Set Yourself Up For Success

Set Yourself Up For Success



Most of us wake up in the morning, and hit the ground running. 

I know I do. Most mornings I have to get my kid up and moving, make him breakfast and pack his lunch, make breakfast and lunch for my wife and me, clean up everything, then get ready for work. Then, the rest of the day just sort of moves along. Work has its own flow, then when I get home we’ve got to do all the family stuff- dinner, whatever sport is happening that day, get the kid ready for bed. By the time it’s all said and done, my wife and I are ready to just read or watch a little TV, go to sleep, so we can get up and do it all again.

When you go through life like this, it leaves little time to set your mind straight. It’s hard to get focused on your goals and what you want to do, because you’re so caught up with what you need to do.

Life's flow sort of just pulls us along. 


What can you do?


One of the best things you can do for yourself is give yourself 10-15 minutes at the beginning of your day to get ready. I don’t mean get ready like getting dressed or prepping for work. I mean get your head straight.

Most of us can find 10 minutes before everything gets going, even if it means getting up just a little bit earlier.

What can we do in that time?


Meditate.

This only takes 5 minutes, and it goes a long way to gaining focus and control over your thoughts.

You can write down a few objectives/goals for the day. What is it you want to accomplish? What do you want your day to be like? Rather than setting your focus immediately on all the things that are going to occupy your time today, you can set intentions. 

Putting that into your mind at the beginning of the day helps you reframe your activities for the rest of the day.

Maybe you want to do something to further your goals. For instance, I want to practice writing and build my portfolio. I write this intention at the beginning of the day, and I find that when I have a few spare minutes, that’s still in my mind and I can write down some ideas. During my lunch, I can write an article, or edit something. When I have a break at work, I can spitball article titles, or come up with something to post on social media.

It can also be something as simple as being more present with your family. When you get home from work, maybe that will help you be more present with your kid. Play a game with them, listen to their day without thinking of all the things you need to do, or mulling over a problem from work. Maybe you’ll put your phone aside and talk to your family, or have a family game night rather than watching TV after dinner.


Use daily affirmations.

I was skeptical when I first started doing affirmations. 

I would do just a few, based on whatever I felt I needed at the time. Maybe it was positive phrases about making money. Or something that make me feel more confident. Or maybe about letting go of the past. 

Whatever it was, there was power in taking just a few minutes to say those phrases. You can do it however you want. You can look in a mirror and talk to yourself. You can come up with your own and write them a few times. YouTube has no shortage of positive affirmations geared toward whatever you want in your life, and you can listen and repeat them out loud or in your head. 

This is effective for putting these thoughts at the forefront of your mind, and then letting them sit in your subconsciousness. 

After a few days of doing this, I noticed a real difference. They’re handy phrases too when you are struggling during the day. Sometimes I would take a moment to say one of the affirmations when I needed it.

Here are a few examples to get you started:

  • "I am filled with focus."
  • "I love myself."
  • "I am peaceful and whole."
  • "I believe in myself."
  • "I am resilient."
  • "My hard work pays off."


It might feel silly at first, but give it an honest go. We all benefit from hearing positive words, and receiving encouragement, even if it's from ourselves.


Be grateful.

A little gratitude goes a long way. When we’re busy and rushing from one thing to another, it’s easy to lose sight of all the good things in our life. It’s easy to get frustrated, and feel out of control, or taken advantage of, or like nothing is going your way.

Gratitude journals are simple and effective, and it gives you something to look back on when you need a boost.

Start your day with a little gratitude for the things you have, whatever they may be:

  • Able body
  • Healthy mind
  • People you love
  • People who love you
  • Access to safe food and water
  • A roof over your head
  • Enough money to get by
  • Central air and heat (When it hits 110 degrees here, I make sure I take time to genuinely appreciate air conditioning)
  • An income

However hard things might be, you have something. If you are present enough to be reading this article and trying to improve your life, you have something you can be grateful for, even if it’s just these few extra minutes of your day when you can do something you want to do.




A little time goes a long way in giving your day direction. It can help you be more focused, more at peace, or ready to face whatever challenges the day brings.


Life has a way of moving at its own pace, and the flow can carry you along without you even realizing it.

Do something good for yourself, and take ten minutes to start your day off right.

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