Last summer while housebound after ankle surgery, I started journaling each morning. At first they were rambling entries until I focused on intention, priories and gratitude.

Intention was my word of the year in 2019. Each morning I choose an intention for the day: rest, lead by example, set the pace, etc. Even if I don’t use the intention as a mantra throughout the day, it does inform my actions.

Priorities. I write three priorities each morning. Most days my priorities are an extension of my intention (that rhymes) and also encompass my to-do list. A priority might be to tidy up and the to-do list will include cleaning tasks. No more than three priorities otherwise your risk diluting your intention.

Gratitude. I won’t spend a whole lot of time selling you on implementing a gratitude practice. Each morning I write five to ten things I’m grateful for. These are often memories from the day before and have been fun to look back on. Again this helps me focus my day to acknowledge small moments of joy.