{"id":66434,"date":"2017-09-12T11:02:46","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T16:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=66434"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:43:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T17:43:05","slug":"make-every-day-good-day-morning-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/character\/self-improvement\/make-every-day-good-day-morning-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Every Day a Good Day With This Morning Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vintage<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you often feel like you\u2019re not in control of your day? Co-workers make unexpected demands, meetings don\u2019t work out the way you planned, appointments fall through. You feel like you\u2019re constantly reacting<\/em>, rather than acting<\/em>. As a result, not only does your overall productivity suffer, but you\u2019re not getting done the things you<\/em> want to accomplish. You find yourself regularly frustrated at work, and find it difficult to slough off this feeling of annoyance after you come home.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rare for you to be able to say, \u201cToday was a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t make everything go according to plan. You can\u2019t make your co-workers perform like consistently reasonable robots.<\/p>\n

But you can change one thing that\u2019s wholly under your control: your morning.<\/p>\n

And that will change everything about the rest of your day.<\/p>\n

Why Changing Your Morning Changes the Course of Your Whole Day<\/h3>\n

Because of confirmation bias<\/a>, your brain will take your morning experience and look for ways to confirm that experience \u2014 either good or bad \u2014 for the rest of the day. It can seem a bit dispiriting. Starting your day with a bad commute? Your brain wants to spoil the rest of the day. That spilled coffee on your shirt first thing? Your brain wants to tell you that your clients won\u2019t take you seriously and the whole meeting will be shot.<\/p>\n

The other side of confirmation bias is incredibly positive though. Have a good morning, and your brain will not only look past those seemingly negative experiences, but search for ways to confirm this positive a.m. vibe throughout the rest of the day.<\/p>\n

So, what does it take to have a course-altering morning?<\/p>\n

Fortunately, it doesn\u2019t require waking up at 5am, nor a prolonged routine of journaling, exercise, a big breakfast, etc. (That said, a dedicated morning routine<\/a> can<\/em> work wonders!) Rather, setting yourself up for a good day is as easy as establishing a short and simple mindset-shifting routine.<\/p>\n

A Brief Description of a Good Day<\/h3>\n

Before we delve into how you set yourself up for a good day, you first need to know what you\u2019re aiming for; what is a good day, anyway?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like me, your first thought might have been about a day spent in a cabin in the woods (or a hut on the beach \u2014 to each their own!) with a good book and a plate of bacon by your side. While that would certainly be an excellent day, that\u2019s not quite what we mean here.<\/p>\n

The tactics we\u2019ll be describing aren\u2019t for generating just any kind of good days, but good work<\/em> days (even if your work is being a stay-at-home dad or other non-traditional job). In this particular context, a good day is one in which you felt productive and energetic, and like you moved in a direction toward your larger goals.<\/p>\n

This end result doesn\u2019t mean you didn\u2019t work mentally or physically hard, and it doesn\u2019t mean you didn\u2019t encounter setbacks, annoyances, and frustrating changes of plans. Having a good day doesn\u2019t mean everything will go the way you want.<\/p>\n

Rather, while unexpected \u201cfires\u201d invariably flare up, you\u2019re ready to adjust to them. Instead of being flustered, stressed, and defeated, you stay calm, positive, and in control. You stay proactive rather than going reactive<\/a>, and thus get done what you want to get done.<\/p>\n

Maintaining this kind of aplomb in the face of frustration all starts with how you set your compass in the morning. In order to be able to handle whatever comes your way during the day, you have to intentionally set forth your attitude and mindset before it’s begun.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n

The How to Have Good Day Morning Routine<\/u><\/h3>\n

When I first delved into this topic, I was worried that the number of practices tied in to setting yourself up for a good day would be burdensome. Would I need to spend an hour just prepping myself for success? But after practicing and timing this process for a few weeks, I can happily report that the whole routine takes under 10 minutes<\/em>. You can work through it either before you leave the house each day, or as the first thing you do when you sit down at your desk at work. (If you have a gnarly commute and find your mind starts going downhill before you even arrive at the office, I’d strongly consider making it the former!)<\/p>\n

1. Set Your \u201cRule of 3\u201d<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s easier to let people and events get you off course during the day when you\u2019re not entirely sure what you want to work on yourself. Your actions for your day should thus be guided by the Rule of 3. Read the article for more in-depth strategies and tips<\/a>, but the gist is that you should set 3 priorities for the day that you focus on above all other things. What 3 specific tasks can you achieve that further you or your company\u2019s goals the most?<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s fine to set your Rule of 3 the morning of, I actually prefer to do it at the end of the previous<\/em> work day. I just feel better about my morning when I can jump right into my most important tasks. Do what works for you.<\/p>\n

2. Set Your Intentions<\/h3>\n

Starting your day well is not just about setting out the right tasks for yourself in a manageable way. It\u2019s also about creating an overarching purpose for your day \u2014 a larger aim. To do this, you must answer the question Caroline Webb poses in How to Have a Good Day<\/em><\/a>: \u201cWhat am I ultimately trying to achieve?\u201d<\/p>\n

For me, the answers to this question look like this:<\/p>\n