A lot of us have the hardest time getting up to face the day. I know I’ve had paltry performance when it came to morning motivation. But, gearing yourself up first thing in the morning can have a profound impact on the day.
For me, it’s all about being more productive and making more money. It’s hard to be excited when you don’t have the energy to even smile.
However, finding the strength to do so will vastly affect how the day unfolds. And in the end, it’s so worth the trouble.
And given my recent situations, finding the strength to pull myself out of this funk is imperative.
How Morning Motivation Affects the Day
OK, so how does getting yourself excited first thing in the morning really affect how the day unfolds? In reality, it causes a domino effect that will topple a lot of negative things that happen.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Positive things happen to positive people.” And while this may sound like some kind of mystical process, it isn’t.
The way you view yourself and various situations throughout the day directly impact how you process decisions. In a more positive state of mind, you’re more likely to make better decisions.
Setting Your Mood
Perhaps one of the more profound elements of morning motivation is putting yourself in a good mood. The happier you are, the better the entire day becomes.
For instance, I feel unstoppable on days I start out with a smile on my face. This is something that is happening more and more often. That’s because I choose to face the day with a spring in my step.
Keeping the Mind Focused
Improving your mindset first thing in the morning also helps narrow your focus. Instead of dwelling on things that stress you out, you’re more likely to tackle them with a positive frame of mind.
Like, right now, I am laser-focused on what I want to do in the day and am excited to accomplish my goals. My attitude first thing this morning has already begun to impact how my day is unfolding.
Being More Productive
There’s no doubt that being in a better headspace vastly improves productivity. When you stop looking at your job or freelancing task as a dreaded activity, you’ll find yourself doing far more.
When you look at my spreadsheet of work I complete on any given day, you can see the numbers regarding when I’m in a good mood and not.
Energy to Burn More Calories
While in a good mood, you’re more energetic. You’ll feel like you can climb the empire state building simply because it was in your way. And this increased energy improves calorie burn.
Of course, it really depends on the individual. For me, I rack up far more steps in the day when I start off in a good way.
I’m also committed to losing the rest of my weight in the near future.
Positive is Infectious
Being in a good mood can and will impact those around you. Most humans are empathetic to the emotional state of those nearby. And when you’re energized and ready for the day, you may find others following suit.
I see this all the time with my children. If I strive for morning motivation, my kids are as well. It just seems everyone is in a much better mood and ready for the day if I am.
I guess you can say I am delivering a positive influence in their lives.
6 Ways to Improve Morning Motivation
OK, so, how do you go about getting yourself in that grand state of mind? Well, it’s completely up to the individual. Everyone is different, and finding your own morning motivation can be a long process.
However, here are a few things I practice to get myself in the mood.
1. Exercise, First Thing
The first thing I do in the morning is exercise. Part of improving morning motivation is all about supplying more oxygen to the brain. It affects decision making as well as mental state.
It’s why a lot of people will go for morning runs before going to work. And it’s why I play 30 minutes of the Xbox Kinect to work up a sweat before hopping onto my computer.
2. Put On Motivational Music
Along with my workout routine, I’ll play motivational music. Right now, the theme to Captain America is playing.
Find some music that gets your foot tappin’ and puts a spring in your step. Then, I like to focus on what I want to do in the day while having the music act like a personal theme song.
And as dorkish as it may sound, I’ve given myself some awesome monologues while the music was playing. I mean, the point of giving myself goosebumps.
3. Talk Yourself Into a “Good” Day
As corny as it may sound, talking yourself into a good day can have a huge impact on morning motivation. Whether it’s in front of a mirror or simply to yourself when you first wake up, give personal a pep talk.
Lately, I’ve been telling myself, “I got this” while the motivational music is playing. But, you need to believe in what you say. It’s not enough to just say something out loud.
You need to know it’s a fact that you do indeed, “got this.”
4. Focus on Your End-Day Goal
It’s good to have goals, as long as they’re realistic. One of the reasons why a lot of people fail in their objectives is because they set their sights way too high.
Focus on something that is realistically obtainable. For me, I am focusing on putting more time into freelance writing and blogging then I did on Friday. Then tomorrow, I try to break that record.
Words written, time spent, money made…keep your focus on the end-goal for the day. Because I truly want to meet my goal, I already started earlier and am working through what I need to do without hesitation.
5. Eliminate Bad Morning Habits
A lot of us have some terrible morning habits that will make morning motivation much harder to achieve. And many of them can ultimately destroy any chance of being productive.
For me, it was mostly watching political stuff on YouTube. Once I cut out the morning video watching, I found myself in a much better headspace.
6. Getting Enough Sleep at Night
One way to boost your energy level is to get enough sleep at night. I know some of us try to push through and feel it’s strong to get four hours of sleep and try to remain productive.
But in reality, it doesn’t work that way for most people. Allowing your body time to rest revamps your mental state as well as your physical self.
I know I am hundreds times more efficient and alert after at least 7 hours of sleep. It’s contributing to how well I feel right now, actually.
Morning Motivation Starts with You
If you want to empower your day, it all starts with how you handle your morning. A positive mindset first thing will affect how you handle the day. The hardest part is finding what gets you moving in the right direction.
I’m not promising an instant fix for your specific situation. You need to take the steps yourself. I can only show you what works for me and what empowers me to accomplish more today than I did yesterday.
It’s all about self-improvement and building confidence.