Tip #16: Start Your Day Well

I’ve been reading Robin S. Sharma’s book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – a wonderful story full of insights and ancient wisdom on how to open your life to success and happiness. One of my favorite authors writing on productivity and personal development, Brian Tracy, said about this book:

“A fun, fascinating, fanciful adventure into the realms of personal development, personal effectiveness, and individual happiness. It contains treasures of wisdom that can enrich and enhance the life of every single person.”

The Ritual of Early Awakening

One of the strategies known to the sages that Robin Sharma shares is the Ritual of Early Awakening that emphasizes the need to wake up early in the morning and start your day with positive thoughts. Here are some key insights from the book:

“One of the best pieces of advice I learned in that far-off oasis of Sivana was to rise with the sun and to start the day off well…
The ten-minute period before you sleep and the ten-minute period after you wake up are profoundly influential on your subconscious mind. Only the most inspiring and serene thoughts should be programmed into your mind at those times…
What you put in is what you get out… By determining the thoughts that go in, you also are determining precisely what will come out.”

Prepare the Night Before

Before you go to sleep, don’t watch the news or argue with anyone or even go over the day’s events in your mind’s eye. Relax. Drink a cup of herbal tea, if you like. Listen to some soft classical music and prepare yourself to drift off into a rich, renewing slumber.

Make Your Morning Count

Once you are up, the fundamental principle is the importance of starting your day off well. The thoughts you think and the actions you take in the first ten minutes after you wake up have a very marked effect on the rest of your day:

Think positive thoughts – give a prayer of thanks for all you have
Work on your gratitude list
Listen to some great music
Watch the sun come up, or go for a quick walk in natural surroundings
Make yourself laugh – the sages would actually make themselves laugh whether they felt like it or not, just to get the “happiness juices” flowing early in the morning. Wake up and smile — it’s the simplest trick ever!

Change Your Thinking

It’s common for most people to wake up and start thinking of problems they have to solve today. Change your thinking. Every problem is an opportunity – look at it this way.

If negative thoughts come to your mind, replace them immediately with something pleasant and optimistic, and subconsciously you will carry these positive thoughts and good mood through your day. Having important things planned for the morning also helps set a positive tone.

Instead of thinking “Oh my God, another busy day ahead…” I think “Hey, God just blessed me with another day to live, let’s have fun!” And don’t forget to smile.

There are many other great tips and strategies in the book, and together they form a whole philosophy of living. Recommended read.