I am convinced that the first five choices we make in the morning have the ability to set the tone for the entire day.
I’m not talking about automatic habits like having a cup of coffee, I’m referring to:
Physical
Spiritual
Emotional
and
Relational
decisions we make after waking up. Do we choose to work out, pray, say a few kind/inspiring/affirming words to our partner or our children? Do we take our vitamins, choose to eat healthy food, send an supportive text, or read an interesting/motivational article? Do we listen to uplifting music or subject ourselves to annoying, controversial news? Are we friendly to the first stranger we pass by, do we compliment a co-worker or do we keep our head down; eyes fixed on the i-phone?
Are the FIRST FIVE decisions we make BUILDING BLOCKS we can stack the rest of our day upon, or are they energy sapping, mental pot holes we will spend hours digging out from?
As I sat in the kitchen yesterday contemplating again whether or not to head out on my daily walk ( I REALLLLLY didn’t feel like it) I reminded myself that this choice was one of the “first five” and could therefore have an outsized impact on my day.
That thought alone got me out the door – I truly believe the first five choices of your day matter that much…in fact, they may matter the most.
.
.photocredit:FreeImages.com,Flickr,Lifeprint
Thank you for this great, affirming post! I will try to remember your wise lesson the next time I wake up feeling not exactly my best, Cindy.
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Thanks Heather..all I can tell you is I have noticed the ripple effect in my life. If I start the morning a bit sloppy or blue or lazy or whatever..it just oozes into the rest of my day. The converse is also true for me. The good feeling I get going on my walk (esp when I don’t want to) or being extra nice, or eating a banana instead of a handful of pretzels…or chocolate!….just seems to set me on a roll- and I tend to get more done and have a better day.
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I know exactly what you mean, Cindy! And today — as I enter hour # 12 of an 18-hour day — I’m congratulating myself for having done my meditation and exercise first thing in the morning. It’s helped me keep my energy up and make better food choices. The real test will come tomorrow, though: It seems I’m not as good at self-care when I’m tired (and thus need it most).
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It’s so hard when you are SO busy! My kids lead lives like that..and you’re right..when we need “self care” the most is when we are too tired to focus on it and commit to it. But I guess if all you can do is “plop yourself down” at the end of the day, you still have the choice to light a candle, put on music instead of TV, sit in the tub instead of a lazy-boy chair..to basically “spa-ify” and pamper your tired self. But I hear you, it’s hard..esp when day after day you are facing back to back work marathons..and when you have kids, it’s even more difficult. For me, the evenings are much more of a motivational challenge than the mornings..one reason I’ve always enjoyed getting up early to spend some time alone.
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A very inspiring reminder.
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Thanks Tracey- I’ve noticed lately that the thought of how my morning affects my day really helps me make better choices right off the bat. It’s like I’m looking ahead a few hours to think about the impact this or that decision will have on my mood and overall outlook. It makes me pay a bit more attention to what I’m doing, saying, eating…etc.
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setting the intentions for the day takes conscious choosing anew each morning.
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I agree!
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Five choices? I can’t string five LETTERS together before coffee. 🙂 (Only four. And not in a polite order. LOL)
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HAHA- I hear ya about the coffee. (drinking mine now) but I really think I have stumbled across something here..this isn’t about making another to-do list…this is different. This is about making positive choices regarding things we maybe don’t even think too much about- stuff that makes us feel good about ourselves and “sets the table” for a more positive and productive day. It really works for me when I consciously think of the morning as that springboard into my day.
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