5 Things Healthy And Happy People Do Every Morning

The morning is extremely important.  It is the foundation from which the day is built.  How you choose to spend your morning can be used to predict what kind of day you are going to have, and thus, what kind of life you are going to live.

Each morning truly is a brand new opportunity.  What you do today is what matters most.  Today – starting right here, right now – is another chance to get it right.

The happiest, healthiest people I know embrace this truth and use it to their advantage.  They have effective morning rituals that improve their well-being and give their lives purpose.  Let’s follow in their footsteps.  Here’s what they do differently:

1.  They wake up with a sense of gratitude. – In other words, they start the day with love.  This means they are truly appreciative of their life and all of its priceless idiosyncrasies.  They practice small acts of gratitude in the morning by expressing thankfulness directly to the people they love, and the immediate circumstances (health, opportunities, etc.) they could so easily take for granted.  From the research and coaching Marc and I have done over the years, we’ve found that the more a person is inclined to gratitude, the less likely he or she is to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or neurotic.  Bottom line: Consider how very fortunate you are.  Consider it every morning.  The more you count your blessings, the more blessings there will be to count, and the happier you will be.

2.  They truly begin anew each and every morning. – They know that it's a brand new day to start over and do something different.  Yesterday may have been a complete bummer for them, but today is a new day for success and adventure.  Realize this.  Live now.  Not before.  Not later.  Just NOW – in the moment you’re in.  Inhabit your morning completely.  Don’t rent it out to the past.  Don't let your history interfere with your destiny!  Let today be the day you stop being a victim of yesterday’s circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want.  You have the power and the time to shape the rest of this day.  Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness.

3.  They use self-inquiry to affirm a purposeful start to the day. – Steve Jobs' morning routine used to start by looking in the mirror and asking, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"  And Benjamin Franklin asked himself each morning, "What good shall I do today?"  I challenge you to come up with questions that keep you on track and push you to live a purposeful life.  Here are three questions I often ask myself:  What would I like to remember about today?  How will I sincerely honor my own desires and truth today?  What can I do to make a positive difference in the lives around me today? 

4.  They read something positive. – Some happy people read a bit of scripture each morning, while others read inspiring books, articles or quotes to get their day started.  Either way, they have a ritual to read some form of self-improvement literature to stretch and grow their insight and knowledge.  It's starts their day off on a positive note with positive, productive ideas to guide their day's journey.  And that’s crucial, because in life you often have to create your own sunshine.  So read something positive every morning when you wake up, and let it inspire you to do something positive before you go back to sleep at night.  That’s how memorable days are made.

5.  They follow an effective, proven morning routine. – Morning routines are critically important.  They help you focus and build momentum for your day, and they give you the freedom to be present and relaxed – to enjoy just being right where you are each moment, rather than rushing from somewhere to somewhere.  Once you get your routine in order, for the first time in a long time, you will be able to, quite literally, smell the coffee.  For truly easy-going mornings, reduce the number of decisions you must make.  There are two simple ways to do this:  First, make your big morning decisions the night before: what to eat for breakfast, what clothes to wear, what you need to take to work, etc.  Second, build a simple routine for as much of your daily morning tasks as possible.  Really, there’s no need to drastically alter the simple things like how much time you give yourself to get ready for work, how complex of a meal you make for breakfast, or bathroom and shower rituals from one morning to the next.