Weight Loss Plan with my Bullet Journal

Summer is quickly approaching us... Who am I kidding? In Cyprus it's already here! That means that bikini time is nigh and I'd better come up with a plan that will help me lose some extra kilos that piled up during the winter, tone up, feel confident and look healthy by the time I have to make my appearance at the beach! Oh, and I forgot to mention that I have less than 2 months to do all the above :)

No need to panic. Just take some deep breaths and open your bullet journal!

At least that's the way I've chosen to set myself a plan for success. So, this is how I used my bullet journal to create my diet and weight loss plan and to help myself focus.

First I created a page in my bullet journal with the wall of fame (or shame... it depends on how well I do with this plan...). In this chart I record my weight after I weigh myself every Monday morning. I've set myself a target weight (which I noted down in pencil) and the date by which I'd like to reach it (just before my birthday). This way helps me record my progress and see how close I'm getting to my target.

Then I created a diet plan for me to follow. Nothing  too restrictive, but still more organised and focused so that I don't get distracted. I wrote the food I can have under my 'yes' and the food I should avoid under my 'no'. I set a start date and I made sure to inform everyone about it (including you!). That way I'm more accountable and I'll make sure I'll follow the plan.

I separated my days in food categories so that I make life easier for me and I pre-cooked some meals to have ready, for those days that I just don't have time to cook. Basically I want to focus on portion control and eating right.

For anyone that is interested in my diet, I am a pescetarian - that means that I don't eat meat, I eat only fish. I'm also allergic to dairy, so that is out of my diet completely, and I also avoid eating anything containing flour (i.e. bread, pitta bread etc.). I only use chickpea flour or rice flour. So my diet is based on fruit, veg, nuts, pulses and fish.

On the second page I made a list of ideas as to what I can eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as what I can snack on during the day. I keep updating this list with more ideas as I go along. I've also decided to not weigh myself for the first 30 days. I just don't want to get disheartened in the case I don't lose as much as I want to in the first weeks.

The last thing I included in my weight loss plan was my exercise routine. Exercise is a must for me when I try to lose weight, and running is my first choice. I used to run very regularly, almost every day for 5k. However, things happened and I got distracted and lazy, so it's been some time since I've run. I am using the app '5K Runner' and I'm working towards running 5k again! I'm in my 4th week and I love it! I am exercising 3 times a week minimum. On the weeks that I decide to do more, I might do some yoga or dance around using my Nintendo Wii and the 'Just Dance' disc.

If you notice that the dates on the above pages do not match, it's because I started running and recording my weight around the same time, while my proper diet plan I've started following it only recently.

So, that's my plan and fingers crossed it'll work! I'll keep you noted ;) 

How do you get ready for the beach?

Bullet Journal: My April Set Up

April is here and that means a brand new set up for my bullet journal. Exciting stuff!!! All through the month I've been seeing what works and what doesn't and also what other changes I want to make, so today I'll share with you my new layout which is slightly different from March.

The first big difference is that I've decided to create

two separate monthly spreads

- one personal and one for my blog. I've been contemplating for some time now, as to whether I should have a different bullet journal for my blog or not. But I've decided to give it another month, and instead to try and separate the two with different spreads.

So the first one is my

personal monthly spread

. I tried to fit in as many things as possible in the two page layout. I needed the monthly view, because I like to take notes and plan ahead things, and this way I can see the whole month at once. Also, I moved the tracker on this page and I included only the personal things that I want to track this month. I realised that during March I wasn't going back to my tracker page every day, so I was forgetting to note down things. The end result is a quite empty tracker, even though I promise you I had been good most of the days. :) Lastly, I added to two sections for my goals and my to-dos for this month.

The second one is the

monthly spread for my blog

. I've changed up some things in this one. Again I like the monthly view because I can plan my blog posts, any seminars or webinars I want to attend and so on. I added two trackers on the bottom left corner, where I only track my blog posts and my instagram uploads - just to see how consistent I am this month. Next to those, I added 5 boxes separating the 5 key areas I want to focus the most this month:

my newsletter

, my blog posts, my blog/website, Pinterest and my Etsy store. I find that I focus and work better when I divide things in categories. Lastly, on the top right corner I added a column for my monthly goals for my blog.

You've noticed that I didn't add any section for Instagram in my monthly spread. That is because Instagram has two whole pages to itself this month! One page is for all the ideas I have and I want to create for IG.

And the other one is called Insta-Plan where I plan and write what I want to upload for Instagram each day of the month. That way I can plan ahead and create all the things I want. I got this idea from Sarah from

New Leaf Book Nook

and her guest post she wrote for 

Boho Berry

.

Next is my gratitude log which I love and of course I had to include in this month's set up as well. Tried to change the colours a bit and decided to write everything in blue this time.

This month I decided to focus on my handwriting and my handlettering. I've ordered some

Tombow Dual Brush Pens

and I can't wait to start playing with them. And what better way to get inspired and keep up with it other than taking part in some challenges? I've chosen 3 challenges this month:

Rock Your Hand Writing

,

Quoted April 2016

and

Expand Your Style April

.

Lastly but not least is my weekly spread for the first week of April. It is essentially the same one like last week's, I just changed a bit the labels and the separation in order to add some colour.

So there you have it! This is my set up for April and I'm super excited for this month! I'm sure it's going to be full of adventure, nice surprises and excitement! Have you made any changes in your monthly set up?

One Month Bullet Journaling: What I've Learned

If you've been following my blog for a while now, you must have noticed that I have a small addiction as far as my bullet journal is concerned! Put it plainly, I'm obsessed!!!

Before I go on, a quick reminder of what Bullet Journaling is, for anyone that doesn't know:

It's an analog system for the digital age. It helps record the past organise the present and plan for the future. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook and diary and all the above.

That's how the creator of this system, Ryder Carroll, describes it in his very informative website that you must visit to see all the information and the detailed videos that thoroughly explain his system.

For me, bullet journaling has been an amazing experience so far! I found that it made me be more organized and focused on the tasks that needed to be done. It makes me be more creative and I also find it to be very therapeutic. At the same time, it worsens my addiction for pens and stationery - if that was possible!!!

A PEAK INTO MY BULLET JOURNAL

I'll add here some pictures of a few of the pages that I've created in my bullet journal this month. I can't show everything, but I've made a selection of the ones that I haven't shown before and that I really like. :)

After the 3 index pages the first page you come up to is one of my favourites. It's my word of the year and my mission statement. I like to come back to it and remind myself what my focus should be on this year.

I also decided to add a 'Useful Numbers' page. Moving to a new country means learning everything from scratch, including all the emergency//useful numbers :) It puts my mind at ease to know that I have this page in my bullet journal, plus my kids are old enough now to know what to do in case of an emergency.

A key page is one of the basic pages that you're supposed to add in your bullet journal. It basically shows the symbols and the colours you use in your bullet journal to indicate different things. While I've been using it I realised that some things were not working for me. For example, now for the tasks I prefer to use a dot instead of the box, because I found that all those little boxes made my pages look too crowded. I've also changed some of the colours because they didn't work for what I wanted (especially the turquoise I used for 'work' was bleeding through the pages so it had to be changed ASAP!).

One of my most favourite pages in my bullet journal is my gratitude log. When I started writing it, I wasn't sure what to add to it every day. But pretty quickly I tuned into it and now I can't wait every night to think through of my day and add the two things that I'm most grateful of.

For my first month I also decided to create a doodle a day page, where I would draw something that reminds me of that day. It's been really fun and I love how colourful it looks. 

I have been uploading lots of pictures with the progress of my bullet journal as I'm filling it in, so don't forget to check out my Instagram and Facebook accounts. You can also join my Newsletter!

THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED

Even though I've been bullet journaling for only a month, some things became apparent to me straight away. 

• Just Start

My bullet journal arrived a bit late in the post and the month had already started. So I was contemplating in the beginning whether to wait for the next month so that I start on the 1st, or not. I'm very happy that I started when I did and my advice to you is to just start! Don't wait. I promise you, you'll love it!

• Keep it Simple

When you first start bullet journaling, you might find yourself in the beginning being bombarded with various styles and ways of doing things. That can make you feel a bit overwhelmed and you might don't know where to start. Just keep things simple and start slowly. You don't have to add everything in your bullet journal straight away. There is no right order. What I did, was that I made a list of the things that I'd like to include in my bullet journal, and I've been adding them as I go along. The basic thing for me was to have a yearly, monthly, weekly and daily spread, so that I don't miss appointments and keep up with my everyday life. The rest can be added slowly. 

• Trial and error

You just have to try and adjust the different methods available to suit your needs. That way you'll figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It's a simple case of trial and error. That's what has happened to me, especially with my weekly spreads. And if nothing works for you the way you want it, then create your own!

• Get Inspired

There is so much inspiration and creativity on line, it's unbelievable! You only have to do a search and you'll be amazed. By far, Instagram and Pinterest are the best places for BJ inspiration! The following IG accounts are some of my favourite: @boho.berry , @passion.themed.life, @maryj13, @tinyrayofsunshine, @therevisionguide, @write_it_on_the_wall, @wundertastischdesign ... and the list goes on!

• Community

There is an amazing bullet journal community out there, ready to welcome you and help you along the way! If you're interested in bullet journaling then you should totally check out the Bullet Journal Junkies group on Facebook. 

• It doesn't have to be perfect

Whether your lines are not straight or you've made a mistake while writing down your daily spread, just don't worry about it! It happens.

You either use Pentel Presto and erase it or just ignore it like I did!

• Have Fun! :)

Enjoy your time while bullet journaling! 

This pretty much sums up my first month with my bullet journal. Can't wait to start setting up for April. ;)

Calendex - How to future plan with your Bullet Journal

When I was first introduced to bullet journaling, one of the things that concerned me the most was future planning. On a system that you create your days as you go along, I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't miss any future events or appointments. While searching online, I came across 4 different ways to future plan with your bullet journal:

• Ryder Carroll's Future Log
• The Monthly Log 
• Alastair's Method
• The Sticky Note Method

I started using the Ryder Carroll's future log. However, I decided to note down only birthdays, holidays and no school days. I found that if I included all the events and appointments as well, it would get very crowded and I didn't want that. The other methods mentioned above were not very appealing to me, so I didn't even consider those. 

In the beginning I thought that I didn't even need any forward planning apart from the future log mentioned above, my monthly spread and my weekly spreads. And that was ok for the first month. However, I needed to note down some future events and a summer wedding that we've been invited to and then the need for a more forward than a month future planning was created. 

I had seen the Calendex method mentioned online before, but when I saw Boho Berry's video I knew I had to try this one.

Before I show you how I use it in my bullet journal, I just want to explain a bit what a Calendex is and how it works. The Calendex method was created by Eddy Hope. Essentially a Calendex is a hybrid of a calendar and an index - that's how it gets it's name :) So you have a calendar of events and an index of page numbers with those events. You can use this method to schedule tasks and events that are planned months in advance.

To set up your Calendex you'll need to use a double page spread. On each page you easily fit 6 months, by creating 6 columns and on the left hand side you write the numbers 1-31 creating 31 rows that are representing the days of the month. You can also break down the months by weeks with separation lines in each column. That makes it easier to plan. Also some columns have lined boxes at the bottom, because not all of the months have 31 days.

The way it works is pretty simple actually. 

I've created a colour coding system at the bottom of the page that works for me, in order to separate the different events/tasks.

So, for example if I happen to have a future event, like the one I had for the Fairy Folk Fest, I will note it down on my daily spread and I will have a coloured box according to the type of event next to it. In this case it's light green because it was a kids' event.

Then I will note down a light green box on the day of the event and on it I'll write the number of the page my daily spread was that I wrote all the information at (in this case, it was page 22).   

Because I didn't want to make my future log with all the birthdays and stuff redundant, I just put a coloured dot and then I know that I have to look on that page. And that's it! 

It's pretty simple, even though it might look complicated at first, and it works perfectly fine for me. This method gives you 4-5 slots for events/tasks per day. If you happen to have more than that, then you'll just have to spread the months in more than two pages and then have more slots allocated for each month.

Which method are you using for your future planning with your bullet journal? Have you given Calendex a try?

Focus and Time Management - Tips for getting more things done

I'm the sort of person that gets distracted very easily - like a dog that is chasing a ball you've thrown at but suddenly sees  a squirrel and decides to run after him instead! That's what's happening to me too. I chase one thought trying to focus and finish a specific task and then suddenly something else will come up and BOOM, I direct all my focus there, living the first task unfinished. In the end, I feel like a headless chicken running around aimlessly and not accomplishing anything during the day.

(Well, there seems to be a lot of animals in the above paragraph - dogs, squirrels and chickens - but I hope you get the picture!)

After a while I realised that I had a time management and focus issue that I had to deal with pronto! So, through the years, I started using little techniques here and there that have made a BIG difference to me and my life, as far as focusing and managing my time is concerned.

1. Meditation

Trying to manage the thoughts in my head seemed like a very daunting task! But I knew it was very important, so I decided to give meditation a try. When you start meditating for the first time, it can be very frustrating. You might think that it is not working because you're trying to focus on your breathing, and all these thoughts keep on popping up. But you have to keep doing it and in the end you will succeed! Trust me. Just don't give up.

The basic thing to understand is, that training the mind is not about eliminating the thoughts in your head, it's about sitting back and observing them from a different perspective and finding a place of calm. I'm using Headspace for my meditation daily in my morning routine for 10 minutes, and it makes such a difference to the start of my day.

2. Making Lists

I am naturally a list maker, so that is easy for me. I make lists for everything! From shopping lists, to packing lists for our weekend trip, to resolution lists - you name it. I find that it puts my thoughts in order, makes me be more organised and then I have less things to think and worry about!

3. Brain Dump Note Book

I used to have little bits of paper floating around on my desk, in my bag or in between books, with all my lists and things I wanted to remember. In the end, I tended to misplace them or lose them - which doesn't help much! So, now I always have a note book dedicated to write every little thing I want to remember. It could be anything, from the things that need to be done in the house, an interesting website, a quote etc. I just put a title on it and the date and then I'm done. Any time I need something, I know I will find it in there.

4. Bullet Journaling 

Bullet Journaling is something that I've only recently started, but it has already made a HUGE difference in my life and productivity! It helps me be on top of things and be even more organised.

Bullet Journaling is a simple customisable organisation system on a notebook. You basically create your own planning layout and inserts according to your needs. All you need is a bit of creativity and a notebook. You can find more information about it in the official website.

Apart from having my monthly, weekly and daily spreads that keep me focused, I also create lists that help me with the day to day tasks - like my housework list or my meal planning list as you can see above - among other things. Making things simpler and more systematic can help you worry about less things and have more time to focus on more important tasks.

5. Time Management Bar

One more thing that I've found through bullet journaling that has helped immensely! I draw two horizontal lines above my day header and in between I write down all the hours, starting with 1am and finishing with 12am. This is a line that I use in my Bullet Journal every day, where I track what I do all through that day.

I can plan my day from the night before and set a specific time frame for each task that I distinguish through colour. I've created a colour coding system that works for me, and so now I know just by looking at it where I've allocated my time during the day.

There are 2 more ways of tracking your time, that I know of: the chronodex and the spiraldex.

6. Daily Routine Time Line

This works on roughly the same principle like the time management bar above. It basically gives me a rough outline of a normal day.

That motivates me and keeps me on track, by setting a specific time frame for each task or group of tasks. For example, I know that I can exercise either in the morning between 7:45 and 8:30 or in the afternoon between 8-9:30. Or, I know that the best time for blogging is in the morning from 8:30 until 11:30, when there's peace and quiet and I can really focus on what I have to do.

That doesn't mean that I can't change things around or that I have to constantly follow this schedule. It's just an outline to help me focus my time on. See it like when you go to school and you know the schedule for each class - ie. chemisty at 10, maths at 11:30 and so on.

Again I am using the same colour coding system like in my time management bar to make things easy.

7. Set an Alarm for each Task

For me time flies by! Literally! I start doing something and then it's 3 hours later but it feels like I've only just started. Therefore I need to keep track of the time for each task. The easiest way is to set an alarm for the time you want to have this task finished. This works wonders for me - making me be more focused and work faster.

8. Take Breaks

Taking 5 minute breaks helps you reset your mind frame and refocus.

9. Block all Distractions

This is a very important step. For me usually the distractions can be my phone and social media. Find out what you consider to be a distraction for you and make sure you keep away for as long as you need to finish your tasks. You can have your distractions afterwards as a reward ;)

There's no better feeling than having ticked all your to-do's by the end of the day, and all the above certainly keep me on track. If you have any other focus or time management techniques up your sleeve, please share them with me in the comments below. Every little helps :)

Have a nice day,

My favourite bullet journal supplies

I've been getting a ton of questions lately about what supplies I am using for my bullet journaling. Especially after I posted these pictures on Instagram ( here and here ), everyone was asking what I used to create that shading. So, instead of answering each one individually, I decided to create a post where I talk about all my favourite supplies that I use at the moment.

So, relax, grab a cup of coffee and let's dive together to my happy place - the stationery world!

Leuchtturm1917

First stop is of course my Leuchtturm1917. Oh, I love this notebook so much! I haven't used any other (like the Moleskine or the original Bullet Journal) in order to be able to compare them, but I'm really pleased with my purchase and I love the colour <3. I am using the light blue A5 dotted one. I've already written a whole blog post about it and all it's characteristics with lots of pictures, if you want to check it out more here.

You can buy it here: Amazon

Pelikan Soft Coloured Pencils

Next are the soft coloured pencils that I'm using to do all the shading in my bullet journal. They are made by Pelikan and they come in a tin case with 24 bright and vivid colours that draw like a dream. If you're looking for colour pencils to create shading like me, make sure you choose soft pencils, so that you have a smooth application and less lines.

You can buy them on Amazon or get similar ones here.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliners

These I feel have become a must in the bullet journal community, especially after Kara (from Boho Berry) has talked about them. And I have to agree - they are very, very good. With a fine tip of 0.3 and very little ghosting they are perfect for adding colour to your bullet journal on an everyday basis.

You can buy them here: Amazon

Stabilo 68 Pens

These are amazing! The colours are vivid and bright and you get very good pigmentation. They are water-based with an 1mm sturdy tip and they come in 46 colours. I have quite a few of them and I really really like them. And the best part of all is that you get only a bit of ghosting at the back of the page! I also sometimes use them before I start the shading, if I want a more intense colour in certain areas. They have a neon line that I really like as well. I also use their 2in1 pens which are equally good and you get two pens for the price of one! Especially the black one, I use it all the time.

You can buy them here: Amazon

Staedtler Pigment Liners

These ones I use them e v e r y d a y! I love them! They are a bit off black - so don't expect the darkest of blacks with these babies, but I like it. They come in various tip sizes, and I have the 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 ones. By far my most used one is the 0.3. It's perfect for writing and drawing the lines around your sketches etc. The 0.1 is great if you want to draw something with great details. And the 0.5 and 0.7 are great for thick lines and titles. For thick lines I also use the Faber-Castell Broadpen 1554 one, which has an amazing shade of black with purple undertones.

You can buy them here: Amazon

Pens

As far as my favourite pens to write are concerned, I tend to change and use different ones all the time. I'm one of those people you see in the bookstores that tests all the pens and usually I buy 10 pens on my way out, even though I went in there to only buy a book for example!

My favourite pens right now are:

• Uniball Signo bit 0.7

This is my favourite one by far! Really nice dark black and very precise needle tip, that even though is 0.7mm writes pretty thin. Zero bleeding and only a bit of ghosting. It comes in an amazing light blue and one of the best greens I've ever used as well!

You can buy them here: Amazon

• Pilot G-Tec-C4

If you want great detail in your writing then look no further. These pens have a very smooth fine point with no smears and almost no ghosting. Just perfect! Only a few times I noticed that when you start to write, the ink might not flow as well and you might need to write on a piece of paper to get it started. But apart from that they're excellent. I have the blue colour as well that I like.

You can buy them here: Amazon

• Uniball Vision Needle 0.7

This one I like because of the tip but also because of the very different shade of black you get. It's a combination of black and grey ombre. That's the only way I can describe it. :)

You can buy it here: Amazon

Pencils

This list would not be complete if I didn't include my favourite pencils that I use everyday. I always use a pencil first in my drawings and sometimes I prefer to write in pencil too. I find that my handwriting looks better in pencil sometimes.

• I usually tend to draw with an HB pencil, for softer lines. The Faber-Castell ones are great and I really like the grip they have.

• When I write or I want more dark lines I use a 2B pencil. Again, I choose the Faber-Castell ones because I really like them.

• And last but definitely not least is my Uni Shalaku mechanical pencil that I absolutely love! It has the perfect grip and it's just so comfortable when I write. I have a lot of different mechanical pencils but I ALWAYS tend to reach for this one. I use it with the Faber-Castell Super-Polymer leads 0.7HB

Of course, as a proper stationery addict my wishlist is quite big, and since I've started my bullet journal it gets bigger and bigger! My next purchases will definitely be the Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, the Faber-Castell PITT artist pens, and the Sakura Pigma Micron Pens.

I would LOVE to know your favourite supplies and stationery that you use for your bullet journal. So, make sure you let me know in the comments bellow ;)

Have a nice day

Weekly Spread Ideas for Bullet Journals

Being a bullet journal newbie, you find yourself in the beginning being bombarded with various styles and ways of doing things. You get inspired by your favourite Instagram accounts, or from posts you find on facebook groups (like this one) etc. But in the end, I guess you just have to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It's a simple case of trial and error. That's what has happened to me, especially with my weekly spreads.

Weekly spreads are an important part of my monthly planning. Especially with the kids and all the activities and the events they go to, I knew from the beginning that I had to find a weekly spread to accommodate everything - Personal, Kids/Family, Blogging, Events/Appointments and so on.

So, the quest for the perfect weekly spread begun!

My first spread looked like this:

I took inspiration from the latest video I watched on Boho Berry's YouTube channel, where she was talking about the weekly spreads she has been using. After I made some adjustments to fit my needs, I created what you can see in the picture above. I've created a FREE Printable of the above spread for you, both in coloured and black and white version.

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I guess it was ok for a first attempt and I liked that I could see everything that was going on during each day at a glance. However, while I was using it during that week, I noticed some things that were not working as well as I thought.

For example, the first column titled 'Appointments/Events' ended up being the dumping ground! I was using it for everything that didn't match any of the other categories.  I thought that using boxes in front of each task/event made everything look crowded and cluttered. I also found that the space allocated for each day was too small and therefore in some instances I could not fit all the tasks that I had. Lastly, I thought that I was not using effectively all the space available on the two pages (like the space next to the month-title).

So, on week no.2 I changed things around a bit:

I moved everything up, using as much of the space as possible. And I also made the boxes bigger, so that I had more room to write all the daily tasks/events. I changed the title on the first column to 'Appointments/Misc' so that I have an excuse now to dump everything there :) and I started using dots instead of boxes in front of every task. I also used dashed lines to separate each day in order to make everything to look a bit lighter.

I have to admit that it looked much better and also it was more functional than the previous spread. However, again I found some things that bothered me and that I wanted to change - again!

Me being the only vegan in the family, means that I have a different menu from the rest! So I wanted space to note down what I am cooking each day for me and for the family. In the 'Goals/To-do' column, I was writing everything - personal and work related - and that felt a bit confusing at times. Also, I still wanted to have daily spreads as well, and having everything on my weekly spread somehow made the daily ones redundant...

So, I changed it again!

First of all, I made a master weekly housework to-do list, that basically has all the things that I usually do on each day every week. That way I don't have to write everything down again and again.

I created two columns on the first page for my 'Appointments/Misc' and my 'Blog' that are separated with the dates. That way I have lots of room and it makes everything look neater.

On the other page, I separated the 'Meals' category into two columns (one for my meals and one for my family's) and I also did the same for the 'Goals' one (one for personal and one for my blog).

Lastly, I created a 'Notes' category at the bottom of the page where I write tasks and appointments that I'm going to transfer to next week's spread.

I think this looks cleaner and less cluttered, and hopefully it's going to work even better than the previous ones! ;)

I would love to see your weekly spreads to get more inspiration! Please make sure you leave a link in the comments below. Which aspect of your bullet journal did it take you quite a while to make it work for you?

>> If you want to see my favourite Resources that I use every day with my Bullet Journal, click here to find out what I love to use. For more inspirations for your bullet journal, you can follow my Pinterest or my Instagram account.

Have an amazing day!

Morning Dance - Start your day by choosing to be Happy

Today I come to you with some amazing dance moves and a lot of swing! For the past 6 months I've implemented something into my morning routine that has affected my day in a very positive way and I'd like to share it with you.

And that is dancing!

Right after I wake up in the morning, I put on my headphones (I don't think my family would appreciate a full blast of Bruno Mars at 6 o'clock in the morning!) and I turn my bathroom into the dance floor. For approximately 5 mins I dance like no one's watching and I create my own choreography right in front of my bathroom mirror.

'By consciously starting your day focused on gratitude and joy, you'll find that your whole life will begin to sparkle.' (Pam Grout - 'E-Cubed')

I know what you're thinking: at 6 in the morning I can't keep my eyes open, let alone start dancing like crazy in the bathroom. That's how I was feeling when I first read about it in Pam Grout's book 'E-Cubed'. But I promise you, if you try it for 2-3 days, you'll be hooked!

That's because those 5 minutes will affect the rest of your day in such a powerful and positive way, that you'll look forward to your next morning dance.

'Using the first five minutes of your day to feel good is like programming a destination into your GPS, like fixing your eye on the spot where you want your golf ball to land.' (Pam Grout, 'E-Cubed')

The theory behind this according to Mrs. Grout's book is that the more fun you have, the better life works.

So, my morning routine right now looks something like this:

I wake up around 6am
Meditate for 10 mins.
Stretch and give thanks to the Universe for another beautiful day.

'When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.' (Tecumseh, Native American Leader)

Then I throw a feelgood party in my bathroom listening to one of the tunes from my morning dance playlist I've created on YouTube. (I've made it public for you, if you want to check it out here.)

I can't begin to tell you the difference I've noticed in my mood and the positive things that happen to me during the day, since I've started dancing in the morning. It's crazy - I know, but it definitely works! If you have not yet tried the morning dance experiment, I dare you to give it a go. If you do, please let me know what you think in the comments below. You can also share other things you've implemented in your morning routine that work. 

Have an amazing day!