Starting Off Right

I've spent 10,961 days on the earth. That's not very many. Only the last 6 of those days have I been able to figure out some keys to the overall happiness and success of each and every day.

I've always been a morning 8 hours of sleep person. My usual sunrise routine would include breakfast, internet reading, and working out. Every now and again, after I had eaten and checked email, I would read scripture, but it wasn't engrained into my day. That meant I usually ended up forgetting to read The Word altogether.

A little more than a week ago I realized that my priorities were reflected in my schedule; to make my priorities a priority, I would need to set my schedule "top down."

6 of the last 8 days I've been waking up at 5:00 AM with an unmovable determination to do absolutely nothing else before I read, pray, and spend time in meditation. As you might expect, I've found my attitude and approach to the day to be much more positive, loving, and reflective of the Savior I claim to represent. Usually the biggest improvements to my life have been implementing the tiniest and simplest of changes. This is no different.

The downside to this approach is what's happened on the two days I've missed my new routine. They were some of the worst days for my attitude in recent memory. The bad days have helped me reaffirm the absolute need for the first things first approach in my life.

If you feel you need a change in your daily routine, give this a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.