To win the year, you must win the season.

To win the season, you must win the month.

To win the month, you must win the week.

To win the week, you must win the day.

The only way to win the day is to win the morning.

The early bird catches the worm.
This is an adage that still holds much value in contemporary society. Winning the morning means consistency in the time that you wake and in what you do. Those first few hours after we awake are crucial for shaping our days and essentially shaping our lives. What do you do in those first few moments of your morning? Here are some suggestions:

• Prayer or Meditation
  Very cliché, but it works. Starting your morning in prayer or meditation helps to centre you and prepare you for the day ahead.
  
  
• A Daily Plan
  Planning out your day and what you hope to accomplish, helps to keep you on track and accountable to yourself.
  
  
• Do Something Creative
  I try to do something creative in the morning, to get me energized. For e.g. I create dad joke graphics.
  
  
• Read, listen or watch something uplifting.
  Look at a positive video or something that lifts your spirits in the morning.
  
  
• Avoid using your phone.
  Try not to use your phone for at least the first 30 minutes of your day. I recommend not using it until you have finished your prayer/meditation.
  
  
• Stretch or light exercise.

In the spirit of transparency, I rarely do this on a morning, but it works for many people, so it is something to consider.

What are some of your morning rituals that work for you?