For many years waking up was by far the worst part of my day and I use to beg time to stand still as I tried to find the strength to drag myself from my bed. As I willed my eyes to open, my first thoughts were negative, I dreaded the day ahead and hated myself for going to bed so late. I would hit that snooze button till I would be required to set a world record time to get to work, debating all the time whether I really needed my job or not. Do any of you relate to this?

Do you ever wake up feeling like you were completely out of it? You open your eyes, and you are overcome with resentment. You immediately picture your relentless to-do list, how behind you are on everything and all the deadlines that must be met.

The result – you wake up every morning wishing that you could spend the rest of the day in bed.

I don’t know about you, but starting every day off like that for the rest of my life? No, thank you!

I would like to share my motivation with you and encourage you to change your view on the days we are given as well as the way we start these days. Each day we are given is a tremendous gift and what you do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.

Waking up early is one of my favourite things to do in the world. The morning is quiet and beautifully peaceful as the world hasn’t begun stirring, the perfect time for meditation, writing, exercise and some quiet reading. My house is quiet, everyone is still sleeping except my cat who wakes up with me. The neighbourhood is quiet as I make my coffee.

When your morning is chaotic and stressful, the rest of the day will probably be too. I do believe though that being motivated in the morning takes a bit of planning. I hear you saying but I am not a morning person, Very few people are natural early birds and being motivated in the morning takes a little planning. You know those morning maniacs who seem to just roll out of bed the second their alarm goes off… ya, that isn’t me!!

I use to party into the early hours of the morning and wake up still pissed or hung over and wonder why I hated mornings… you don’t say!

I have learnt one or two things about how to wake-up with joy, and today I would like to share the most successful techniques in my few experimentations:

Keep your curtains partially open. When light fills your bedroom in the morning, waking up is easier. Light in the morning tells your body to naturally awaken. It will help you get into a lighter stage of sleep, so when your alarm sounds, it’s easier to get out of bed.

Set your alarm for 10 or 15 minutes earlier. You can ease into your morning more calmly as opposed to rushing around. Sit up slowly in bed and do some stretches.

Every morning – I look in the mirror and ask myself - “If today was the last day of my life, would I be happy with what I am about to do today?”

I get on my knees each morning as I wake up and I pray. I am not too sure who I am praying to but it is to a God of my own understanding. My prayers are ones of gratitude. I am thankful to have the gift of another day and pray for the ability to remain present during every moment of that day. If I am present and living in the now, the possibilities of what I can achieve in a day are unlimited. To do that I put all my shoes under my bed so that I have to get on my knees. I got on my knees many times for drugs and people, I can get on my knees to pray to the power that saved my life.

Meditate for 5 minutes to clear my mind and to concentrate.

Drink half a litre of water

Feed my cat

Put on tunes (something I love)

Shower and dress

Make food for the day

Make an effort to go to bed around the same time each night, even on weekends or days off. Consistency is key to healthy sleep patterns. Your circadian rhythm stays in sync when you have the same bedtime routine each night.

For me, it’s not about getting up early for the sake of getting up before the sun (I like my bed a great deal). It’s about having the time to get activities done that are known to have a considerably positive impact on my state of mind, my efficiency and (incidentally) my level of happiness.

A question that has been on my mind for a while has been… “What is the point of life?” You have the choice to decide what the point of your life is every moment of every day. There is no greater blessing and life blowing realisation for me. Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.

I want to leave you with this, I have found a reason for being, a reason to wake up in the morning, a reason for being alive, a meaning for life and I have learnt what makes life worth living. If the idea of starting your day with a rush of enthusiasm, and with the intention of making the most of it appeals to you then give it a try and when you get into bed at night satisfied…you won’t want to live any other way.

Peace!!!!!!!!!!!