They say how you start your day sets the tone for the whole day...do you find that to be true too? 

With added stresses of school kicking off this month, and upcoming changes in your fall schedule, this issue suggests a meaningful morning practice I created (and use personally) to help kick-start your body and mind, pointing you towards the work/life balance you desire and deserve. 

Does this morning scenerio sound familiar? You hit the snooze, watch the news as you shower and dress, grab a coffee and a donut as you run out the door while trying to check messages on your ipad.  Feeling behind before you've even started, you think "there's just no way I'll get it all done today."  Fueled by stress, sugar, and caffeine you start off strong, only to lose energy and focus mid morning.  Next thing you know, you're at the vending machine looking for a pick-me-up to get you through til lunch.  In this scenerio, you 're stuck on an energy roller-coaster becasuse stress hormones, sugar, and caffeine have you irritable, jittery, tired, and wired...the fight-or-flight response has kicked in and you're in survival mode. 

  

It's easy to see why we're confused about how to get off to a good start in the morning.  After all, we're bombarded with marketing messages such as "America runs on Dunkin", "you deserve a break today at McDonald's", and "jump start your day with the Breakfast of Champions" which is just a bowl of high-sugar cereal.

Luckily, there's a better way.  You can move past surviving to really thriving!  Successful women who sustain high energy levels, sharp mental focus, and high spirits create synergy from the

start by having an inner-to-outer daily practice that nourishes the Spirit, Mind, and Body in healthy ways.  This provides calm focus, increased productivity and a positive attitude no matter what life throws at you through the day, moving you closer to the work/life balance you desire and deserve.

Click here to check out my "Daily to-do list for a Strong Start."  Feel free to Download it and print as many as you like.  Add your own twist to make it work best for you, OK?  It helps you focus inward on who you want to be, then on what you will do. (an inner-to-outer approach) using these 3 steps:

1. Connect with Spirit (Surrender your will)
2. Focus your Mind (Set your intention)
3. Nurture your Body (Take inspired action)

What do you say? Let's start today strong!

p.s. Thinking "that sounds great but I'm too busy in the mornings so this doesn't apply to me?" please take a deep breath and keep reading because you can't ever be too busy to use precious time to your advantage! I promise You can make these EASY-BREEZY examples work in the time you're already spending...it's just a matter of doing things a bit differently.