A while ago I offered up a self-hypnosis process for starting the day, which I love and use often.

The way we start the day is so vital to having a thriving, productive day that we look back upon and feel like we achieved something.

As I researched here, there and everywhere for scientific articles about how to start your day in ways that are psychologically the most effective, I encountered lots of things and many have found their way into my routine. However, the three things that get me the most driven at the start of the day are as follows:

– Lively activity.
– Gratitude.
– Motivational quotes.

In isolation, each of these things helps me start my day wonderfully and I have used all three thoroughly and with great effect for much of my adult life.

Over the years, I have kept a book that I have filled with motivational quotes. Not just generic motivational quotes, but snippets from films that I love, words that my wife, children or wider family have said to me, as well as quotes from my heroes and idols. I have lots of them written on flash cards that I pop in my wallet at times, or look at when in my office, or that I read to myself just before a running event I am entered in. They really strike a chord within me, they mobilise me physically, emotionally and psychologically. They get me feeling productive in the workplace too, they help me keep things in perspective.

Gratitude is something I have written about a number of times before here, but is also incredibly evidence based. The simple notion is that by appreciating what we have, we learn to be happy in the now. We spend less time pining for what we do not have and we realise that we have much to enjoy and love in our life. I have a gratitude journal that I fill in daily, but I also have an extensive list of stuff written down that I refer to and remind myself of that I am incredibly grateful for.

The lively activity is something which a lot of people are not going to want to read about or even consider when they first get out of bed in the morning, I understand that. I run first thing in the morning, before eating. I run in all weather conditions, it is part of my daily routine… But what about people who don’t run or who don’t want to go to the gym or exercise? I’ll tell you in a just a moment.

You see, I wanted to bring all these elements together to rocket fuel the start of my day. What brings all of the three afore mentioned components to life? Music. Yes indeed, we add music.

When I am running, on occasions I listen to music as a distraction, or to help me feel pumped, inspired and driven, especially if I am struggling with those things on that occasion. Some pieces of music do have such a profound effect on me.

Some pieces of music lend themselves very well to lively activity. There are tunes which make me want to start cutting shapes in proper early 1990s raver fashion. Some make me want to jump and of course, lots of tunes just make me want to dance. To dance like no-one is watching. In fact, we can all dance when no-one is watching.

Some pieces lend themselves very well to gratitude. Music that reminds us of who we are, where we’ve come from, and what we have in our life. Music that moves us in a way that we feel thankful for the life we have.

Some pieces of music lend themselves very well to motivational quotes. If you go to YouTube you’ll see it is inundated with loads and loads of homemade videos of quotes and motivational music. They do not do it for me, because I have my own taste, my own favourite quotes, my own relationship with certain songs.

It therefore makes sense to combine all three of these in a 10 minute ritual to start your day off in one hell of an awesome fashion.

Firstly, you get your raw materials together. List, type up or write up, or just gather up somehow as many of your favourite motivational quotes as possible. Then, have your gratitude list drawn up and collated with your quotes.

Secondly, you find your music. One or two tracks that you find truly inspiring and motivational, one or two tracks that help you express gratitude, and then one or two tracks that make you want to get up and play air guitar to an imaginary stadium packed with fans, or throw your arms into the air.

When you get up in the morning, you then play your motivational music while reading your quotes. You play your gratitude music while reading your gratitude list. You then get up and move your body, dance or prance or whatever you can as you get physically lively and energised. An awesome start to the day.

You need to invest yourself in the process. That is, don’t just simply expect stuff to happen to you; don’t be passive. Help it along, make it even more effective with the use of your thoughts and intention.

Now this is some mighty powerful way to start your day. Evidence supports each component of it. The good feelings will stay with you, but most importantly, the tone is set for the day ahead and you’ll be ready for anything.

Just go and do that every day now and see how much of an impact it can make.

If you’d like to learn more or if this has resonated with you in some way, then visit these pages:

1. Has lack of energy held you back and is it still doing so now? Do you need more drive? Do you struggle to get up feeling awesome each day?
Coaching with Adam Eason Or Hypnotherapy with Adam Eason
2. Would you like a satisfying and meaningful career as a hypnotherapist helping others become more energised and driven?
Adam Eason’s Anglo European training college.
3. Are you a hypnotherapist for whom lack of energy and drive is negatively effecting the success of your business? Do you need more inspiration to fulfil your career ambitions?
Hypnotherapist Mentoring with Adam Eason.

Likewise, if you’d like to learn more about self-hypnosis, understand the evidence based principles of it from a scientific perspective and learn how to apply it to many areas of your life while having fun and in a safe environment and have the opportunity to test everything you learn, then come and join me for my one day seminar which does all that and more, have a read here: The Science of Self-Hypnosis Seminar.