today’s gonna be a good day

Do you ever get to the end of a day frustrated because it feels like you accomplished nothing?  I sometimes feel like I am inside a hamster wheel, running hard and getting nowhere fast. You lay your head on the pillow at night, worn out and feeling deflated. We’ve all been there, done that. We are all going to experience some of those days, but it is nice to keep them to a minimum. Here are some pointers about making each day feel productive.

 Before you start your day, ask yourself a simple question. “What should I do today that will allow me to go to bed feeling satisfied?”  Here’s how I answered that question this morning.

 I completed my morning routine, including everyday tasks like brushing my teeth, showering, and enjoying a cup of coffee.  Two other activities get me off to a good start.  First, I make my bed before I go downstairs.  Though this may not be the case for you, I like to leave my bedroom in good order. If I get nothing else done for a few hours, it always feels good to know that I made my bed, and my room is presentable. This sets the stage for the rest of the day. Secondly, I drink my coffee, read my Bible, and have a conversation with the Lord.  I am a person of faith, so nothing gears up my day more than a time of focus on who I am and what I believe.  I have no big plan to read a certain number of Bible chapters or talk to God a certain number of minutes. I also start my day with gratitude. An attitude of gratitude goes a long way in creating a good day.  My focus time may last five minutes or an hour; it does not matter to me. You are about to build a day.  As such, it is a good thing to build on a strong foundation. I am often amazed that what I read from the Bible applies to something I encounter that day.

 Secondly, it is good to decide the one, two, or three things you hope to accomplish today. Actually, I think it’s good to decide on one project that will define the day as “good.”  I know some of you are saying, “Yea, right! If I could get away only getting one thing done, I’d be happy every day.” We all do many things each day, but there are nearly always one or two projects that define the day.  For instance, today, I want to write and publish this article and pressure-wash part of my patio. That is not all I have to do, but if I apply myself to those two projects, I will sleep well tonight. And, if an unforeseen circumstance forces me to abandon a project, it will be washing the patio. Your project does not need to be earth-shattering, just something you want to accomplish today. If you don’t decide what is important today, the day will determine it for you. The latter arrangement is not very satisfying.

 There will be numerous days when your best-laid plans get derailed. Don’t let it get to you and don’t carry yesterday’s train wreck into today. Today is indeed a new day. There is a famous Scripture verse that expresses this concept well.  “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 

 Do something good for someone every day without fail.  Our best days are our least selfish days.  When I sat down to write this morning, I was struggling. I felt that I didn’t have much to say about anything!  That attitude is not fertile soil for writing a blog. I wrote a couple of sentences on different subjects that led to a dead end.  Then I decided to take a break and read a couple of emails. I would return to writing later.  To my delight, several people had responded to previous blogposts with encouraging emails. One friend with whom I have not talked in a few years, took time out of her day to thank me for writing and encouraged me to keep it up.  I didn’t even know that she was reading my posts. That is all it took to get my writing juices flowing again.  There is never a day that passes in which you cannot find a way to uplift, serve, encourage, or assist someone else.

 Finally, end your day with gratitude. Thankful people are happy people. There is an old song we used to sing in church. These words ring true.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Good days begin and end with gratitude.

 With a little intentionality, you can get off the hamster wheel and experience a good day. Why not start now?