6 Quotes to Inspire Your Morning Routine

You've probably toyed with the idea already. You've heard there are better ways to start your day and even considered how you might become more intentional in your mornings. At the same time, a morning routine can seem a challenging thing. You might not know where to begin.

 

If this is the case, take heart. Sometimes the best advice comes from people who have already mastered the skill you’re trying to learn. In this case, let’s look at what some people have to say who really know how to make the most of their day.

 

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”

 

Paul Valery recognized he wouldn’t get anything done by lying around in bed all day. You need to wake up and get moving to make things happen. Embrace his attitude by rising with your alarm instead of hitting the snooze in the morning.

 

“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”

 

The Dalai Lama knows a great deal about having the right mindset. To create positive energy which will follow you throughout the day, start with a positive thought from the moment you wake up.

 

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”

 

Even back in the early 1800s, Henry David Thoreau knew the value of exercise as being part of your daily routine. By making something so simple as a walk part of the first part of the day, you too can reap the benefits of early morning exercise.

 

“My future starts when I wake up every morning.”

 

Famous Jazz Musician, Miles Davis, realized the value of a fresh and positive start to every day. You can also embrace this attitude by reminding yourself from the moment you wake up just what you’re striving for and why this is important.

 

“To me, breakfast is my most important meal…It’s the fuel you use to hopefully do your best.”

 

Former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck knew he couldn't play football if he didn't first give his body something to fight with. Neither will you get through your day if you don't stop to give yourself the right food first thing in the morning.

 

"Every day, each of us sets the stage for our sentiment, confidence, and success by getting dressed. When you feel great and feel your best, it opens up a world of possibility. Feeling confident and self-assured are important inputs into good days, successful days, and happy days."

 

CEO Katrina Lake understands the importance of putting on the right clothes in the morning to set the tone for the entire day. You can't just wear any old thing if you're hunting success! (Pro Tip: Lay out your clothes the night before to add intentionality to your day.

 

5 Secrets To Self-Motivation

Why is it that motivating others is easy, but we struggle to motivate ourselves? There’s always another task that needs to be done, another deadline that needs to be met.

 

Yet, we need to learn how to take the time to show ourselves that we’re strong and hard-working. One of the secrets of self-motivation is to get our internal gears turning the right way so that we recognize our worth and value.

 

Everyone has goals they’re working towards. Yet, the degree of self-motivation we allow ourselves determines how hard we’re willing to work to achieve the desired result.

 

So, in a nutshell, with self-motivation, anything is possible. But, on the other hand, if it’s lacking in someone’s life, then life goals become of little significance.

 

To always encourage yourself to do better and be better, you need to show yourself kindness and motivation. Without them, you’ll achieve very little in life. To help you get inspired, we rounded up the five secrets to self-motivation.

 

Be Confident

 

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - A. A. Milne

 

Having the confidence to stand up for your beliefs and dreams is one of the most critical aspects of self-motivation. Yet, it can get difficult mustering up confidence when your brain is wired to shy away from a challenge.

 

To rewire your thoughts and build up your confidence, get a pen and paper. First, write down 3–4 of your achievements just to remind yourself of how much potential you have.

Then, make a habit of writing one thing you achieved each day. Little by little, that page will turn into two, then five, then a dozen—all the while creating a momentum that feeds on your self-confidence and assurance.

 

Track Your Progress

 

“Talk to yourself about your successes; be sure you’re recognizing your own accomplishments, no matter how small they may be.” - Rhett Power

 

Now that you’ve started writing down your daily achievements, even if it’s just watering the plants, it’s important to keep track of how far you’ve come.

 

You can use something as simple as a to-do list where you cross each task as you get each one done. Or, if you want to be more general, just cross off the whole day.

 

There are also numerous apps and software tools that help you create a personalized digital task board. This makes it easier to customize goals on a smaller scale, as well as all the way to the more time-consuming monthly and yearly goals.

 

As a result, you hold yourself accountable. Plus, you wake up each day knowing exactly what you’re supposed to do, giving your life purpose and meaning.

 

Maintain A Positive Outlook

 

“There’s a direct correlation between positive energy and positive results.” - Joe Rogan

 

Maintaining a positive mindset can go a long way in boosting your self-motivation. It’s also a great tool to have when things don’t go as planned. That’s when having that positive outlook can help you see things from a different perspective.

 

When your brain expects positive results, your choices will be geared towards the more positive. You’ll also be less likely to blame others for the unexpected things that pop up in your life.

 

To do this, you need to be aware of your negative thought patterns. Then, each time you feel some negative thoughts starting to pop up, replace them with positive ones immediately.

 

Another way to achieve this is by repeating positive affirmations in the morning to boost your motivation and confidence as you start your day.

 

Set Realistic Goals

 

“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” - Benjamin E. Mays

 

Goals give your life a sense of direction, like a promise you make to yourself, then do your best to keep it.

 

For example, it could be something as simple as cutting back on sugar for a whole week. Or, maybe something a bit more consuming, like working out each day for a month.

 

Whether it’s work, family, or something personal, the best way to set goals is to break them up into measurable tasks. This can be monthly, weekly, daily, or even by the hour—whatever works for you.

 

Another tip is to make the goal just challenging enough to pique your interest. Yet, it shouldn’t be too complex that you give up easily.

 

Surround Yourself With Supportive People

 

“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” - Oprah Winfrey

 

Having positive people who help you achieve your potential is a great way to increase your self-esteem. In return, this gives your internal motivation a nice boost.

 

They’re also great for holding you accountable. They keep you pushing forward even when you don’t feel like getting out of bed.

 

The best thing is that it works both ways, which only works to strengthen your relationship. Plus, no one wants to let down that person who’s always there for them through the good days and the bad.

 

Live A Life That Is In Alignment With Your Values

Values are principles or standards of behavior. They determine what is of interest to us, our attitudes, preferences, needs, opinions, and personalities. They help us make decisions that are right for us and choose what to prioritize. Living a life of value is becoming increasingly difficult in a world where most people are chasing after popularity, protecting their spaces, and 'freedom'. The things we do and say sometimes are unbelievable such that you wonder how people manage to sleep at night knowing how they treat others or portray themselves in our social spaces. If it gives them satisfaction and peace, good for them. It is refreshing, however, to know that some people still have values.

 

Living a life that is in alignment with your values simply means that in our daily lives we marry our plans or activities with our values. We are not to adjust our values based on what we want to do at a particular point in time. Rather, our daily life should fit into the requirements of our values. Values must only be changed if the adjustments are an improvement. This is why you should live a life that is in alignment with your values;

 

1.  Values pave a clear path for us to fulfill our purpose – as mentioned previously, values are principles or standards of behavior. Boundaries and limits are set to ensure that we do not get derailed. Therefore, values help us determine what we can or cannot do as we walk our life journey and try to maintain who we need to be as per our purpose. As we remain on this path, we are guaranteed that we will live out who we should be regardless of what we face along the way. In other words, aligning our daily activities with our values puts us in a better position to or improves our chances of achieving our goals.

 

2.  It helps us to determine what is important to us – this keeps us focused on things that matter and Guide decision making. For example, our values will determine what things to pay attention to from the conversations we engage in with friends. As a result, anything else that is against personal goals is not given room to influence us. This further determines the way we respond as we interact with others. The importance of what we do, see or hear should be dependent on how it draws us closer to what we want to be. Our choice of what jobs, family, and hobbies to have among other things, must be based on our values. 

 

3.  It helps us build better and functional relationships – having clear values and living according to them helps people understand us better and vice-versa. As we align our life with our values, we come to an understanding that we are who we are by choice and that others have the freedom to make their own choices and be who they want to be. Consequently, we appreciate diversity better because we understand that we are all running different races and will not finish at the same time. This minimizes misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations. Also, our intentions as we interact with others are guided by our principles which also compels us to know where to draw the line as far as discussions are concerned. This keeps us from saying things we shouldn’t say and from doing things we shouldn’t do.

 

4.  Staying true to ourselves and experiencing genuine happiness – when we do things that are aligned with who we really are, we are not under pressure to please others. We do not feel the need to try and fit in or make sacrifices for the sake of social status. We know what we are doing and why which gives us feelings of contentment. Living according to our values also keeps us from doing things that are likely to be regretted in the future. We find life more fulling when we know that all we are and all we have was acquired without the need to do anything that is out of character. We do not feel like we owe any human being for it and we do not live in fear of the possibility of any of our deals coming back to haunt us. 

 

5.  It helps us grow – we mentioned previously that our values set a clear path for us as we try to fulfill our purpose. This keeps us from taking any other route. This means that we face all the challenges that come our way without running away from any of them. As we do this, we gain more experience in dealing with challenges and take lessons that improve the way we do things, our planning included. Those who have faced challenges and did not look for an easy way out know that we come out of trying times wiser and stronger.

“If you don’t stick to your values when they are being tested, they’re not values, they’re hobbies.” Job Stewart

Make Choices Based On Clarity And Intention

In the popular film ‘Three idiots’, the lead actor Rancho who is an excellent engineering student is seen telling one of his friends, “You are an idiot, you love photography and yet here you are marrying engineering” he further explained that it was the reason why his friend wasn’t performing well in his studies. His heart was obviously into taking pictures of wild animals but his parents had pushed him into studying something different because they liked the prestige that came with having an engineer for a son. For each one of us, choices are presented every moment for the small as well as the grand things in our lives. 

 

As soon as you first open your eyes in the morning the choices are presented to you in their numbers. To wake up immediately or to laze around in your bed for a while, to head straight into the shower or to go for a jog or to give yourself a ‘much-needed break’. To declare the day slow and boring or to inject positive energy into it. The choices go on into the day, every moment is full of them. When to eat, what to eat and how to prepare it, these are all the alternatives you get as you go on with the day. To give thought to your looks or not to, to make an effort towards building good relationships by calling or visiting your folks. At the end of the day, you are the product of all these small options you took seriously or allowed yourself to lazily and unconsciously take. 

 

Knowing, therefore, that for as long as you live you will always be faced with the need to make selections, what is it that you ought to consider so that you may become better at it? 

1. Clarity about yourself 

I cannot stress this enough, “Man, know thyself”. Your character, your strength, and weakness should guide the choices you make so get busy finding them out and trying and testing them. All your life you may have been told that you are bad at something when in fact that is your best talent only needing some polishing. Stereotypes may have saturated your head until you ceased to bother trying out certain things. Take time to test them out, try everything your time allows you to so that at the end of the day you know yourself more than anyone else does. You will work extra hard if as an easily distracted person you choose to work from home in the same way that one who values family time may want to consider a job that grounds and keeps them closer to home. Are you an excessively smart person who loves nothing more than order in your environment? You may need to consider having a smaller family or investing in an effective organizing team or system. Award yourself the happiness you deserve by studying yourself and making decisions based on what works for you.

2. Your ultimate intentions

 

In the same college accounting class, there may be a student who wants to become the best accountant in town and get hired by the best firm while there is another who wants to fully grasp the accounting systems so that he starts a large accounting firm himself. These two will not study the same thing during their free time. The former ought to develop the qualities necessary for job security which include hard work, consistency, and constant skill development while the latter needs to add leadership skills among other things. Once you discover your life’s purpose, it is easier to make the little choices you are faced with throughout the day. You have a compass pointing in the direction you want to go therefore anything that feeds into it, you make time for while cutting everything else out.

3. Your intentions for those who follow you

You want your children to try different kinds of sports and find out what they are good at? Take them to a school that celebrates sport and has organized schedules for them. As a leader of a team, decide if you want them to have maximum focus and then design their workspace for such. Do you want a happy team that doesn’t need to worry about what to have for lunch? Put in place a good café, dining room, or catering services for them. If the goal is to have loyal employees, you must make them feel loved and appreciated in special ways so you may need to find out what makes them tick. Know their birthdays and other special events in their lives and celebrate with them.

 

Before purchasing a car, the average person wants to know the qualities of the particular model they want so that they make an informed decision. The same applies to the process of buying a house or any other big investment. If you applied the same principle to whatever thing you needed to acquire in your life you would save yourself from making grave mistakes.

 

Own Your Life

So often people choose to settle for what’s safer and what’s more comfortable. They let life happen to them other than actually creating the life that they want for themselves. They paralyze themselves in safe places, living according to other people’s opinions and dreams. The safer choice is taking a traditional job in a billionaire’s company. That job which will take 40 years of your life, living paycheck after paycheck. You neither have enough money to take a vacation nor have free time to enjoy those few earnings you’ve made from the job. The comfortable choice is not having something to believe in. You waste time going after one doctrine after the other. You let your circumstances define you and simply life happens to you. This is called survival.

 

Living on the other hand focuses on the total opposite. When you’re living intentionally you have a set purpose to life. You own your life. You focus on doing things, on growing and achieving. While surviving centers around getting to the next day, living centers around the life and how to embrace life to the fullest. You’re aware of your health so you monitor what you eat, you exercise, and you go for regular medical checkups. You don’t let life happen to you as the survivor. You live life with a set of intent. Every financial choice you make is intentionally aligning towards gaining financial freedom or independence. You acknowledge what you’re passionate about and you take small consistent deliberate actions to fulfill your passion. This is owning your life. Actively participating in creating the life you want for yourself and the people in your life. That’s the power of intention.

 

The first step to owning your life is taking responsibility for the decisions you make and for your actions. We are the architects of our lives. Our lives are made up of a series of small and big choices that we make each day. When you don’t make the choice for yourself, it is made for you. The fundamentals of this journey are firstly finding your true identity. When you have understood your truth and sense of self, you then set your intent for your life. What you aspire to achieve. Your goals, dreams, or ambition. The last step is taking big or small purposeful steps towards fulfilling that purpose.

 

Everyone loves a good rag to the riches success story. One of my favorites is the life story of Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother. She was raised on a farm by her grandmother for the first 6 years of her life. Her grandmother was so poor that Oprah often wore dresses made of potato sacks and other children made fun of her. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant at 14. Sadly, she lost her son and she was moved to Tennessee. Even at a very tender young age, she envisioned a much better life for herself. She got a job in radio at 16 whilst she was still in high school. At 19 she was hired on television as a co-anchor for the local evening news. She did not know how to write or act but deep inside she says she knew what she wanted to become, an actress. That was her truth.

 

When Oprah was 22 years old, she was making $22 000 a year. A lot of people were telling her that that was the best it could get. But even though she was doing well, she knew she could do better. In one of her many inspirational quotes, Oprah said,’ Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself’’. This is exactly what she went on to do, honoring her truth. When the opportunities were presented to her, she was ready and prepared to pursue her inner calling. Today we talk of Oprah Winfrey dubbed the queen of all media. She not only became an actress but also a talk show host, television producer, media executive, and philanthropist.

 

Your success is a result of owning your life. You should not allow your background or any sorts of limitations to stop you from following your truth, purpose, and intention. Refuse to be defined by the box that people put around you and fight any fear that may come your way. And finally, be prepared when the opportunity door is opened.

Sticking To Your Beliefs Even When It’s Hard

We all have beliefs or perceived truths that we hold dear to us. These truths shape our perceptions or our view of the world and make us who we are. They guide us in decision making, interactions, and determine our way of life. However, beliefs can be either true or false, good or bad, and positive or negative. False beliefs, for example, are those perceived truths that are drawn from a misinterpretation or misunderstanding of life events or phenomena. In some instances, our beliefs change as we mingle with people of different views and as we experience new or different things in life.

 

Our focus, for now, will be on sticking to our beliefs even when it is hard. Needless to say, this applies to those who hold good and/or positive beliefs. Beliefs can be deemed good if they cause us, above everything else, to value others and, they allow us to find our purpose and live according to it. Positive beliefs are those beliefs that empower us and make us feel good about ourselves without having to esteem ourselves of better value than others. The emphasis on the different types of beliefs is based on the fact that sometimes our beliefs can cause us to do unimaginable things to ourselves or others, and this indicates a need to reconsider our way of life. Cliff Young’s story is a good example of how sticking to beliefs impacts our lives and sometimes, the lives of others too.

 

In 1983, Cliff Young who was 61 years old at the time, joined the Sydney to Melbourne race snakes covering a distance of almost 550 miles and takes about a week to finish. To everyone’s shock, this old man with little competitive experience wore overalls and work boots to an event where he was to compete fit runners in their prime. Many thought he wouldn’t last and some, fearing for his health, called for him to be banned from partaking. But he had other plans, he believed with his heart and mind that he could run and complete the race. He didn’t have any self-limiting beliefs. When the race started, nobody was surprised to see Cliff immediately falling behind. However, halfway through the first day, Cliff overtook all the season runners and took the lead. Instead of stopping to sleep for the night, cliff continued to run while the other runners slept. When everyone woke up the following morning, Cliff had built an incredible lead. He set history by winning the race with a 10-hour margin!

 

The first lesson we can pick from Cliff’s story is that in some cases, we will face opposition and discouragement from people who may think that our dreams are impossible to achieve. He chose to stick to his belief that his background and strategy were enough to help him finish the race. What made him achieve the unexpected was that everyone doubted him and consequently, did not see his victory coming. Had they paid attention to him and expected him to do much, they would have tried his strategy too. Belief and confidence give us the strength to reach our goals, and in some cases, influence the world in the same way Cliff did.

 

Through sticking to our beliefs even when they are seemingly less likely to lead us to victory, we have a chance to change the perceptions of our critics as well as those who chose not to pay attention to us. If you stay true to your beliefs, you can still start that businesspeople thought was a silly idea and have relationships people thought are just a fairytale. Thus, sticking to your beliefs even when it is hard can lead you to a victory that can change your world.

 

Sticking to beliefs also boosts one's confidence. As you experience the joy of achievements resulting from one of your beliefs, your other beliefs will be affirmed. You will get the feeling that your beliefs are valid and you are headed in the right direction. As you remember what you achieved when no one else thought your way of life was what you needed to succeed, you get the understanding that your beliefs and mental state matter more than external influence. 

 

Further, beliefs help us cope with life. As we remember why we started believing in the first place, we get the strength to keep going and we are also reminded of why we cannot choose anything else. In that regard, sticking to our beliefs keeps us focused. And, not only do we stay focused but, we are also motivated to do more. Sticking to our beliefs when things are hard and we are tempted to try a different way of life protects us from making decisions we are likely to regret in the future and giving room to things that are against our values.

5 Tips To Get To Know Yourself Better

When Socrates said, “Know Thyself,” he was teaching his students how to be at peace with who they were as individuals. Little did he know that his words would still hold true centuries later.

 

Self-knowledge was his path to embracing each person’s unique personality. Yet this path to self-awareness needs a bit of soul searching. That can be challenging for some people. So, we decided to make it a bit easier.

 

We rounded up the best five tips to get to know yourself better. These tips will help jump-start your journey into self-reflection. By finding the answers you’ve been looking for, you can start to strive toward your true potential.

 

Let’s get started.

 

Tip #1: Be Still

 

For many people, it’s hard to sit alone in a quiet room and contemplate. They become uncomfortable and agitated.

 

Still, this is an important step to get to know yourself better. Be brave in the face of your imperfections. As soon as you begin to embrace the good with the bad, you can start discovering your true self.

 

It all starts when you take the time to sit still and listen to yourself. Think of it as a form of mindfulness meditation where you focus completely on the present moment.

 

Tip #2: Ask the Right Questions

 

Too many times, we knock ourselves down through negative self-talk. Instead, talk to yourself as you would a friend. Be kind and show empathy. The best way to do that is by asking self-discovery questions so you can get to know yourself better. 

 

Write down the answers on post-its and hang them up next to your bed or bathroom mirror. You can also jot the answers down in a journal. In fact, experts say journals are one of the most effective tools of self-awareness.

 

Here are some important questions you can ask yourself today:

 

• What are my core values?
• Who’s my biggest role model? Why?
• What makes me feel safe? Or Who?
• What are my short-term and long-term goals?

 

Tip #3: Find Your Strengths

 

Each one of us is here for a reason. Some of us do certain things better than others. That’s the natural order of things.

 

Knowing what you’re good at is necessary on the journey of finding who you really are. Focusing on your strengths boosts self-confidence and increases your drive to achieve more. Only then, will you be able to make room for better, more productive things in your life.

 

Let’s not forget that it’s just as important to figure out what you’re not good at. Allow yourself to try different things. Then, by trial and error, you’ll know exactly what you’re good at and what you should steer clear of.

 

Interestingly enough, your strengths will almost always align with your core values. Together, they can help you manage your life path, both at home and at work.

 

Tip #4: Discover Your Passion

 

Now that you know what you’re good at, it’s time to hone in on the things that excite you and give your life meaning. This can be one thing or twenty—the point is to follow through.

 

Having that drive gives you purpose and strength. You savor each moment and push yourself to achieve new goals.

 

This positive energy you exude when you’re doing something you’re passionate about is vital. It allows you to want to be better and do more. That can only come when you truly enjoy what you’re doing.

 

Tip #5: Determine Your Sense of Style

 

Your fashion sense is unique to you. Whether you realize it or not, your style is a form of self-expression. It gives people a quick peek into who you are, as well as your likes and interests. By figuring out your style, you allow yourself to be self-assured and poised in your special way.

 

Start by going through your wardrobe. Keep the things you believe are a true reflection of who you are. Then, get rid of anything that doesn’t make you feel beautiful and confident.

 

For inspiration, check out fashion styles online and in magazines. Then, find one that shows off your true self.

 

This is one form of self-care that will work wonders for your self-esteem. Best of all you won’t just feel good, you’ll also look amazing! Who doesn’t want that?!

 

In Conclusion

 

We hope you found these five tips to get to know yourself better helpful. Figuring out who you are as an individual has many advantages.

 

The most significant is that it puts things in perspective. It allows you to feel comfortable in your own skin.

 

As a result, you’re able to focus more on your strengths and be more accepting of your weaknesses. Socrates also said, “Be as you wish to seem.” In other words, when you know what you want out of life, the only thing that can hold you back is your imagination. So, be bold and dream big!

 

Useful Resources for Becoming Influential

There are several resources that can help you become influential. Use them as a guide to learn and as resources to keep your influence intact.

 

Google.com

 

Although obvious, you should always start your search using this ubiquitous search engine. One trick that many overlook is to search beyond the first page of the results. You can often find some gems as these webmasters are trying to fight their way to the top of the search engine results. These gems are often resources that are less about selling and more about offering great value.

 

Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

 

This book needs to be singled out as it is essentially the bible on the subject. This belongs in everyone’s library and needs to be read multiple times to reinforce the lessons. It is available as a Kindle book and if you are a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can get a version of it as part of that subscription. There are even several summarized versions of the book for those that don’t want to take the time to read the entire book. The book is really easy to read, though.

 

Udemy.com

 

Udemy has several courses related to influence, charisma, etc. Some of them may seem expensive but Udemy runs sales on its courses often. You can also search online for “Udemy Coupon Codes” as instructors like to use these to lure learners to their courses.

 

Amazon.com

 

Amazon has several books on how to influence. What’s great about Amazon is you can usually tell which books are good by reading the reviews and choosing the higher rated ones. Another great way to use Amazon is to scan through the table of contents of the bestselling books in that category and then searching on those topics to see what you can find.

 

YouTube.com

 

It’s amazing how many people overlook YouTube when they are trying to learn something. YouTube has videos on just about any subject. You will have to do some digging and weed through the videos that disguise themselves as courses but are really just sales pitches for a product. But there are definitely some great videos that can help when learning how to become influential. Another advantage is YouTube is free for most videos. One tip when evaluating videos: read through the comments and stay away from videos that have high thumbs down rankings.