Just like you, the first thing I do most mornings when I wake up is to grab my phone. I mean, who doesn’t?

I open WhatsApp and start viewing people’s statuses or go on Twitter and just scroll mindlessly.

I wish I wouldn’t sometimes, but it’s almost a habit. And then at the end of the day, I end up doing less than I intended to.

So, in trying to get more out of my day I decided to try a few things and since they’ve been working for me so far, I decided to share them with you.

1. Say Thank You

It’s easy to forget you once prayed or wished for the things you have now.

So, while striving for more, don’t forget to be grateful for waking up today. As a new day is always a brand new opportunity to get everything you missed yesterday.

Don’t also forget to be grateful for your family, friends, and loved ones.

Be grateful for growth opportunities.

Be grateful for people who continually believe in and invest in you.

Be grateful for the hard lessons. At least, there were opportunities to learn something.

And it doesn’t even matter if you’re an atheist because gratitude has no religion. It’s simply therapy for the soul – the single master key that unlocks everything.

2. Drink water

Your body needs about a gallon of water (around 3.7 litres) daily to function optimally.

Drinking water immediately you wake up helps release toxins from your body, aids bowel movement and boosts your appetite.

I also hear drinking water and minding your business helps you look younger and live longer 😁

So, if you’re going to be drinking 1 gallon of water every day, starting with a good litre in the morning is the best way possible to kick off your day.

1 litre of water is just 2 sachets or two small 50cl bottles. Easy peasy!

3. Read

Reading is an opportunity to go into someone else’s mind and then getting to reimagine things from there.

It helps you develop perspective, widens your horizon and gives you much-needed nuance on varying topics.

Imagine being the guy/girl at the party who everyone wants to talk to because you have an idea about almost everything. That’s your superpower, Hero!

1 page. 1 chapter. 1 line of thought. Nothing is too small.

4. Write

This is an opportunity to clarify your thoughts. An opportunity to brainstorm ideas and work on plans/projects you’ve been thinking about too.

And shockingly there’s no limit to what you can write about. One of the world’s best-known books, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank was written by a 13-year-old.

It was simply a collection of thoughts from her diary.

5. Meditate

There’s a Bible passage which says deep calleth unto deep.

To move from a level of life to somewhere higher would require a lot of meditation and deep, clear and focused thinking.

As much as this is the hardest thing to do especially in a world filled with so much noise and distraction, you need to learn how to still your mind to achieve this kind of deep and clear focus.

Your future will be glad you did.

6. Exercise

I hard to leave the hardest part for last. I know 😁

At a beginner level, you can make do with:

5-10 pushups.

5-10 situps.

5-10 pullups.

5-10 jumping jacks.

Walking distances where you’d naturally use other options. And none of these requires a gym or workout equipment. Only determination and a will to live well.

What’s funny is that doing all of this will take just between 20 minutes to 1 hour and you’d still get to do everything you planned to do today. But the difference is you’d have started your day on a flying note.

So, try this over the next 6 months and watch your life blossom.

But wait, how do I have time to do all of this?
The answer is simple: Sleep early.

• Life
• Productivity
• Self Development