Beginning the Day the Right Way.

Marvelous mornings is what I aspire to have every single day. I want to wake up ready to tackle each and every day with a fresh perspective, sound mind, and fierce attitude. Here is the catch, I am NOT a morning person at all.

Growing up my mom woke up every single morning to get her day started. Her preparation was impeccable and I was astounded by it. The thing that amazed me the most was her internal alarm clock. Let’s face it if I need to wake up at 4 am in the morning, then I have to set my alarm clock, but not my mother. That woman was supermom, superwife, and superwoman. I still see her that way to this day. She truly inspired me to take a deeper look at how I can be as successful as she is and as so many others are too.

You know that saying, “the early bird catches the worm”? Well, I want to be the one catching all of the good things simply because I was the first to rise and get to it. This has prompted me to begin an early morning routine practice as well as a nighttime practice which I will share next week. Here are the 5 steps I am I am endeavoring to make a practice in developing my marvelous morning routine:

Step One: Meditation

A Clear Mind for a Successful Day.

Meditation is something I have truly desired to master for a while now. One of the main reasons is because meditation helps you find balance in and very unstable world. Life is unpredictable but no matter how much we know this, we still get off balance more often than not. I’ve spent a lot of my life allowing my emotions to be swayed by people, unfortunate situations, and unfavorable circumstances, but I no longer want to allow myself to be shaken. Peace is what I want to exude in the midst of any storm, so meditation is one of my key focuses.

Now, I love the meditation app Headspace, but guided meditation on Youtube has been my go-to because I needed a budget-friendly option. There are tons of free guided mediation tools on there plus there are so many meditation gurus to learn from.

Step Two: Prayer, Worship, and Devotion

Giving God the First Fruits of My Day

My day is totally off when I don’t wake up in enough time to pray, worship, and do my daily devotional. Even if I have a good day, it still feels like it could have been better had I given my morning to the Lord. I know everyone is not spiritual, but I own the fact that I am a spiritual being and therefore my spirit has to be fed in order for my physical and mental to fall in line.

I absolutely love to pray, but to be honest, spending time in the Word of God is my downfall. I had to find a way to study God’s word and take it to heart. The YouVersion Bible App helps me do this. Trust I am no theologian, but I recognize that I need God every single day.

As a matter of fact, my pastor calls this practice “First Fifteen”. Giving God the first 15 minutes of your day by worshipping 5 minutes, praying 5 minutes, and reading 5 minutes. How simple is that?! I typically spend 20 to 30 and it truly makes a difference in me and in my day. Give it a try and then come back and tell me your result.

Step 3: An Attitude of Gratitude

In All Things Give Thanks

Having an attitude of gratitude truly sets the tone for my day. I have a gratitude journal and it makes a world of difference in my mornings. It challenges me to think of new things that I am grateful for every single day and has follow up questions for the nighttime.

Beginning the day with gratitude gives me the opportunity to start my day on a positive note no matter what lies ahead of me. One of the best features of my gratitude journal is the affirmation section. Each day I get to write a new affirming statement about myself or something that I desire to manifest. What a confidence booster. Try writing down 3 things that you are thankful for every day. I promise your life will be a whole lot sweeter.

Step Four: Planning Ahead

Preparation Breeds Success

Planners are a go-getter’s best friend. I use to be a planner fanatic. Writing in my planner was a must and it definitely kept my schedule all the way in check. Then I took it to a whole different level called “pretty planning”. I know you are asking yourself, “Is that really a thing?”, well yes it is. Look up pretty planning on YouTube. Lol! Thank me later if you’re a plannerholic.

Lately, I haven’t really embraced my new planner like I did my other ones and if I don’t fall in love with it soon, I am definitely going to order a different one mid-year. Anyway, this is a step I am currently working on for the morning. I want to know what I have ahead of me for the day so that I can always be well prepared. This is where reviewing my daily to-do’s come in and making any necessary changes to ensure my day goes as smoothly as possible. You can’t plan for everything, but you can definitely prepare for anything.

Step Five: Seize the Day

Ain’t Nothin’ to It But to Do It!

Now it’s time to WIN. I have set the tone for a successful day after these steps and although every day won’t be perfection, I know that starting my mornings marvelously will give me a better chance. I’ve learned that it is up to me to take charge of my day. Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes fail at this just like the next person, but with time and consistency with putting my morning routine into action, I know each day will be better and brighter.

Lovies, I want to challenge you to sit down and think about how you start your days. Are you all over the place in the morning? Could a more effective nighttime routine help you win? Better yet, read up on how millionaires structure their mornings. I’m not saying we are all going to be millionaires if we have a well structured morning routine, but I am saying that we will be more successful.

I wish you all “marvelous mornings”!