What we choose to value happens the first moment we wake up every day. From the moment we start our day, we make conscious and subconscious choices either for our betterment or our detriment. Whether you think of them as good or bad depends on the healthy habits and routines you create along with them. Whether you pick up your smartphone, surf the web, look at your social media pages, make breakfast, deal with the kids, meditate,  or just hit the snooze button, you have to realize that the morning time sets you up for the rest of the day. Time is something we cannot get more of, so we must value every second of it. In this blog, we will discover exactly what makes time so valuable and learn how to manage it.

How is it that you never hear the highly successful people in the world say they don’t have time? We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but why does it seem like successful people get more done in the span of 24 hours than the average person?  The answer is that they learned how to manage their time. They do not waste any of it on frivolous tasks and activities. You will never hear a successful person say they have no time to get something done because they will always make time for the things that are important to them. In the same turn, if they do not value something, they will not make time for it. Let us look at the routines that highly successful people frequently do and learn how we can imitate them to get the same results.

First, in the morning, you have to plan your day ahead for success. This can be done in many ways by making a shortlist of goals you would like to accomplish for the day. You might have certain obligations first thing in the morning, but hitting the snooze button does not have to be one of them. If you set your alarm for a certain time, then honor it. Make sure you can wake up and start your day so you are not wasting your time in bed battling the snooze alarm.

The snooze button serves no purpose since our sleep cycles tend to range from 70-90 minutes. In actuality, every time you hit the snooze button, you are actually making your situation worse. Step one was to create a list, and step two was to make sure you get out of bed when your alarm goes off the first time. You can roll out of bed, stand up, or get a bucket of water dumped on you in order to get you out of bed; you choose. These are the beginning steps to master the day effectively.

Next, once you are moving and out of bed, you have to make sure you keep moving on with your day. You might have to start to get ready for work, deal with the animals, or get the kids ready for school, but make sure you do any morning tasks with the purpose of healthy habits. Make sure the TV is not on so you won’t get distracted and lose focus on all the morning tasks that still need your attention. If you did not prepare for the day the night before, then make time in the morning to get your act together before you head out into the chaotic world.

If you have a long commute, then make that time meaningful. There are many podcasts you can listen to on Spotify or iTunes. These podcasts can be educational and give you the tools and knowledge to win in life. You can also listen to audiobooks from your library or audible. Doing this instead of worrying about your day will allow you to relax and focus on the most important thing, the moment you are in. Once you get to work, then be sure to win at your day, and do not let frivolous matters be of concern to you. I.e., If Betty is mad at you and does not like you, then that is her problem, not yours.

As the day goes on, make sure you are having healthy habits and being proactive, and tackling the goals you set forth for the day. Whether you did them the night before or first thing in the morning, start to manage and find ways to accomplish the goals you wrote down. If a goal is to eat more healthily, make sure you have prepared a nutritious and healthy lunch. If you did not get the chance to meal prep, then be sure to get something that will fill you up but also be something that the body can use for fuel that will help it to run smoother. The thing about fast food is that it eventually will slow you down. Stay away from the foods that you know are no good, and if you do not know what foods are good, then I can help you with that.

Once you win at work, then it is time to head back home. Use the commute to unwind if your day has been hectic and tiring. You are getting to the point of decision fatigue, and it is important that you remain strong and not give in to negative or bad habits. Skip the fast food, if possible, on the way home and have dinner already prepped for easy cooking. If you do not have food for some reason, then make sure that you do not make poor choices at the end of the day because it is convenient.

At the end of your day, you should feel exhausted and want to relax after the day you had, but be sure not to waste that time. Wasting time is as easy as sitting on your sofa and clicking the TV button. No matter what you are watching, it takes time from your day. You might use TV to spend time with a loved one after work or sit down to watch a movie together on the weekend. That is fine and all, but it can get stale quickly and create bad habits for the future. Instead, opt for a real conversation or do a healthy activity together. It can be verbal or non-verbal communication or even practice doing yoga and group meditation to get your mind back to center and focus.

Once you have had a good dinner and spent time with the family, the next step is to get ready for the nighttime routine. It might seem like life is boring because you are not having any “fun,” but I can tell you that you will feel so much more rested in the morning after getting a good rest. After your nighttime routine of getting ready for bed (brushing your teeth, showering, etc.), feel free to write in your journal or read a book. If you are writing in your journal, then you can write down any progress you made towards your goals. If you enjoy reading, then any book you would like to read can be of great benefit and entertainment. Be sure to stay away from any electronics before bed. Work can wait until the morning. Even if you run your own business like me, you have to learn to make sure that your working hours are used for WORK, not searching social media for things to “like.”

How to master our day begins in the morning. In the morning, we have to be meaningful with our time and focus on healthy habits, ensuring we don’t waste any time or energy on things that won’t serve us throughout the day. Time is our most valuable resource, and it doesn’t renew. We all have a set time to live, but you can use that time to propel yourself quickly to the life you want to have instead of dreaming of the life you could or wish you had.

Your nighttime routine is just as important as your morning. At night, stay away from video games, TV, or mobile devices that can be a huge time sink. Set your day up by planning what you want to accomplish. If you want to eat more healthily, use some time at night or on the weekends to meal prep for the week, fostering healthy habits. If you want to be more productive in the mornings, then be sure to go to bed at a decent time so that you can function at a higher level when you wake up. Also, use this time to acknowledge any wasted time in your day. This will give you perspective on where your time is being squandered. Knowing where time is wasted will allow you to develop plans that will help you manage your time more efficiently.

In conclusion, how we master our day begins in the morning and ends at night. We must be sure not to waste needless time on the internet or around the house. Each person has different agendas to tackle in their day. You must first find out what is important to you and then go for it. Whether it be fitness, finance, or personal development, you can achieve those goals. Start to fill your day with healthy habits and activities that will help you reach the goals you most desire. Dreams are built on consistent day-to-day actions, so master your day today and be the master of your life.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts