Happy Monday!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what gets me feeling my best and what steps I’m taking throughout my day to elicit the best results. For me, that means feeling my v best. When I feel my best I feel energized, confident, ready to take on the day. Not to mention, I’ve noticed I have a way better chance of making some serious progress towards my personal goals (however big or small) when I’m feeling good.

On the other end of the spectrum, I also fall into days where I’m not as motivated, feel sluggish, let my workout slide — which lends itself to other unproductive behaviours. Have you ever kept note for yourself? I’m no expert or psychologist but extremely interested in learning what habits I can create to lead a more productive and positive life.

Scroll down to read my non-negotiables:

– SHOP THE POST –

Non-negotiable: not open to discussion or modification.

The list below includes five actions that I’ve made absolutely non-negotiable. I know by noting my own past behaviours and patterns that when I’m doing these five things my day is going to go a whole lot smoother! Seems insignificant if you chock it down to one day, but added up makes a huge difference in your week. I can confidently say these are things that make a noticeable difference in my days and added up, they shift my whole outlook and mood all week. When I don’t do these things, my day starts to slide so to keep everything moving and on track as much as possible I’ve made these my non-negotables:

+ Make the bed: mom was right. Making your bed in the morning sets your day off in the right direction and gives a sense of accomplishment, having your bedroom neat, tidy and ready for the day.

+ Green smoothie + hydrate: I’ve talked at length about the affects that clean eating (esp my glowing green smoothie) have had on me. You can read my thoughts in more detail here, but coles notes version is when I’m eating clean and loading up on what’s fueling and good for my body my mind is clearer, I’m more sharp and have more energy to get through the day. It makes me want to continue to make better decisions consistently because I’ve already started the work!

I believe in healthy moderation and treating yourself — I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and am constantly indulging on the weekends or when it’s necessary. ZERO guilt because I know I’ve gotten my greens in.

+ 15 mins reading to start the day: sounds cheesy but this works for me. I love to read a lot of self-help / motivation / business start-up types books. I love constantly learning new things and pushing my mind to new perspectives and ways of thinking outside my norm. I’ve made it a routine to take my coffee and my book out on our deck and read, it always sparks my motivation and gets me excited to tackle my day.

+ Workout / move: being active sets the tone to every positive action for the rest of my day. This I know forsure. When I’m active I naturally gravitate to better hydration, cleaner eating, more restful sleeps. Knowing this sets everything in motion, I have made it part of my every weekday to do some form of exercise. I love boxing and kickboxing but also love biking riding, running, tennis, swimming or just taking my dog for a walk to the village. For me, it’s like hitting the reset button.

+ 8 hours of sleep: I am cranky if I don’t get enough sleep and need a minimum of 7 hours to feel human the following day. However, being the sole editor/writer/blogger/insert every title here, there are many nights I’m required to work from my laptop to catch up or prep for the next day. That’s just part of the gig, which is why productivity throughout the day is so important.

As you can probably tell, I’ve learned that everything is connected. It’s a cycle and done correctly, consistently, can yield amazing results. It’s a gift and a privilege to be healthy so I plan on doing everything in my power to take care of myself and continue to push myself to be the best version of me.

Do you have your own ‘non-negotiables’? If so, what are they?!

Images by: Melissa Skoda