How do you wake up motivated and go through the day focused on your goals? In this article, I share some tips that can help you get started on waking up with a purpose and pursuing the same with passion.

I will divide these tips into three categories. They’re as follows:-

Things to do before dawn: 

These are things you should do before the day breaks.

• Plan your day the night before: There are people who prefer to do this when they wake up, but I’ve found out that doing it the night before helps me a lot. That way, I wake up and I’m set to go. To help you do this, it’s important to have a workable timetable. You can have a weekly or monthly timetable especially if you’re someone who has a pretty structured life. When the major things you do repeatedly are inserted in it, the other things are just a few things that come up day by day. Doing this helps you to wake up with purpose because if you don’t have a reason to wake up, you’ll most likely not wake up or when you do, you’ll waste the day doing unimportant things.  I wrote an article on that some time ago. Kindly check it out. 

• Sleep well: Sleeping well is a very important aspect of the day. Your day doesn’t begin when you wake up, it begins the night before. The way your night went has a lot to do with how your day will go. If you don’t have good rest, it’ll inevitably affect your day. Not resting well increases anxiety. But when your muscles and mind are well-rested, you’ll wake up refreshed and ready to go.

• Clear your mind of thoughts: I know this is difficult for some people to do, but you have to.  Declutter your mind of all the disappointments, failures, problems and all whatnot you experienced during the day and just enjoy those 7 hours of sleep. If your mind is filled with sorrows all night, you’re not resting, you’re worrying – there’s a huge difference.

When you wake up:

These are the things you do once your alarm goes off for you to wake up. 

• Smiling and Words of Affirmation: Smile at yourself in front of the mirror and tell yourself how much of a beautiful person you are. How fearfully and wonderfully created you are. You need to make these positive words of affirmation daily. They’ll stick in your subconscious and keep you going. If it’s your spouse or child that makes you smile, make it a habit to look at that person each morning when you wake up, whether in person or an image of them. That’s an extra boost. I know someone who did this for years and he was very happy about it.

• Exercise. This is very necessary. Besides the obvious health benefits, doing some form of body exercise for even 15 min gets your mind and body awake and ready for the day. It turns the potential energy you’ve gained while sleeping into kinetic energy that you need for your daily work.

• Dance: I’m just beginning to incorporate this and I see that it works. You may not know how to dance but who cares, right? After all, you’re dancing all by yourself, not in front of anyone. You can do this while exercising or when riding to work or school. Just put on some good gospel music and dance to God, like David did. By the way, I accept recommendations for gospel music for workouts and dance, thanks. 

• Listen to or read motivational/inspirational songs and speeches. Every one of us has something or someone that inspires us, so why not listen to or watch that thing every day to inspire you for greatness.  

• Have your Shower: I guess this is simple. But I had to insert it because some people don’t do this for reasons best known to them. Having a warm shower helps you relax after your exercise and activates your creative potentials; new ideas and solutions often come during this moment. 

• Pray, praise and meditate on God’s Word and promises: This is the healthiest and most efficacious of spiritual therapies. Prayer is having a divine conversation; talking with your heavenly Father and hearing Him speak to your heart for purification, healing, encouragement, faith, wisdom, strength and all that you need for the day. I don’t want you to ever miss this genuine moment with God. Talk to Him, He is ever ready to hear you. Prayers and praises are the sickles that draw down the blessings God has released for you. So, you must pray and praise daily.

• Rehearse your vision board. I don’t have all my decisions and motivation pieces written on paper. But there are strategic decisions, pictures and inspirational sentences that you must have clearly and strategically posted in your room. I always insist on knowing your WHY – Why you’re doing what you’re doing.  Rehearse your vision board to inspire you.

During the day:

Now you’re pumped and ready to go. Here are a few things that will help you while you’re ticking those tasks on your to-do list.

• Start with the most difficult or bulky task: With that pump of energy flowing from your heart through your blood vessels, it’s time to tackle the most difficult tasks. There are tasks that you may not be able to perform as the hours pass, so it’s best to get them off the table immediately. Or as a student, it’s time to study the difficult courses because you’re more focused and have more strength to do that now. However, there are people that need to build momentum, and so may need to begin with the simplest tasks. If that works for you, please do it. But get the ball rolling immediately.

• Constantly remind yourself that what you do today matters. Each little step you take today is a piece of the puzzle you’re attempting to solve; it’s part of the future you’re building. So, reminding yourself that each step, no matter how tiny, counts helps to keep you encouraged and motivated.

• Keep your day simple and don’t be anxious: I always love to keep my day as simple as possible. I may have many things to do but I want to feel light mentally because that helps me to remain creative and be inspired by anything, literally. So, don’t worry or be anxious. Worry and anxiety are thieves of your time. They make you wander through the day without achieving much.

• Accountability partner: This could be a person or some mechanism that keeps you in check so you aren’t carried away by distractions that present themselves. Have someone that checks on you to be sure you’re getting things done. If there is no one, have reminders on your mobile device to help you with the check. It’s important. 

• Take breaks, eat and drink WATER. Yes, take breaks when you can no matter how short it is. It helps you to recalibrate, else you’ll break down along the way. Also, eat properly and drink a lot of water. Don’t go through the day drinking carbonated liquids and eating junk. Remember, every little thing you do today is piece of the puzzle.

• Appreciation: Appreciate God for every moment you live. Be grateful for life, for family, for friends, for food, water, opportunities, peace, freedom, love etc. And appreciate people for their good gestures towards you. That may be the last time you’ll see them. Also, be grateful to God at the end of every day. 

I hope you got a thing or two from this article. If you did, please share with others to help them too. Also, check out other articles on this blog. Thank you and have a pleasant week.