The birds are singing, the sun is shining… what a glorious day to be alive! How often do you feel like that when you wake up? To be truthful, I don’t say or feel that way nearly enough. Most work days begin with this thought for me: “Shit. I have to get up”. Not a very productive way to start a morning. Yeah, maybe work sucks, but if you open up the scope of your life and focus on everything that’s around you, your attitude can change.

Let’s take my example above. What happens when you wake up and immediately think of what’s wrong with your day? Maybe you rush to get showered and out the door so you can get to work. Your irritable, easily frustrated and just generally dumpy. From the get go, you have set yourself up to think about and therefore notice all aspects of your day that are not… divine. By the time you get off work, you’re exhausted and tired and- well, still dumpy. So, you go home and instead of having the energy to do things that would add joy to your life you end up sitting on the couch with a bag of Frito’s watching TV.

What about the reverse? You wake up, look outside and realize it’s absolutely beautiful (even bad weather can be beautiful). Maybe you think about how lucky you are to have a nice place to live, a steady job, great kids, or just the fact that you get to be alive today… whatever it is, this feeling of being grateful and happy means that you will spend your day noticing and appreciating all that’s right in your life. Driving to work isn’t frustrating because you refuse to let crazy drivers and traffic ruin a good mood. This good mood increases efficiency to the point that you end the day feeling really satisfied with what you accomplished. The workday comes to a close and you drive home energized and excited that now it’s your time. For some of us, we go to the gym or meet up with friends. In any case, the positive attitude you woke up with carries you through the day.

The point I’m making here is that everything is attitude! The two hypothetical days were the same day. The same bad and good things happened. The only difference is perception. In one case you wake up in a bad mood, and that bad mood inevitably sets you up to see all the negative aspects of that day. Conversely, waking up happy just to be alive puts you in a frame of mind to see the good in your life. This is the first step towards making lasting change in your life. How can you accomplish anything when you feel bad? If you’re drained and tired and dumpy, the motivation is not there to go above and beyond your current situation to create a new one. You can read personal development blogs and books all you want, but reading won’t make the change happen. Your attitude will.

For me, real change requires inspiration. A lack of positivity in my life creates the opposite of growth. The happier I am, and the better my attitude is at the start of the day, the better my day goes and the more I accomplish. This is what I believe is the most important aspect of personal development. It all begins with the first 10 minutes of your day. It’s your choice to make your day great, just as it is your choice to be dumpy. Remember that the next time your alarm goes off. Here are some suggestions to get you moving towards a positive attitude in the morning:

• Open your blinds before you go to bed. That way when you wake up, the sun is shining in your room. Even if you don’t take a moment to look outside, natural light has a way of making a day feel brighter and more cheerful.
• Write down the three things you are most grateful for in your life. Post those three things somewhere you’ll be each morning. Could be your bathroom mirror or your refrigerator. When you pass by the list, read it aloud to yourself. Eventually you’ll begin to think of other things and you won’t need a list. I try to run through my gratitude list every morning while I shower.
• Get up an hour early. At first, this sucks… I admit. That said, having an hour to get ready and eat breakfast without rushing around is a far more relaxing way to start your morning.
• Music, Music, Music. If you have an alarm that you can play CD’s, great. If you don’t, consider getting one. Or get an alarm for your iPOD. There’s nothing like waking up to your favorite song; a song that makes you want to dance or sing. If this isn’t an option for you, try setting your alarm for the radio on your favorite station.

Making your first 10 minutes the most important time of your day each morning WILL make a difference in your life. The more days you do it, the easier it gets to wake up already with the right mindset.

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