6 ways to make sure you are a winner always

The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus, said Bruce Lee.

Success, a word every human wants to emulate from a young age. Whether it is being successful in grade school by earning a gold star, scoring the most points in a game for your high school basketball game, receiving that acceptance letter in the mail from your top college, landing your dream job, making that sixfigure salary, buying a home or getting married. Success seems to always be our goal in life, right? These big lofty goals must start somewhere. Each day we must wake up and live successful days in order to have a successful life. But sometimes starting our days, starting our weeks or starting our months can be difficult. Sometimes we get into a rut of running on the hamster wheel at work, not taking care of ourselves at home, not appreciating what we have and not giving ourselves enough quiet time to collect our thoughts and reflect. In order to be a successful individual in the big picture, we must break our successes down starting with our morning routine. These simple tips can help jump-start our mornings to help us have a successful day, which can lead into bigger successes in life, even if we just want to “successfully get through the day”, sometimes that is a success in itself.

• Eat breakfast: Whether it is a bowl of yogurt and fruit, a toasted bagel with peanut butter, a boiled egg or a fancy home cooked southern breakfast spread; eating breakfast is a great way to fuel your body and mind for the day. If you are eating breakfast with your partner, friend or family member; take the initiative to ask them about their plans for the day. If you are eating breakfast alone, use this time and space for yourself to meditate about your daily intentions and to savour each bite of your breakfast before your day takes off at full speed.

• Meditate: Whether this is journaling, reading a book, reading a daily meditation or motivational saying or just sitting in silence; taking 5-10 minutes to meditate (it can even be in the shower) can help focus your mind and set your intention for the day.

• Exercise: This can be challenging but exercising for 20-30 minutes each morning can increase your alertness, increase your energy and help maintain your focus throughout the day. Even exercising two to three mornings a week and alternating between evenings after work is beneficial. Exercise can be talking a brisk walk around the block, running on the treadmill, practicing yoga in your living room, taking an aerobics class or going to the gym before work.

• Dress up and show up: It’s a fact, you feel your best when you look your best so dress up and show up! Makeup (for women), washing your hair and a nice outfit can boost your self-esteem. Even if you work from home or work from a remote location, spending time on your physical appearance in the morning can help you feel more confident throughout your workday.

• Express gratitude: Say “Thank You” in your mind or out loud for the new day. Then, think of three to five things you are truly grateful. These things can range from your spouse, children, parents, dog, or friends to having clean drinking water, a roof over your head and a good job. They can include your physical health or the fact that you have the opportunities to travel and explore new hobbies. Studies have shown that intentionally expressing gratitude on a daily basis can increase your productivity and your happiness.

• Review your daily agenda: We live such busy lives and juggle so many things outside of work that is can be easy to forget important things such as running an errand, paying a bill, sending a birthday card all while successfully completing work tasks and personal life goals. Taking a few minutes to review your daily agenda can help you organise your time and priorities for the day. Writing a “to-do” list in an email or on the electronic notepad on your phone can provide you easy access to this list while you are on the move.

Exercising for 20-30 minutes each morning can increase your alertness, increase your energy and help maintain your focus throughout the day