Getting Motivated and Staying Positive Every Morning

by Tom Hinton

It probably comes as no surprise that very few people wake-up feeling energized, invigorated, and positive. In fact, studies show that most people are grumpy and irritated in the morning. Furthermore, most people require their daily fix of caffeine or some other stimuli before they can even manage a smile or “good morning.” This got me wondering… why is it? Why aren’t people more positive?

While there are many reasons, I’ve whittled the list down to three primary causes as to why people begin their day feeling blah instead of great! If you’re among the “Blah Crowd” (and that’s not meant as criticism), ask yourself which one of these three reasons best describes your attitude or mindset when you wake-up in the morning?

1. I Can’t Get Motivated. Maybe it’s your tough commute to work, or the frost-coating on your windshield, or the fact that you partied late last night and you just can’t face that 6:00 am alarm clock. Perhaps, you just hate your job, or your boss is a jerk. These are all valid reasons why so many people would rather stay in bed than rise and shine!
2. I’m Not a Morning Person. I know people who don’t function before 11:00 am. They’re just not morning people. They enjoy staying up late into the night to read a favorite novel or watch the Late, Late, Late Show. And, beware! If you approach their office before lunch time, they might bite your head off or appear to be heavily medicated.
3. Life Sucks. If today represents “more of the same,” and you’re facing the same, old tiring routine, it’s understandable that you probably won’t be very excited about getting out of bed and jump-starting your day. I think this is the major reason why most people have the morning blahs. When life is dull, people are prone to be unmotivated and uninspired.

This is reality. If you can relate to any of these scenarios, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself an important question: What can I do to change my situation and start living the life I really want to live?

Here are three “triggers” -- as I call them -- you can use to change your life and start living the life you really want to live. I recognize that these are small triggers, but, nevertheless, they are significant steps you can take to get yourself motivated and ready to accomplish good things! See if they work for you and help you start living the life you really want to live.

1. Change the Way You Begin Your Day. It wasn’t too long ago that I relied on an alarm clock to shake me out of bed. No more! I made the decision to change the way I begin each day by becoming a morning person. I did away with alarm clocks and programmed myself to awaken each morning at 4:45 am. It wasn’t easy because, frankly, I wasn’t a morning person. But I made the conscious decision to change certain habits and patterns in my life in order to achieve better results. This is why I decided to get up early, exercise, and tackle my toughest daily goals before 7:00 am. It took me about two months to make this adjustment, but now, I am a morning person and I am accomplishing much more than before. By the way, it also helps me beat the morning traffic. My stress level is lower and I smile a lot more!

2. “BAG IT” Every Morning. Before I bounce out of bed, I take two minutes to complete the “BAG IT” Exercise. This wonderful exercise is something I learned from The Course of 10,000 Days™. Here’s how it works. The “B” is for Blessings. What three blessings do you have in your life at this very minute? The “A” is for Accomplishments. What three things did you accomplish in the past 24 hours that you can celebrate and feel good about? And, the “G” is for Goals. What are three goals you will set for yourself this morning and complete today -- so when you BAG IT tomorrow morning, your Goals become your three Accomplishments?

3. I Read my Affirmations. Now, before you yawn and tell me affirmations are old school and don’t work, hear me out. I can tell you based on my personal experience and my work with hundreds of coaching clients that affirmations are not only a very positive force, but they do work.

In fact, when you recite your affirmations repeatedly, your mind listens and begins to believe what you are saying. Affirmations are simply positive mental statements that you believe in. This is a key point, of course. You must believe in what you are saying. It doesn’t matter how you will accomplish something; it only matters that you believe it can be accomplished. The key to Affirmations is this: you are training your mind to think positive thoughts while focusing on what you want to achieve in your life. The “who, what, when, where, and how” is not important at this moment. Every time you affirm something that meets the “S-M-A-R-T” test, your mind begins to conjure up ways to make those affirmations a reality. The “S-M-A-R-T” test is something I learned years ago from Dr. Ken Blanchard. It’s an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant to your life goals, and Time sensitive (a deadline must be stated to achieve your goals). Here’s an example of a goof affirmation: “I am a healthy person who eats healthy foods, exercises daily, and takes excellent care of my body.”

So, tonight I expect you to program your mental alarm clock and start waking-up on your own. Okay, you might want to set your alarm clock just in case you need a few days to get it right. But, seriously, the only way you will get motivated and stay positive is if you choose to change certain outcomes in your life. This is the only way I know of that you can begin to live the life you really want to live!

Email me and let me know how it goes for you.

About the Author: Tom Hinton is a popular speaker and the author of 10,000 Days: Finding Purpose, Peace, and Passion for the Rest of your Life. For more information, please visit: www.tomhinton.com He can be reach at: tom@tomhinton.com