Archive for the ‘Inpirational quotes’ Category

HOLISTIC ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE

Posted: January 6, 2013 in Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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I read this article and thought I should post it, I didn’t see who the author was but it is very true.  Lessons to be learned every year you coach.  Take time to see where you fit in.

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The Victories during the 2012 Summer Olympics were perfect examples of Intense, Dedicated, Disciplined Athletic Competitions.

The “Olympic Ideal” Embodies the “Holistic Athletic Experience” of Enhanced Body, Mind, Soul, Character, Productivity and Citizenship facilitated by Athletic Competition.

It’s time to Restore the “Olympic Ideal”, “the Holistic Athletic Experience” in Child and Youth Sports, Recreation and Exercise (SRE).

Performance is one of the manin objectives of the Holistic Athletic Experience.

WHAT CAN THE CHILD AND YOUTH ATHLETE DO FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE?

I. BE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALlY READY.

MNEMONIC FOR CHILD AND YOUTH SRE READINESS:

• REST: Early to Bed
• ESSENTIAL WATER: Plenty Water, Keep your Urine Light Lemonade Color
• ALERT: Pay Attention in Practice and Games
• DON’T USE: Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs
• INJURIES: Don’t Play Thru Injuries, Report them to your Coach or Trainer
• NUTRITION / FOOD: Balanced Diet
• EXERCISE AND DRILL PROPERLY
• STRETCH / WARM-UP
• STRESS REDUCTION

Spend time winding-down after your daily workouts, practices and conditining.

Stress has an undesirable effect on emotions. High levels of stress will have a negative impact on mental preparation and mental toughness.

Unwinding will balance your physical and emotional abilities.

Ahtletes should Lie down, meditate, concentrate and/or pray for 30 minutes every day and practice improving spirituality and faith. Clearing the mind of negative forces will facilitae the Athlete’s ability to concentrate on the positive forces at play in his or her life.

Athletes should stay in touch with their body signals and, for example, eat when hungary, drink water when thirsty and rest when tired. Intense work-outs require adequate rest. The physical body needs regular relaxation.

II. SEEK OUT A TRUSTWORTHY, MENTOR COACH WHO COACHES WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE 4 R’S: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, RELATIONSHIP RECOGNITION

• Respect

Coaches have a duty for the protection, safety, health, care, welfare and Human Rights of their Athletes. They should have a devotion-to and the highest regard for the humanity of their Athletes. Coaches are to regard and recognize the human dignity of their players. Coaches must pay attention, be compassionate recognize Athletes’ human value. Coaches should be considerate of players and athletes by treating them as humans. Coaches should dutifully respect the human life of their Athletes.

“Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you.”

Primum non nocere – “First do no harm to human life.”

• Responsibility

Coaches have an obligation of oversight for the Physical, Psychological (Emotional) well being of their Athletes during the administration of their coaching duties. Coaches must develop and implement responsible coaching policies and standards of Safety 1st.

Coaches are accountable and hold an important position and Fiduciary duty of Trust by the players and athletes. Coaches have a designated authority for the proper care of their players and athletes.

The Core of Coaching is Trust.

• Relationships

Coaches should develop a positive relationship with their Athletes and develop an excellent level of mutual understanding and trust with good interpersonal communication.

Devoting time for each player and athlete, the Coach will develop a positive relationship learning about each Athlete’s Ambitions, Abilities and Skills. Coaches develop a positive relationship by taking a personal interest with plans and techniques for each Athlete’s individualized improvement of play.

• Recognition

Coaches should acknowledge and recognize Athletes when they accomplish their goals and execute their performance plans well. Special one-on-one notice and complementary attention to the Athlete will enhance the trust for the Coach and motivate the Athlete. A pat on the back or the butt goes a long way.

An Holistic Athletic Experience requires balance and implementation of all the above factors.

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5 Steps to Turn Your Wish into a Reality

Posted: December 30, 2012 in Best stuff, Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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Every year, millions of Americans resolve to make changes in their lives starting in the New Year, yet according to Psychology Today, “most people fail in adhering to their stated New Year’s resolutions.” In fact, by January 7th, one fourth of the people who set goals for 2013 will have failed to maintain their actions. By February 40% will fail and 60% won’t be successful at maintaining their goals through June.

Alycia with client in gym

Why is it that so many people aren’t successful in their resolutions?

It’s likely that these resolutions were not set up for success to begin with. Their ideas may have gotten stuck in the “wish” stage.

You’ve heard the quote by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Wishes are plentiful: wishing you could fit into your high school jeans, wishing you had extra energy after work, wishing you had more money in the bank. A wish usually motivates action, but isn’t responsible for sustaining action. A goal is accompanied by a logical and realistic commitment to action, which turns a wish into a reality.

What can you do to ensure success?

One way of creating this plan is to write SMART goals. This is a process for creating Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic goals with a Timeline for success. Here are the 5 steps to write SMART goals that will turn your Wish into a Reality:

  1. Specific – When you create your specific goal, ask yourself “What do I really mean?” and fine tune the specifications at least 3 times before chiseling it in stone.  If you are VERY specific about what you’re after, you’ll recognize the opportunities in your life to lead you toward the goal. For example, instead of writing “be able to do pull-ups,” specify, “complete un-assisted pull ups using full range-of-motion.”
  1. Measurable – it must be clear how your success will be measured. Ask yourself: How much, how many, how often? Usually numbers help to measure success. Maybe you want to do 15 pull-ups or maybe you want to do pull ups for 60-seconds. Find a method of measurement that you can work toward.
  1. Actions – Identify the actions you’ll need to take to accomplish your goal. For example, maybe you’ll have to practice 6 pull-ups every day for 3 weeks and then increase the number of pull-ups you do every day until you reach your goal. Or, if your goal is to write a book, there will be several steps in this section: write, edit, re-write, illustrate, publish, market, sell, etc.
  1. Realistic – this is the hard one that frequently can bring you back to step 1. You have to ask yourself if you actually have the means and ability to realistically achieve this goal. If you’re a 45-year old women who is 5’2” and your goal is to be a runway model for the 2013 NYC Fashion Week, it may be somewhat unrealistic. It’s cool to have this as a goal, but in order to make it realistic, you may need to adjust the timeframe, specifics or measurements of success.
  1. Timeline – give yourself a realistic timeline by which to accomplish your goal. If it’s a daily initiative, create a time of the day you’ll check-in with yourself. If it’s a long-term goal such as writing a book or saving money, give a deadline for yourself. Research shows that people achieve more when given shorter deadlines, so be good to yourself but not overly generous with your timeframe.  I usually create a deadline for each action item en route toward my goal, which holds me accountable for on-going efforts.

4 Ways to start off the New Years Right

Posted: December 30, 2012 in Best stuff, Inpirational quotes, Inspirational quotes, Motivation
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New Year’s Anti-Resolution Solution

Each year, millions of Americans create some sort of New Year’s resolution, whether it’s getting in shape, paying off debt, quitting smoking or even being a nicer person. The problem is, the average New Year’s Resolution is broken and forgotten by the time the last of the confetti is cleaned up. Though few people find success in setting and keeping resolutions, people keep doing it year after fruitless year. I would like to propose a new process to change this year:

  • >>Making anti-resolutions
  • >>Letting go of past mistakes and grievances
  • >>Practicing self-compassion
  • >>Meditating on what’s good in life

1. Make anti-resolutions.

One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions is to lose weight. Most people start a radical diet or cut back on junk foods only to find themselves caught up in cravings for what they are depriving themselves of. What if, instead, people would make the anti-resolution to try different, healthier foods or pick up a new hobby that keeps them moving? There is an amazing variety of healthy foods to choose from. One could search recipe sites and magazines to find easy, healthy recipes. Or what about taking up a new hobby, like biking or long walks with a dog or loved one?

Instead of putting effort into breaking a bad behavior, put effort into creating a new, healthy habit. This makes it easier to build a new lifestyle without the guilt and shame of breaking resolutions.

2. Let go of the past.

One of the reasons why we can’t move on and change our life is that we refuse to let go of our past mistakes and failures. Let go of the old to move on to the new. God told the Israelites in Isaiah 43:18, “Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past.” Or consider the Turkish proverb, “No matter how far you have gone down a wrong road, turn around.” Holding on to your past mistakes only keeps you focused on the past, it’s time to move on. You can’t move forward while you are looking behind.

3. Practice self compassion.

The Yoga Sutra 1.33 teaches us about compassion, stating, “We are to have equanimity for those who make mistakes.” We should have the same compassion for ourselves—after all we are only human. We sometimes judge ourselves more harshly than others. This puts us in a vicious cycle of trying to change, failing, beating ourselves up and then going back to the old habit because it was easier.

The golden rule according to most religions of the world is “love your neighbor as yourself,” but you can’t love your neighbor as yourself if you don’t love yourself. Acknowledge that you deserve health and happiness. Recognize the suffering the habit you are trying to change is causing. Celebrate any positive action you have taken to support your change. If you are feeling bad about any setbacks, remind yourself that you are human and mistakes are an important part of the path to change. Remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare. The race doesn’t belong to the fastest runner, but goes to the one with patience and perseverance.

4. Meditate on what’s good.

Concentrate on the good and positive things about your life. Paul says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Two years ago I hurt my lower back. I was in horrible pain. When I decided to go back to my yoga class I couldn’t bend over. About half way through the class I was about to burst into tears because I could barely move into any of the poses. I was wondering why I had come when it hit me—there are a few poses I can do. I decided to concentrate on the poses I could do and forgive myself for the ones I couldn’t. I went home ecstatic and my doctor was amazed at how quickly my back healed after returning to my yoga practice. If I had only concentrated on the things I couldn’t do, I would have given up and gone home, and my back probably would have taken a lot longer to heal.

Let’s start this New Year, the new week, this new day with a positive outlook.

Wake up each morning being thankful for who you are and what you can do, don’t concentrate on the negative. Put the past behind you each and every morning. Each day has new possibilities and new opportunities for change. Let go of the things that are holding you down. Find new things that build you up. Who needs more broken resolutions? What we need are real solutions to create change in our lives.

Inspirational Coach Quotes That make me want to coach

Posted: November 29, 2012 in Football, Inpirational quotes, Motivation, Uncategorized
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Top 10 Inspirational Coach Quotes

Inspirational Coach Quote #1

Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you.

Eddie Robinson

Inspirational Coach Quote #2

Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.

John Wooden

Inspirational Coach Quote #3

The secret to winning is constant, consistent management.

Tom Landry

Inspirational Coach Quote #4

Over coaching is the worst thing you can do to a player.

Dean Smith

Inspirational Coach Quote #5

Coaching is a profession of love. You can’t coach people unless you love them.

Eddie Robinson

Inspirational Coach Quote #6

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

John Wooden

Inspirational Coach Quote #7

In a crisis, don’t hide behind anything or anybody. They are going to find you anyway.

Bear Bryant

Inspirational Coach Quote #8

You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self motivation.

Homer Rice

Inspirational Coach Quote #9

Either love your players or get out of coaching.

Bobby Dodd

Inspirational Coach Quote #10

Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.

Lou Holtz

I hope you’ve enjoyed these Inspiring Coaching Quotations.

Sports and Child Development

Posted: November 28, 2012 in Best stuff, Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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Sports have more effects on a child’s  development than most realize. Physical exercise is required for a child’s  healthy growth, and several social, physical and emotional benefits exist as  well. Participation in sports helps children form lifelong positive attitudes  about goals, sportsmanship, teamwork and exercise. The effects reach outside the  ball game and into other parts of their lives.

Physical Development

  • In addition to eating nutritional foods and getting adequate sleep, children  need plenty of exercise  to keep their bodies healthy and help develop strong bones and muscles. Physical  exercise also strengthens children’s developing hearts and lungs. Playing sports  improves their motor skills, such as kicking, throwing and running. A child’s  motor skills development and hand-eye coordination can be stunted if she does  not exercise during the critical growth stages. Participating in sports  regularly decreases a child’s risk of becoming obese and developing  obesity-related health problems. It promotes better sleep, which helps children  grow mentally and physically. Finally, physical exercise helps develop a child’s  immune system.

Social and Emotional Development

  • Participating in sports forces children  to play with other kids, which helps them develop good social skills such as  communicating, sharing and empathizing. Children can often find good friends and  develop strong relationships with others on sports teams. Playing family sports  provides a time for family members to bond and an opportunity for adults to  model healthy exercise habits for children. A child who plays sports learns  about teamwork and being a part of something bigger than himself; he learns that  he plays a role in the bigger picture in order for the team to  succeed.

 

Emotional Development

  • Sports help children learn to deal with defeat. Learning this early on  prepares a child for bigger defeats later on in life. On the other hand, a child  also has the opportunity to experience success based on her efforts.  Participation in sports builds up a child’s self-confidence, which is an  important part of emotional development. Exercise in general helps young  children develop a healthy self-image, as they take pride in their physical  accomplishments. Sports also teaches children to set goals for themselves and to  work toward achieving them.

Practical Considerations

  • The sports program a child partakes depends on the child’s age, physical  development and attention span, as a program to complicated and challenging  leads to embarrassment,  frustration and discouragement that has negative impacts on a child’s  development. The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends a sports session  of a maximum of  20 minutes of structured sports activity, followed by 30  minutes of free play.

     

    For More Information go to: http://www.burlingamer.com/page/show/633087-lil-kickers-growing-at-the-burlingamer-

 

Work Like a Champion

Posted: October 18, 2012 in Best stuff, Football, Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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This is from Jon Gordon

5 ways to Think like a Champion

This inspires me to think harder and work harder everyday

Winner1. Champions Expect to Win – When they walk on the court, on the field, into a meeting or in a classroom they expect to win. In fact they are surprised when they don’t win. They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes. They win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers, students or fans.

2. Champions Celebrate the Small Wins – By celebrating the small wins champions gain the confidence to go after the big wins. Big wins and big success happen through the accumulation of many small victories. This doesn’t mean champions become complacent. Rather, with the right kind of celebration and reinforcement, champions work harder, practice more and believe they can do greater things.

3. Champions Don’t Make Excuses When They Don’t Win – They don’t focus on the faults of others. They focus on what they can do better. They see their mistakes and defeats as opportunities for growth. As a result they become stronger, wiser and better.

4. Champions Focus on What They Get To Do, Not What They Have To Do – They see their life and work as a gift not an obligation. They know that if they want to achieve a certain outcome they must commit to and appreciate the process. They may not love every minute of their journey but their attitude and will helps them develop their skill.

5. Champions Believe They Will Experience More Wins in the Future – Their faith is greater than their fear. Their positive energy is greater than the chorus of negativity. Their certainty is greater than all the doubt. Their passion and purpose are greater than their challenges. In spite of their situation champions believe their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.

If you don’t think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren’t born. They are shaped and molded. And as iron sharpens iron you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs and expectations that lead to powerful actions.

by Jon Gordon

Respect of Coaches “The Hand Shake”

Posted: September 14, 2012 in Football, Inpirational quotes
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This week we are coming on a huge respect topic, and the “Hand Shake”.  The one I’m talking about is Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz, the count down begins.  Coaches all respect each other, but they don’t have to like one another.  So not to jump right in and talk about that moment, or what will happen this year.  I wanted to talk about what Respect really is.  Many can learn from this…..even myself at those moments of frustration.

With no disrespect  to my young educated readers, I’m going  to start this article with the dictionary definition of respect.    (transitive verb)  : to consider worthy of high regard.  After reading the definition of respect, a lot of questions came to mind. Like, how many young athletes out there respect their coach and how many don’t? How many coaches respect their athletes, or don’t?  How many parents respect their kids coach, or don’t? How many coaches respect the team parents?  Above all, why does it matter and where and how does respect happen. Wow, way too many questions.

My answer is, it all starts with the coach. Have you ever had a coach that was intimidating or made you feel scared of making a mistake. If you have, you will probably remember that no one ever showed disrespect to that coach either. But does that mean that your coach was respected ?  My observations and findings say no, your coach was not respected. Your coach was feared. These are the same coaches that are sometimes very knowledgeable in their field of sport, and often played at a high level of competition. Yet, some have winning seasons, others have losing seasons.

Here are  the traits of a  good coach who is respected by the team:

  • they are  knowledgeable in their field of sport
  • they take full responsibility for their teams weaknesses and never place blame on anybody but themselves
  • they spend more time and employ more patience with the less talented athletes
  • they have their gifted athletes help and encourage the not so gifted ones
  • they don’t single out athletes in anger or disappointment
  • they make practice fun
  • they figure out ways to get adequate playing time for all team members, and
  • they always have winning seasons.

Most importantly, a good coach gets to know the kids’ parents. If a coach gets to know a kids parents, they will find out everything  they need to know about that kid. And they will gain a lot of respect from both players and  their parents because it shows that the coach cares.  And that is the main reason why a good coach is respected, because they displayed a true sense of caring toward you and everyone else on your  team.

If Rodney Dangerfield were still alive, I wonder what he would have to say about it.

The Lies of Youth Strength Training

Posted: September 12, 2012 in Best stuff, Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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Despite these benefits, strength training
has gotten a bad name amongst parents
because of the myths and lies that have
been circulated for years.

So here is the #1 lie that you’ve been
told about
strength training for youth:

Lie #1: Strength training will
stunt my
kid’s growth.

This lie goes back
to a 1964 study in rural
Japan (Kato & Ishiko, 1964) that
found that kids who performed heavy labor for several
hours per day were abnormally short.  Despite
the fact that these kids also suffered from a

poor diet and lived in very poor conditions,
it was later on incorrectly
speculated that
strength training must also have the same
affect as
heavy labor in malnourished
environments.

In more recent and
scientifically verified
studies (Morris et al., 1997), strength

training has been proven to do just the opposite
of this lie and actually
increase bone density
amongst youth.

Here’s the
problem:
When strength training is mentioned, most
parents still envision an image of their kid
crumbling under a weight that is way too
heavy for them.

But this is not strength
training.

Strength training is about developing
proper movement patterns to maximize
the efficiency of human motion.  In
proper strength training, an external load
(a.k.a. weight) is not introduced
until the movement pattern is perfected.

There is a distinct
difference between
“strength training” and “weight lifting.”

“Weight lifting” is about lifting as much
weight as possible, while “strength
training” is about developing functional individuals
who are physically
strong and stable in the
movement demands of their life or
sport.

So if you want to give your young athlete a
developmental advantage over his/her
peers (without holding him/her back a
year in school), strength training is the way to go.

And now so we can keep cleaning up
the misinformation being spread about youth
strength training, here are 2
more myths
about youth strength training that you

should know:

Myth #2: Strength training will
cause my
athlete to get stiff, lose flexibility, and
pull
muscles.

Again this is a battle of perception
versus
reality…

I think a lot of parents envision a
bodybuilder
who has so much muscle that he can’t scratch
his head, when
they hear “strength training.”

But “bodybuilding” is not
“strength training”

As we explained, strength
training is about movement and being strong through
a full range of  motion across multiple joints.

At its core, strength training is about
mobility, which is flexibility and coordination across
multiple joints and in multiple planes.

The #1 goal of any strength training program

is to prevent injuries, so a good strength training
program will correct
muscle imbalances that
may be cause injury and actually increase mobility.

Myth #3: My athlete needs more “sport
specific”
training not strength training.

Youth sports injuries are at an
all-time high.
Of the 2 million youth sport injuries being
suffered each
year, 50% can be attributed to
overuse.

Not only are athletes
specializing in a single
sport at younger and younger ages, but on
top of that their parents are requesting
“sport specific” training, adding fuel to
the overuse fire.

But taxing the muscles that are already
being overused through “sport specific“
training is exactly the opposite of
what young athletes need.

In fact, strength training often needs to
focus on the opposing muscles to the “sport
specific” movements to fix imbalances
and prevent injuries.

The purpose of strength training is to
develop
athletes with proper basic movement
patterns that can translate
across multiple sports, not to overtrain a single
muscle group that is
probably already
burnt out.

I have always felt an Athletes Core is the most important part of getting stronger.  It is the foundation of your body, having full control, and balance.  The other key to starting out young as an athlete trying to get stronger, is your form.  Having correct form in just the basic push up is key.  Before you think about jumping into training learn the form and what you are really working.

Corey T

The Personal Attributes of Leaders

Posted: September 11, 2012 in Best stuff, Football, Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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With all my teams, I need a leader.  How are they going to find it, and prove it?  Read these Attributes of being a leader, and see where or what they need to work on.  Most of all the Coach must have these!!

Leadership is a complex composite of commendable personal attributes and ways of acting that result in employees and student-athletes believing in the leader’s judgment and direction and wanting to execute or fulfill the leader’s assignments and expectations.  Is there such a thing as a person being “a natural” leader, like a natural athlete or a gifted artist or musician whose talent appears to come easily?  To an extent, the answer is yes.  Leadership qualities come more easily to some rather than others.  However, all of the following personal attributes of a good leader can be developed by intent.

Personal Attributes of Leaders

Skilled Communicator.  Able to clearly explain tasks and inspire others with varying backgrounds and perspectives.

Confidence.  Poise, clear thinking under pressure, conviction in the course being set, and decisiveness are characteristics that earn the respect and loyalty of others.

Fairness.  Treats people fairly, makes decisions consistent with clearly expressed standards of right and wrong.  When handling disputes, the leader’s resolution engenders a feeling of justice, equal treatment and evenhandedness.

Generosity.  A ‘giver’ rather than ‘taker’;  a giver of time, knowledge and caring.

Honesty.  Truthful and openly self-critical with regard to acknowledging own errors.

Humility.  Modest about his or her abilities and always respectful of others.

Mastery.  Makes decisions and demonstrates a high personal commitment to acquisition of knowledge, skill mastery and thoughtful action.

Passion.  Performs work and play and approaches every task with passion and enthusiasm.

Optimism.   Believes that everyone has something important to contribute to the success of the organization;  creates an environment that is positive, hopeful and buoyant – a place of working, playing and human interaction that employees and student-athletes enjoy and value.

Selflessness.  Puts the needs, interests and wishes of others before his or her own self interest.  When the leader asks someone to do something, that person knows that what is being asked is for the larger good or good of another.

Trustworthy.  Builds trust and confidence by acting in team member’s best interest and  not revealing confidential information.

All of these are what I look for in an athlete or a teammate.  We all have it in u, it’s just knowing what it takes sometime to let it shine.  When I coach, I know right away who are the leaders.  The difficult part is finding those that have it, and making sure they can use it!  Everyone can be a leader!!

How to Start Your Morning: 5 Tips to Create More Energy and Confidence

Posted: September 8, 2012 in Best stuff, Inpirational quotes, Motivation
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Does your morning routine feel more like a “mourning” routine? The first 30 minutes of your day has a powerful grip over the rest of your day — your morning behaviors and attitudes can influence how you feel and what you do for the rest of the day. Instead of smashing the alarm clock, kicking the cat, and cursing your life every morning, you can do five simple things that will start your day off on a better note and help you live your best life.

  1. Kill the kryptonite. You are no longer allowed to hit the snooze button. This is coming from a guy who had a bad habit of abusing the snooze button. I’d set my alarm an hour early (yes, an hour early!) just so I could hit the snooze button six times. I found that this little and seemingly innocuous button made me weaker and weaker every day. Every time I hit it, I was unconsciously reinforcing the belief that I was weak and that I couldn’t get out of bed when I was supposed to. Break this habit and replace it with a much better one. Set your alarm for when you want to get up, and when it goes off, make yourself stronger by doing the shocking thing — by getting up. Do this every day and you will grow in confidence.
  2. First five seconds. When it’s dark and cold out, you need a burst of inspiration to get your juices flowing. The first thing you should do is feed your mind. Look at your DreamBoard, read an inspirational quote or Bible passage, go over your goals, etc. Do this first — before you reach for your Blackberry, remote, or toothbrush.
  3. Get the blood flowing. While your mind has been active all night, your body has not. The best way to get the mind engaged and primed is to get the body moving. Immediately after you feed your mind, do a few minutes of light stretching or yoga to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to get your joints loosened. You don’t need to be Richard Simmons on crack — slow and steady is good.
  4. PowerJournal. For 15 or 20 minutes every day, I want you to write, brainstorm, and just think. One of the best ways to increase your happiness and sense of well-being is to express gratitude. A powerful and easy way to do this is by writing about those things for which you are grateful. You could also spend a few minutes daydreaming about your future. Instead of immediately getting sucked into the day’s pressures, responsibilities, and problems, a few minutes of quiet time focused on your perfect future can provide you with a sense of calm and peace that can last the whole day.
  5. Breakfast. I know. You’ve heard it before. But I’ll risk repeating it because studies show about 40% of us still skip breakfast. The benefits of eating a nutritious breakfast are well known. Avoid bacon, sausage, pastries, and processed cereals and go for something simple like a bowl of whole grain cereal with non-fat milk and add a banana and raisins.If you don’t have time for breakfast or want a little something extra, you can chug down a power shake. My shake takes about three minutes to make and about two minutes to drink. The cool thing is that you can load it up with just about everything and anything.

If you did all of these things, it would add maybe 20 or 30 minutes to your morning schedule. I know a half hour in the morning is huge, but look at this time as an investment in your day and in you. Doing these things will make you healthier, give you a more positive attitude, provide a much greater feeling of control, and grant you a sense of peace and calmness. Or at the least, you’ll have a better relationship with your cat.

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