Which would you rather experience: Waking up feeling confident about what needs to get done and attacking your to-do list with positive energy? Or giving in to your feelings of dread that eventually lead to diminished confidence and wanting to quit?
The success of your team, business, or career depends heavily on you and how you show up each day.
And while that may seem like a heavy burden, your responsibility as a leader requires that you do the internal work in order to best support and motivate those you lead daily.
Research shows positivity impacts productivity
Barbara Fredrickson is a positive psychology researcher, and some of her most referenced prove that positive thoughts and reinforcement helps improve work outlook and productivity.
Her study consisted of 5 groups of people: 2 groups were shown video clips that were joyful and produced positive feelings; 2 groups were shown video clips that evoked negative emotions, and 1 group was the control group who were not shown any video clips at all.
Each person was then asked to answer a series of questions.
The groups who viewed the positive videos were more likely to see solutions to problems than those who viewed the negative videos.
The positive group saw more possibilities with their lives and were able to broaden their minds with positivity and creative thinking rather than narrowing their focus to just the negativity.
Positive ways to start your morning
If you want to embrace this positive way of thinking, you ‘ll first need to analyze your current morning routine and if it offers any benefits.
Are you hitting the snooze alarm 4 times before racing through your shower to get started on your day?
For those working from home, if you’re oversleeping or feeling frenetic before a team meeting or client call, how does that set up the rest of your day?
" A personal development plan lets you identify where and how you focus your action, so you can ultimately succeed in reaching your goals allowing you to live a life with purpose."
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Every person will have a different, meaningful way to start their morning, but the key is to discover what makes you feel calm, joyful, relaxed, and positive about beginning a brand new day.
- Do you need 15 minutes of quiet to enjoy your coffee or do you need a robust, quick-paced workout?
- Does prayer, meditation or exercise help you feel grounded and ready for the day?
- Do you need spiritual reassurance, such as from the Bible or other spiritual book?
- Do you prefer reading your favorite mystery novel while you eat breakfast?
- Have you tried journaling about your goals and/or feelings about your work?
- Do you have a written plan of action each day, so you know exactly what you must accomplish?
No matter how you choose to start your day, be consistent, even during stressful times and on the weekends.
When tiny habits are done consistently, they become a part of your everyday routine and you won’t have to think about them again.
Take notes about any changes you make to your morning routine and how it affects your mood and productivity throughout the day.
