“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” Henry David Thoreau
If you think of the start of your day as the foundation for everything that follows, you can see that finding time to give yourself the gift of a good beginning is well worth the effort that it takes. And, as with so many wonderful things, it does take effort.
How you start matters…
Whether it’s an early morning walk, time spent journaling, a run or a swim, or taking time to meditate, there are lots of ways to energize your day with a self-nurturing start. As you well know, in our busy world, there are also lots of things that can intrude on these self care plans. That’s why discipline and follow-through are so important. Plans are a good first step, but if they are not implemented they can quickly become dreams.
3 Tips
Here are three quick tips to help you start your day in an energizing and self-caring way!
- Do have a plan! Whether you vary your routine or do pretty much the same thing every morning, be sure to think about it the night before. Write it down if that helps you follow through. Visualize yourself getting up and taking the first steps toward your planned activity.
- Know thyself! If there are things that you know will knock you off course, avoid them (or plan for them). For example, I have a friend who easily gets caught up in computer activities to the detriment of other things. Her plan is to NOT turn on the computer until she has followed through on her plan for the morning. If you planned a walk and you expect it to be rainy, either have a contingency plan, or lay out your raincoat the night before. Anticipating and dealing with possible impediments beforehand will help smooth your way in the morning.
- Appreciate and congratulate yourself! After you have completed your activity, take some extra time to pat yourself on the back for your effort. Be direct with yourself, acknowledge any challenges that you overcame in following through on your commitment. This builds self-trust and self-awareness.
Start a new routine
Each and every piece of this routine will add to the store of energy that you carry forward into your day. That’s a guarantee!
Here’s a challenge for Time Finder readers: Think about a self-nurturing morning routine that you can put into place for yourself for the month of May. Write it down and track your progress. Maybe you want to enhance something that you already do. Maybe you want to try something entirely new. Try it and please let us know how it goes … I’d love to hear your thoughts!
This helps, too…
What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Hi Paula,
Good points here! Plan in advance; that gives us an outline to follow, so fewer distractions happen. I like that!
Know what de-rails you and avoid it. There are so many distractions around us!
Reward yourself for sticking to your plan and getting things done. I had a friend who loved making doll house furniture. That was her reward for after the laundry, housework, etc. for done for the day, and…she had to get her reward in before the kids came home from school! That helped her be very efficient with the work she had to do.
Hi Kathryn – I love the specific example you share about your friend. What a vivid image you paint! And you’re right, if you are finding time to build in a reward for yourself AND there’s a time constraint associated with it, that will often increase your efficiency on the front end!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments and experiences!
Paula