We define “winning the day” simply: it means feeling good about your day at the end of it. The mere perspective of whether we’re moving towards our goals or not affects our stress levels and overall sense of wellbeing. This, in turn, affects our motivation and behaviors—if we feel we’re doing well, we’re invigorated to go further. If we feel we’re failing, discouragement and negative self-talk creep in and keep us from moving forward.

It can be a vicious cycle or a vivacious cycle. Here are some surefire ways to make it the latter. PRE-PAVE THE PATH TO SUCCESS

Consider the phrase “mind over matter.” You’ve probably heard it as justification to push through when things are uncomfortable. We prefer to think of it as using the mind to perceive matter in a way that will have the greatest benefit to your goals. This requires cultivating a space—not just a physical space but also a “space” for the day. Get out ahead of your day and anything that may come up by taking a few minutes to pre-pave the path to success.

Here are five practices that will help you to do just that. If you’re someone who often feels overwhelmed, pick the one that sounds the most appealing and do it every day for a week to begin.

1. Affirmations and Motivating Material

Do you ever wake up and immediately start thinking about what went wrong the day before, how much you have to do, or other thoughts that get you feeling down? These thoughts set the tone for your day, making you more likely to repeat these thoughts and act from the fear, worry, or insecurity they bring. That’s why our #1 tip is to take control of your mental space first thing in the morning. If you like to journal, you can write one page of positive affirmations, or if you have a podcast or video about meditation you like, watch or listen to that instead.

Hot Affirmations Tip: If affirmations feel airy and useless to you, maybe you’re jumping too far ahead. Make sure you write an affirmation that is related to your desire but already feels true. For example, if you’re looking to feel better in your body somehow, writing “I am 50 lbs lighter and workout five times a week and never eat sugar” is more likely to remind you of the perceived gap between your goal and desire. An alternative is “My body has felt good and healthy before, and I know it can again.” The affirmation should feel good when you read it back.

2. Make Your Bed

We know you’ve heard this one before. Chances are, half of you already do it. If you don’t, we’d love for you to give it a try (and let us know how it goes!) We recommend making your bed for multiple reasons. For one, you can use it as a meditative task to help with tip #1. Think about your bed as you make it—how comfortable it is, how much you love sleeping, how much you appreciate those Tencel sheets you just bought—whatever you like. Secondly, it signals that the day has begun, and the visual of a bed made is a small success right off the bat. A bed made signifies order, ease, structure, and productivity. Think about how you feel when the kitchen is clean, or all the laundry is done—but this one only takes 60 seconds.

3. Make A “Will/Maybe/For Me” List

Whether you have many appointments or not, scheduling your day can bring ease by taking away the fear of forgetting something you need to do. If you’re someone who loves to plan and list, you can try apps like To Do, Evernote, or Asana, or journals like Panda Planner or High Performance Journal. If that doesn’t appeal, make a simple list on paper with three categories: “will,” “maybe,” and “for me.” Under “will,” write down the things you actually MUST do that day. Under “maybe,” write things you feel like you should get done but aren’t necessary. Under “for me,” write down at least one thing that makes you feel good to do, whether that’s walking your dog, going out for a coffee, or doing 10 minutes of yoga.

4. Make A Water Bottle Your New BFF

This one is a little more straightforward. Hydration is a foundation of health that’s often underestimated. Did you know a lack of hydration affects everything from your flexibility to your digestion? One study on hydration notes that even mild levels of dehydration can produce disruptions in mood and cognitive functioning. What’s more, most people have no idea how much water they’re drinking (and it’s usually far from enough).

The easiest way to solve this for good is to get a water bottle you like to look at (it helps, trust us) and figure out how many per day you need to drink. The adage is eight glasses a day, but plenty of research suggests that’s more of a minimum. The National Academy of Medicine recommends 91 to 124 ounces of total water intake! Plus, if you’re active, stressed, sick, or it’s hot, you need more water than normal. We like to aim for 100 ounces a day from non-caffeinated, sugarless beverages.