How did you start your day today?

The opening chapter of a book, first five minutes of a movie, and the beginning strains of a piece of music are designed to not only "hook" us into what happens next but also act as a sort of an "organising principle" through which we will view the rest of what happens. And yet most of us never take the time to design a strong beginning to our day...

Today's Experiment:
1. Create a ritual for starting your day - any activity or sequence of activities that you can do within moments of awakening.
Examples:
*Motivational speaker Tony Robbins starts his day by asking himself empowering questions like "What am I most excited about in my life?" .
*Henry David Thoreau, the author of Walden, began each day by taking five minutes to reflect on what was right with his life.
*The Dalai Lama begins each day at 4am by reciting the sacred mantras, taking his medication, and bowing repetitiously for 30 minutes in order to express his humility.

2. Starting tomorrow, begin your day with your ritual.

3. Notice how your ritual impacts your day.

4. Make any changes you think of to enhance your ritual. Remember, you can change rituals as often as you like - the main thing is to decide today how you will begin your day tomorrow.

Have fun, learn heaps, and start as you mean to go on!