A brand new day means a fresh new start. While this is easier seen in retrospect (“Oh that was a good day”), what if we can set things such that we can expect to have a great day tomorrow? Here’s a simple and effective checklist of how to wake up better each and every day.
Wake Up Better Tomorrow
I revamped and restructured my life around the following, so you can be sure they will work. The important thing is to first and foremost believe you can do them! The list is in no particular order, so you can look forward to waking up better any day you choose!
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Sip More Tea
- I’m a huge coffee fiend. There were days when I could guzzle three, maybe four, mugs of the black stuff. While I’m not completely cured of coffee yet, switching to decaffeinated tea helped me sleep better and I felt generally better in the morning. The weight loss was a bonus!
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Sleep Just One Hour Earlier
- Anyone working in advertising would tell you that late nights are often unavoidable. Even if an ‘early’ bed time (read: before midnight) is possible, we often spend some time playing computer games, reading a book, or checking messages/emails before bed. Leave those be and get to bed; just wake up earlier to do all of those.
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Stairs for Less
- If you are going up less than three (3) floors, use the stairs. It’s short enough that you won’t be too breathless. Stairs make you fitter and improve blood circulation – all helping towards letting you wake up better the next day. On occasion, I’ve found stairs to be quicker than waiting for the lift/elevator too!
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Skip the Membership Cards
- Shopping malls, coffee shops, and specialty stores all have ‘affordable’ membership cards which allow you to earn redeemable points. However, the amount of money you will usually need to spend first FAR outweigh both the cost of the card and the ‘discount’ you’ll earn. You’ll end up saving a lot more in the long run as there’s no pressure to shop.
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Start a Blog
- It’s great to write down things you think about. Are you an expert on a topic? Anything at all? Write them down and publish them on a blog. You never know who you may be able to help out! Just list down the things which you can talk about for hours on end – there’s a good chance you can write a lot on them too!
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Splurge Once a Month
- I had a tough time knowing when to reward myself until I started accepting the fact that to be happy on a daily basis, I need to treat myself to a good time too. In order to avoid overspending, limit a ‘high-cost expense’ to once a month, and no more than 10% of your monthly income. You also have something to look forward to every month!
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Save Your Coins
- Save all your loose change and odds-and-ends coins. Literally every single piece. I did this for a year (God knows how many coins a typical Filipino commuter gets in a day) and I ended up with almost $50.00. Coins are easy to save (and spend) because they’re easy to forget. Just toss them in a jar; this is the easiest way to have savings.
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Sign Up for a Run
- I understand that running isn’t for everyone. Heck, I hated running – until the day a friend’s mother signed me up for a 3km fun run without my knowledge. Having made it to the finish line more dead than alive, pride kicked in and the addiction set in. In a year, I’ve lost 10 lbs of flab, ran a full marathon, and energy levels have never been better.
There you have it! My secrets to waking up better for virtually the whole of an entire year. Good luck on your attempt and stay positive!
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Featured image from Eating Bender, retrieved on January 2, 2012.
About Jason Cruz
