mornings more manageable. Add in the seven tips below, and you will be well on your way to accomplishing everything you want to get done.
7 Ways to Set Yourself Up for A Successful Day
Prepare the Night Before
One of the biggest time-savers and stress removers for early morning is to prepare what you can the night before. This includes going ahead and making everyone’s lunch, getting schoolbooks, backpacks and work items together, and laying out what everyone is going to wear.
Get Adequate Rest
Although I have always been a night owl, I know that if I don’t get enough sleep, I won’t be worth much the next day. Therefore I make a point to go to bed at a reasonable hour in order to get a good night’s rest. How many hours of sleep you need depends on you. One way to find out is to start going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night, until you discover that you are waking up naturally, feeling rested and refreshed.
Wake up Early (and at the same time every day)
Did you know that multiple studies have shown that people who wake up early tend to be more optimistic and can anticipate and solve problems more efficiently? In addition, waking up early gives you some time to yourself to take care of you, and helps avoid rushing around making sure everyone is ready to go.
Don’t Hit The Snooze Button
As tempting as it is to remain in bed and hit the snooze button, don’t do it. There have been countless studies on how snoozing is not doing you, or your productivity, any good. And besides, when you hit the snooze button repeatedly all you are doing is fragmenting what little extra sleep you may get, and that is poor quality sleep. I found it helps to move my alarm further from my bed so I have to get out of bed to cut it off.
Get Some Exercise
Another reason to get up early is so you have time to exercise. Whether you stretch, do yoga, or go for a jog, you will soon discover that exercising early in the morning helps you feel healthy, strong and focused. Even if it’s just get 30 minutes worth of exercise, you will find that it makes a world of difference in how you face the upcoming day.
Make a Schedule and Stick to It!
Take another five minutes and plan out your day. Part of being successful is knowing what you want to accomplish. I find that if I know exactly what I want and need to accomplish I have a better success rate. For me, the best way to do this is to put together a list of everything that needs to get done that day, and then I stick to it.
Eat a Healthy and Hearty Breakfast
There is truth behind the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast provides the nutrients and energy needed to jump-start your day after fasting for six to ten hours overnight. It gives you the fuel you need to #PowerYourMorning. But don’t just eat any old thing. Give your body and mind the fuel they need with a protein-packed, nutrient-rich breakfast.
Nature Valley Cereal is one of my favorite breakfast foods. Together with some fruit and a glass of juice, it gives me the energy I need to make every day the best it can be. Made with the best ingredients from nature like 100% whole grain oats and honey, these cereals are packed with nutrients and protein to help fuel your morning. Plus, each one contains 23 grams of whole grain, and at least 11 grams of protein per serving!
The new Nature Valley Cereals are available in 3 delicious flavors: Baked Oat Bites, Honey Oat Clusters and Chocolate Oat Clusters. My personal favorite is the Honey Oat Clusters. These lightly sweetened multi-grain flakes provide just the right amount of sweetness, and the “Granola Bar Pieces” give me just the “kick” I need to make it through the morning.
In addition to tasting great, Nature Valley cereals also are quick and easy to prepare, helping you to avoid that early morning rush! And, if you’re into snacking on dry cereal right from the box, you have to try these. They are flavorful and fun!
Want to try the new Nature Valley Cereal for yourself? Here’s a $1.00 off coupon you can use at Publix on any flavor of the new Nature Valley Cereal.
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