How Do You Start Your Day?

[Dien Rice]

I believe how you start your day can make a "big" difference to your success...

So how do you start your day?

I've recently been following a routine Ted Nicholas wrote about in his ezine (you can see some past issues here, and subscribe from www.tednicholas.com - this issue isn't on his website just yet...)

He called this issue "Increase Your Success Margin By How You Start Your Day"...

Here's a summary...

1. He spends a "quiet time period" of 30 minutes to an hour some time in the morning. That means turning off the phone, not reading emails, etc. He also spends 20 minutes of that time meditating (*).

2. He keeps a journal where every day he writes down:
A. What am I feeling? and
B. What do I want?

3. He next lists the things all the things, large and small, in which he is blessed, that he's grateful for. (This helps you to have an "attitude of gratitude" - which I think is very important. We're all "blessed" in various ways, but we often overlook them or take them for granted...)

4. He plays a CD of music he loves.

5. Then he identifies, lists, and prioritizes the things that are on his mind. He says, in general, don't put more than 7 things on your list, because you won't get them finished! Also, he recommends to do the toughest things first... Don't leave the toughest things till last, when you have no energy or time!

Anyway, I've been following this method (more or less) the last couple weeks or so... And it has been beneficial!

Here are some of the benefits from my experience...

- The "meditation" helps to clear your mind of extraneous worries - so you don't have too much on your mind, and you can more easily focus.

- Writing "What do I want?" every day helps you to keep an eye on the "big picture" - exactly what are you doing this for? It's sometimes easy to lose sight of this as we get lost in daily tasks...

- Listing what you're grateful for I think is something very powerful that everyone should do on a regular basis. It makes you realize that you do have many blessings (that we often forget about). It also helps you start your day in a very positive way.

- Then, creating the list of things "to do"... You do a much better job of this, I feel, after you've done the earlier activites - which help you focus, and help you keep an eye on the "big picture" of what you really want!

By the way, Bill Myers says he keeps an eye on the "big picture" by going on walks with his wife, and regularly talking about what their goals are and how they'll achieve them... http://www.bmyers.com/public/1114.cfm

What do you do every morning, that you feel helps you during your day?

Hope you find some use in this post... Your thoughts would also be very appreciated!

Dien

P.S. Here is how Gary Halbert would start his day, if you're interested... http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/..._every_day.htm (It starts around two-thirds of the way through the newsletter.)

(*) Ted Nicholas recommends learning meditation from a Transcendental Meditation class, or from the book "The Relaxation Response" by Herb Benson.

[Ankesh]

Thanks Dien.

I think its a better idea to map out your to-do list at the end of the day. Decide what you will do the next day in the last 10 minutes of your day.

So that the first thing you do the next day is dig in and start working.

I try to follow Joe Sugarman's technique - of packing up for the day. Making sure the desk (and the desktop) is clean.

And then make a list of

* What I achieved on that day
* Things to-do the next day

Tool I use: http://www.rememberthemilk.com

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Ankesh

Thanks Dien.

I think its a better idea to map out your to-do list at the end of the day. Decide what you will do the next day in the last 10 minutes of your day.

So that the first thing you do the next day is dig in and start working.

Thanks Ankesh,

I've never actually tried this method... I'll give it a shot and see how it goes...

Cheers,

Dien

I tried the end of day posting thing and found it kept me awake instead of letting my brain drift off into sleep.

I keep my day planner handy on my desk and mark down in it anything that must be done on the appropriate page as the day goes along and it occurs to me. Found it's better than trying to recall everything in one marathon bout. This way large and small items get listed and I don't feel overwhelmed by writing them all down at one time...besides, it frees my mind for other things.

Went back to my usual routine: a (usually brief) prayer of thanks in the morning and a more comprehensive one at night...works like a charm.

Sandi Bowman

[Ankesh]

One thing is very important: you have to make your own rules.

You should own the rules instead of letting the rules own you.

Having said that - there is a solution Sandi.

Roy H. Williams has written a story in one of his trilogy books:

A friend asks Roy how he can detach himself from work when he leaves the office. How can you stop thinking about work-work-work?

Instead of answering, Roy asks the friend to look outside the window at the garden for 5 minutes. He then asks him to stare at a blank wall for the next 5 minutes.

While the friend is staring at the blank wall - Roy asks: are you thinking about the garden now?

You have to focus on something more interesting than blank wall or your mind will wander back to the garden.

(Written from memory - so there may be errors about details. But the idea behind it remains intact)

Get a hobby that is more exciting than work. This way, boring work and to-do lists won't keep you awake.

Ankesh...thanks, I think...

Prayer works for me...it allows me to put the cares, worries, hassles of the day into a basket and set it aside, in good hands, so I can sleep.

Don't see the logic in the hobby suggestion you made (my plate is so full I can't find it now) but no problem. You've provided lots of good ideas since we 'met' online years ago. Oh...a chance to say 'thank you'...so....THANKS!

Sandi Bowman

If you keep Weird hours like some of us Do...

There may Not be a typical Start or End to a Day...

So it's Best to Formulate your own To Do List system...

25 To Do Lists to Stay Productive...

Another Super! resource I recommend checking out and Using...

http://www.solutionwatch.com/450/25-...ay-productive/

Phil

Dien, thanks for bringing this up. I just downloaded Mark Joyner’s SimpleologyWebcockpit to my desktop and have gone through Simpleology 101 and 102 for the first time. In the past I used a “Franklin” Day Planner but Mark’s Simpleology appears to be much better because of the online and offline training… Videos, Books, MP3’ Audio Files and the questions you ask yourself each day while doing your Daily Simpleology Target Praxis. And… Simpleology 101 is a free download at http://snipurl.com/Simpleology101

My game plan is this: Early to bed and early to rise with at least 8 hours of sleep each night (I’ve been really bad hitting this target as I tend to stay up way too late). Upon waking, take a brief minute to meditate on a few things I’m grateful for. Then get up, use the toilet, grab a bottle water and my MP3 player that has a 30 minute file on it that I’ve loaded with music that really gets my blood pumping and do 20 minutes of skipping rope or jumping on my rebounder (mini-trampoline) 3 days a week and lift weights 3 days and take a break to recharge on Sundays.

The exercise and motivational music really wakes me up and energizes me! Then I take a quick shower and do a minute of EFT ( see the video at: http://www.Snipurl.com/PainFree ) while showering. Then eat a light healthy breakfast. Right after breakfast do 5 minutes of EFT by following one of the videos at http://www.mygenie.tv/freesamples.htm

After that I’ll then log into my Simpleogy Webcockpit and do my daily target praxis. I’ll print my list of things to do out from the Webcockpit and refer to it during the day checking things off or moving them as required.

I prefer to do my planning the night before so I’ll spend 15 minutes before bed and write out my to do list by hand but also transfer it into my Webcockpit software the next day right after eating breakfast and doing some EFT. And I’ll also write in my Gratitude Journal because you tend to attract more of whatever it is you focus on as taught in “The Secret”. (There’s a great Free Audio book http://www.Snipurl.com/FreeAudioBook that picks up where the secret movie left off)

And during the day I’ll meditate several times but I don’t use a Metaphysical mantra. Instead I’ll use CVSTOBVS as taught by Dr. Michael Hewitt-Gleeson in his books “Software for the Brain” and “Wombat Selling”. His books teach how to use “The Secret” without any of the Metaphysical preachings as you don’t have to belong to any school of thought to improve your viewpoint! Get free daily training from his “School of Thinking” at: http://www.schoolofthinking.org

Finally I’ll print out this post and tape it next to my computer monitor where my loving wife will see it and gently remind me throughout the day to live my words instead of just preaching.

She is the best thing that ever happened to me!

Cheers,

Steve Shulenski

Get The Silent Profit Machine Here For Free!

I start my day reading at home comics in the paper. I take my handicap daughter to work. And then go my office downtown. I go to the new computer and look up a list of comic I look at every day. Then I go to my emails and delete and answer. Then I go to my list of 6 things to do on that day and start with number one. I might call clients or take stuff back or pick up twice a month. But that is it. Something when I have nothing to do I read books of business.

I find this interesting because I recently found a book on organization that made me think "Hey, I sound like those people with ADD!" As a result I've been blogging about it here and here.

I don't think it's a "disorder". I see it as my peculiar strengths set.

But it means I'm trying to learn how to work with what works for me. I'm finding that means I need prompts and reminders.

I can say I want to do things like plan my day, work my plan, etc. but I get distracted.

So I have to go back one step and build structures and prompts to do the other stuff!

Anyone else in that boat?