How To Make it a GREAT Day

No…. it isn’t Monday but I do love this picture!!!!!

Mornings are not my best time.  I used to LOVE them.  Yup, I was one of those crazy people who was on the go from early in the morning till I crashed at night.  Then I got OLD!  LOL.  No actually MS hit. Now,  I wake up in an MS fog which takes like an hour to fade away.  I used to say, “Don’t talk to me until I had my coffee”, now it is “Don’t talk to me until I can clear the fog”.

Despite the fog, I do everything I can to make it a GREAT day!  Some days are easier than others but I am determined to make the most of it.

How do you start your days?  Do you set the alarm to get up early (maybe an hour before everyone else)?  Are you full of motivation and anticipation for the day ahead or are you dragging and dreaded what might be.  Despite the struggles which come with MS, I usually have my days planned out in some detail – where I’m going, who I will meet, what work I will get done and even some white space on the calendar for those unexpected curve balls called life.

Yup, it is all about the Law of Attraction.  The reality is your negative (dreading) thoughts are killing your productivity before you even start your day.  I know some days are tough.  Some times it feels like every day is a Monday.   I try to keep a positive attitude.  Do you let one bad day, set the tone for the rest of the week or even the next few days?  So, are you looking to make a change?

To be honest, when I decided to make the most of every day, I actually took control of my life’s direction.  Now, before you start the negatives of why you CAN’T do these things, give them a chance.  Remember baby steps are what help change the chaotic into the manageable.  I don’t always do them all perfectly BUT I give them my best shot.

#1 REST

Allow yourself to really slow down and unwind.  Maybe it is a glass of wine or reading a book or a bubble bath or a massage or watching endless episodes on Netflix?  Why not, right?  I know, you have a MILLION reasons but a little self indulgence lets you take some well earned rest.  Your weekends (days off) should be different then your work week.  It allows you time to forget the stresses and strains of being a busy woman on the go.  You get to recharge so you are ready to start all over again.

#2 LIVE POSITIVELY

You need to practice this one daily.  I know those inner gremlins are screaming at you.  I know you have bad days.  I have them too.  The first thing I do is remind myself my life is not this one day.  STOP and be grateful for the things in your life.  It will help you  to appreciate how good life really is. Your thoughts, your words, your status’, your tweets, your Facebook posts should ALL be positive. You wont be perfect but if you do your best; it will have a huge impact on the way you live your life.

#3 RISE EARLY

I have talked about this before…Getting up early is the most motivating and self satisfying thing you can do.  When I used to wake up before 6am; I knew it was going to be a really great day. Devotions done by 6:30AM. Coffee and a shower and I am at my desk by 7:30am.   Why so early? So I can be done in my office by 10 to enjoy time with hubby.  Days like these, I am unstoppable. My mood is upbeat and I feel energized because I have been productive.  Okay, so things have changed slightly with the onset of MS BUT on those days when I am up early and am ready to go – my outlook is so much brighter.

#4 MAKE LISTS

This is more a part of my life since the MS but I have to admit, I LOVE seeing things checked off.  I make lists to ensure I don’t miss any thing and everything gets done.  It is also a great way to set-up my planner so I don’t over schedule or over commit myself.

#5 TAKE REGULAR BREAKS

Yes, this actually is the key to being productive on any day.  By taking a regular break, I get fresh eyes and enthusiasm.  Planning all my tasks out in small increments helps too.  It ensures I am not working non stop (or running around) for long hours.  This is how I avoid the afternoon sugar and feeling lethargic so my productivity suffers.   Take a tea break.  Go for a short walk.  Take a power nap.  Read a little in your favorite book.  You will see a huge difference in the rest of your day.

So, what are you going to do to make a difference in your day which will ripple into making a difference in your week?  Share your ideas with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

 

How To Be More Productive in the Morning

   

It’s Monday morning…. which one are you this morning?

I really do enjoy Monday morning.  I look forward to the day because #1 I get to spend two days with my hubby and #2 I look at it as a new beginning.

I get that not every is a morning person and if I suggest that you can become one, you would probably throw something at the computer, right?  The truth is that a few simple changes to your routine can help you to be so much more productive during the day.

1. Get enough sleep – Enough sleep is different for everyone.  For a LONG time, 4 or 5 hours was enough for me.  Now, I feel the most productive when I get at 7 hours.  To be more productive in the morning, once you know how many hours of sleep is ideal for you – figure out when you need to go to sleep.  I LOVE getting up early and being in my office by 6AM so I found going to bed at 10PM works for me.  I can get up at 5AM after 7 hours of sleep.  Does that happen every day? NO! But I try to make sure it happens 80% of the time.  Remember the 80/20 rule?  With the additional hours of sleep, you’ll wake up feeling fresh and happy. Simple enough, right?

2. Write down a to-do list – Think about all the things you have to do the night before and write them down. In the morning, you’ll know what you have to do, and organizing your time will be way easier.

3. Be motivated – Find a reason to get up in the morning. For example, you might want to wake up early to fit in a morning workout, or to have some extra time to cook a healthy breakfast.  I get up early to squeeze in some quiet time to write and work on my business.

4. Take your time – Don’t rush!  Give yourself plenty of time. Nothing is worse than running out of time and not being able to do everything on your to-do list. Give yourself time to wake up, get ready, drink your coffee and prepare for the day ahead.

5. Have a playlist – Start your morning with some music. This will help you wake up in a good mood, and make you more motivated throughout the day.  I love singing out (often off key) to some of my favorite songs

What do you do in the morning to help you be more productive? Exercise? Meditate?  Share YOUR best tip with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

How To Make it a GREAT Monday

WOOHOO!  Yes, I am one of those crazies that like Mondays.  Could be that it is the start of days devoted to my business.  Could be that Monday and Tuesday are hubby’s days off.  But I have to admit that I genuinely love Mondays.

I set my alarm to get up early. I’m full of motivation and anticipation for the week ahead.  I have my next 4 days planned out in detail – where I’m going, who I will meet, what work I will get done and even time some white space on the calendar for those unexpected curve balls called life.

Yup, it is all about the Law of Attraction.  The reality is that your negative (dreading) thoughts are killing your productivity before you even start your day.  I know that Mondays are not everyones weekend.  I love Monday even when I was working CRAZY hours.  I kept a positive attitude.  Have you ever had a bad Monday and then it goes downhill the rest of the week?  Yup, you set the tone for the week.  So, are you looking to make a change?

To be honest, when I decided to make the most of Monday, I actually took control of my life’s direction.  Now, before you start the negatives of why you CAN’T do these things, give them a chance.  Remember baby steps are what help change the chaotic into the manageable:

#1 REST
Allow yourself to really slow down and unwind.  Maybe it is a glass of wine or reading a book or a bubble bath or a massage or watching endless episodes on Netflix?  Why not, right?  I know, you have a MILLION reasons but a little self indulgence lets you take some well earned rest.  Your weekends (days off) should be different then your work week.  It allows you time to forget the stresses and strains of being a busy woman on the go.  You get to recharge so that you are ready to start all over again on Monday morning.

#2 LIVE POSITIVELY
You need to practice this one daily.  I know those inner gremlins are screaming at you.  I know you have bad days.  I have them too.  The first thing I do is remind myself that my life is not this one day.  STOP and be grateful for the things in your life.  It will help you  to appreciate how good life really is. Your thoughts, your words, your status’, your tweets, your Facebook posts should ALL be positive. You wont be perfect but if you do your best; it will have a huge impact on the way you live your life.

#3 RISE EARLY
I have talked about this before…Getting up early is the most motivating and self satisfying thing that I do.  When I wake up before 6am; I know it is going to be a really great day. Devotions done by 6:30AM. Coffee and a shower and I am at my desk by 7:30am.   Why so early? So I can be done in my office by 10 to enjoy time with hubby.  Days like these, I am unstoppable. My mood is upbeat and I feel energized because I have been productive.

#4 MAKE LISTS
This is more a part of my life since the MS but I have to admit, I LOVE seeing things checked off.  I make lists to ensure I don’t miss a thing and everything gets done.  It is also a great way to set-up my planner so I don’t over schedule or over commit myself.

#5 TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
Yes, this actually is the key to being productive on any day.  By taking a regular break, I get fresh eyes and enthusiasm.  Planning all my tasks out in small increments helps too.  It ensures that I am not working non stop (or running around) for long hours.  This is how I avoid the afternoon sugar and feeling lethargic so my productivity suffers.   Take a tea break.  Go for a short walk.  Take a power nap.  Read a little in your favorite book.  You will see a huge difference in the rest of your day.

So, what are you going to do to make a difference in your Monday that will ripple into making a difference in your week?  Share your ideas with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!