6 Daily Reminders to Start Your Day Off Strong

Starting the day off strong is hugely important for our personal morale and motivation. 

 

Morning rituals have been viewed as the ‘secret sauce’ of top entrepreneurs and successful individuals worldwide. If you have a work from home routine or are heading out, these daily motivational reminders will empower you and your day. 

 

They help bring the day into focus, revitalise us, rejuvenate our being and spur us onto the next good thing, which is only ever right around the corner! 

 

Starting your day off strong with some powerful reminders is an excellent way to keep your head up, moving forward with your eyes on the prize. 

 

Whether you want to turbocharge your working day, throw yourself into an epic workout or tackle some hobbies, projects or loose ends, here are some empowering quotes to brighten your morning. 

 

“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

 

Jon Kabat-Zinn is considered the father of Western modern mindfulness. His work is packed full of jewels of wisdom that draw upon the practices of mindfulness and meditation. 

 

Waves are an awesome way to describe the trials and tribulations of life. The phrase “riding the wave” is a meaningful reflection on how we must learn to deal with waves of challenging emotions like stress and anxiety, but also how we can learn to ride them out, letting them pass as we progress onto calmer waters. 

 

Many psychologists and mindfulness experts believe that these waves can be harnessed, that stress, anxious or otherwise negative energy can be ‘converted’ into excitement, focus and motivation. 

 

This might sound too spiritual for some, but it’s actually called ‘anxious reappraisal’ and has been extensively researched for performance anxiety. 

 

With practice, you can turn your anxiety into excitement. There are some excellent posts on this by Harvard and The Atlantic. 

 

When you start your day, don’t dread the waves that face you. Learn to embrace them - learn to surf!

 

“Every day is a gift. That's why we call it the present!” - Unknown

 

 

Everyone has heard this one. Some claim it’s a Chinese or Asian proverb, and that seems fitting.

 

There is a similar quote by the American cartoonist Bill Keane; “yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.” The true origin? We may never know!

 

There are numerous quotes that evoke similar meaning to this, such as; “The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle” by American psychologist and Buddhist teacher Tara Brach.

 

These quotes remind us that we are lucky to be here. We’re lucky to be reading this right now, hopefully in the comfort of our own home or another safe place.

 

Without being too existential, it’s powerful to remind oneself that life is miraculous, and regardless of whether or not you hold spiritual or religious beliefs, life is both fragile and beautiful. It’s something we should treasure.

 

This quote is a superb reminder that each and every day is something to be thankful for. When you become grateful for each and every day, you become empowered to use them to their fullest!

 

“If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.” - Marcus Aurelius

 

 

 

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. For those that don’t know or haven’t heard of Stoic philosophy, it focuses on controlling negative and destructive emotions and becoming unbiased and clear in our actions and thoughts. 

 

This quote (and other Stoic quotes) are superb for mindfulness as they’re very clear and to the point. You can’t confuse their meaning. This quote clearly instructs us to do only what we believe is right and say only what we believe is true. 

 

Whilst this might not seem motivating per se, it’s a powerful motto that can guide us towards better outcomes in friendships and relationships, in business and throughout our day-to-day lives. 

 

Another superb morning motivational quote from (allegedly) Marcus Aurelius is; “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” - Marcus Aurelius.

 

“Today is a new day!” - Unknown 

 

Back to basics here, but this fantastic quote is bang on the money. 

 

It’s so important to remind ourselves that today is a new day - brand new - and it comes with many new opportunities. 

 

Each and every day can be harnessed for a new task, a new motive, or a new perspective. We don’t need to keep ourselves locked into the same old routines if we want to mix them up. 

 

Whether it’s taking on a new hobby, booking a holiday or trip, taking interest in a new sport or adding something to your bucket list, today is the day. There’s no better day than today!

“Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyways.” - Glennon Doyle Melton

 

 

 

Author and activist Glennon Doyle Melton wrote the New York Times Bestsellers Untamed and Love Warrior. 

 

This quote is a superb reflection on what it takes to “just do it”. Sometimes we just don’t feel up to the task at hand. Not doing it is fine, but just doing it is also fine. It often pays to tell yourself “I’m just gonna do it anyway” and go and do whatever you need to do.

 

This is similar to the ‘Monday Mantra’ “Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” (Elizabeth Gilbert Monday Mantra 104). It reminds us that we shouldn’t let our imperfections get in the way of living our life. 

 

Live your life the way that you want to, not the way that you feel you should. Everyone messes up and makes mistakes, we can all get up on the wrong side of the bed and not want to face the world. But trying really matters, and overcoming these feelings drives us forward to better days. 

 

They will come!

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” - Karen Lamb

 

Illustrator Karen Lamb came out with this superb morning motivational quote. 

 

It’s simple but powerful. It just means that there’s never a better day to start than today. In a year, you may look back and think “I am so glad I started that a year ago, look how far I’ve come!”

 

One thing is for sure, if you never start then you’ll never finish. Whatever project, hobby, job or task you want to start, start today. A year on from now, you’ll thank yourself that you started today!

 

There is another similar quote along these lines by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. It says “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” - Lao Tzu. Every adventure requires just one step to get started. 

 

Summary

 

And there we have it...6 awesome reminders for morning motivation. From a bit of Roman stoicism to modern-day authors, wisdom is all around us. It only takes small changes to your morning ritual to totally transform your day. 

 

Keep your head up and your eyes on the prize...whatever you want to achieve is possible!

FAQ

 

How can I start my day off strong?

 

A daily reminder is a solid place to start! Remind yourself that each day is a gift, but also it's a new day that you can embrace and use as you like. Build a solid morning ritual by integrating healthy habits into your morning routine. For example, if you do a small workout immediately after drinking your coffee then you'll find it hard to drink that coffee without also working out. This is called 'piggybacking habits' and really works!

 

What is the best motivational quote?

There are so many to choose from! We've selected 6 of the best motivational quotes for getting your days off to a flying start. 

 

How can I motivate myself in the morning?

 

Build a morning routine that gets the ball rolling. 'Piggyback' a good habit onto an existing morning habit. For example, after your morning coffee, do a quick 10-minute workout. This will 'glue' the two habits together. If you do one, you'll do the other!