Arm yourself with self-love, a plan for your ideal day plus a note pad to list your accomplishments at the end of the day. This simple strategy will keep you in touch with freedoms within you and help you redefine your days.

SCHEDULE SELF-LOVE first thing in the morning every day 

Purposely start your day with an activity that makes you happy and proud of yourself! Appreciating oneself before anyone else has a chance to do so, is an act of self-love. What brings you joy? Don’t save it for later, commence your day with a mood booster, then move on to the other stuff. 

In my teens living in a tropical country, I’d wake up, step outside and walk on the dew as I gazed at the snow-capped peak of Mt. Kenya far off on the horizon. It was such an energizing gaze.

For many folks around the world, their morning pick-me-up is a cup of coffee or tea. What is yours? Mine is moving my body! I wake up, whisper a gratitude prayer, dash my face with cold water, and smack on some shea butter. I proceed to the kitchen to drink a glass of lemon water, then sit to meditate and stretch for 10 minutes each. 

The outdoors and I have a lovely relationship so I hit the road come rain, snow, or sunshine. It might sound like a lot to do but I’m used to it, and it brings me lots of joy. The 1st hour of my day is reserved for me. This has been my routine over the years, and now my body almost doesn’t function properly when that routine is skipped. 

What makes you feel energized in the morning? It’s important to find a set of 2-3 simple activities that can be knocked off in under 20 – 30 minutes to start your mornings routinely. Progressively you may increase that time, or reduce it to suit your schedule. Humans are habit-forming beings, and we seem to operate much better when we create consistent habits or routines. 

If you like to dance, and can do that without waking up the whole house then do it! Or perhaps you like to sit all by yourself sipping your first cup of joe. Maybe your ideal start is a quick walk around the block with your dog. 

Whatever you choose to do, do it consistently 30-60-90 days until it becomes part of you. Keep tweaking the routine until it suits your needs. This routine will kickstart your day with a positive mood.

Are you a parent with young kids who jumble up your mornings? I know from experience that they grow up pretty fast so hang in there, and do not despair. The secret is to choose one simple routine – preferably a formerly enjoyed routine that doesn’t need too much self-motivation to undertake. Modify that activity to suit you, and your family’s morning schedule. 

An example would be sneaking out for a quick 10 minute walk around the block just to catch some fresh air before the baby wakes up. Another example would be to allow yourself to be silly. Dance when warming up the milk bottle, or even changing that 2nd dirty diaper at 6 AM. Being silly improves your mood and laughter is therapeutic according to science so LOL.  

• TOMORROW WILL BE GREAT! Plan your IDEAL DAY the night before 

Retire to bed determined to have a great day tomorrow. Certainly, we all have the freedom to make that choice! Irrespective of whether tomorrow turns out as desired or not, it’s your prerogative to plan for it. You may want to do this every night before you lie down to sleep. You could jot it down on paper, a journal, use a phone app, or just visualize it for a few minutes before you sleep. It’s really up to you. 

Many people end their days on a low note, wishing tomorrow never comes because they dread the commute – if not working from home, or despise an upcoming meeting, school or, work project, etc. These are valid reasons to color your mood blue, but we all have a choice to dream of a brighter motivated tomorrow.

If despondence is looming in the air some days, forgive yourself instantly, and dare to alter your thoughts every night. Go to bed with a smile. When you’ve had a tough day, search for a reason to be grateful, and write it down. Gratitude journaling, listening to a favorite song, playing an instrument for those gifted, or conjuring happy memories before drifting off to sleep will snuggle you into a good night’s rest. It takes effort to change a mindset so keep trying and you’ll get there.

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” St Francis de Sales

• End your day with a list of ACCOMPLISHEMENTS 

Oftentimes, we fail to acknowledge our small daily achievements, especially if the day didn’t go as we had anticipated. From professionals, students, and even stay-at-home parents, productivity has been viewed as checking all the items on a list. The TO-DO LIST has been given way too much emphasis in my opinion. I concur that this list has been valuable for most folks. However, reviewing a list of things to do, and focusing on what wasn’t done is demotivating.

On the other hand, reviewing the day’s accomplished tasks enables one to focus on what they’ve achieved. One doesn’t necessarily need to refer to their to-do list. This should be a contemplative action, consciously undertaken at the end of the day. This activity is geared towards uplifting one’s spirit by paying attention to what one has accomplished. 

Be it a major, or minor win by whatever yard one uses, it’s helpful to be gracious to ourselves. We can achieve this goal by showing some gratitude for what we managed to get done every day. Great job! Tomorrow is another day. Whatever was unfinished today has a higher chance of landing on tomorrow’s accomplished items list.

Practice finding joy & harmony in your day plus consciously discarding depressing & discorded thoughts. Freedom is permitting yourself to shine your light however dim that light might appear to you at the moment. A dim light is still light by any standards. Sieve the moment!