Reach for a happier day, every day!  Imagine what tonight’s finest memory will look like. Then be the producer of your own plan of action. Give yourself permission to forecast your day.

A non-planned day will get you nowhere every time.  With a little planning, you can see perceivable, pleasant changes!  We are talking about planning and executing favorable actions upon waking up.

How attentive are you to your right-to-happiness? Do you reach for your cell phone before your eyes are even ready to focus? What you read on your phone can influence how you begin your day. You can drift away from well-being and into a world of worry, concern, fear mixed with a covering of perhaps humor, cute animals, and even inspiration to share with others. All of this can wait!

As you rise from sleep, experience the pleasure of waking up in a bed: the pillows, sheets and warm covers. Enjoy meeting up with yourself. Try leaving your phone a minimum of five feet away from your bed. You can have access to your phone in case of something urgent.

Great powers lie within you.  But you may not always be aware.  You may leave this day to roll out on its own..  Sometimes this works out for you. Sometimes it leaves you without clarity.  We can develop unique tools for starting a successful day.

With great endeavors comes great commitment.  Here are five steps to creating satisfying days:

1. Commit to leaving your phone at least five feet from your bed. If you are like me, you sleep with the phone nearby.  Landlines are a thing of the past in my home.  I tell myself I need to be close to the phone.  But do I?  I can still have it in my room without having it within arms distance.  I can commit to this!
2. Commit to waking up in a state of appreciation. Appreciation is the key to opening doors to well-being.  It creates mindfulness of yourself, of others and the world around you.  Appreciation is the air of contentment and is a prerequisite for a most extraordinary day!
3. Forecast your day in terms that delight you. Dare to write your personal screenplay for this day.  Use words like, I’m going to have new energy as I clean up the kitchen!  I see myself smiling at the the people in the doctors’ office today and I sense a new feeling of wellness.  I actually enjoy the project at work and seem to be finishing in record time.
4. Pay close attention to your fears about the day. Be brave about identifying your fears.  Bring your fears into the light and watch them disappear.  Fears are emotions.  Emotions are messages to you.  What is fear telling you?  Fear says, STOP!  Turn around!  Rethink this!  The way you are thinking about a situation is getting you farther away from where you want to go!  Is there a better way to think about this situation?  Keep looking for a better attitude until the fear ALERT BUTTON stops.
5. Observe your emotions throughout the day. Emotions navigate us toward our goals.  When we experience uncomfortable emotions, we can STOP what we are doing and find actions that make us feel more comfortable.  The more we are aware of our emotions, the more we are able to navigate toward what we want.

Practice moments of well-being by doing things that allow happiness to shine through!  Make today an extraordinary day of your dreams.