Welcome every morning with a smile… Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.

- Og Mandino

Starting the day right can give good momentum for the rest of the day. Having a power morning is a key ingredient for a fruitful day. Here are some tips on getting the most out of the morning.

Wake up early. In theory, there’s no difference in waking up early or late as long as you get the proper amount of sleep. However, there is a psychological advantage when you wake up earlier than the average person. You got a head start and you’ll have more time to do preparation before engaging in the real world.

Make it a routine. It can be tough to be an early riser, especially if it’s before sunrise. Having a regular time for waking up helps the body be more alert in the mornings.

Exercise. Good health is always a benefit with exercise, but studies have also shown that morning exercise helps you to sleep better at nights.

Meditate. Just like rebooting your computer is a good way to make it function cleanly and smoothly, meditating in the morning is like rebooting your mind for the day.

Eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, we should choose 3 from the following 4: fruits and veggies, grains, dairy, and protein. Did you know that you can actually gain weight when you skip breakfast?

Take a shower. When you shower, do you do it in the morning or at night? I used to shower in the evenings, but I found that morning showers helped me to be more alert.

Read the news. Or blogs. Or whatever your source is on what’s the latest happenings in the world.

Prioritize your To-Do list. Leo from Zen Habits coined the acronym MIT to mean “most important tasks.” Our to-do list might be never ending, but put on top of the list a couple of mission critical tasks that will define the day to be a successful one.

Check your emails. Only once. Getting a lot of emails can be very distractive and overwhelming. You actually are more productive when you check them only a few times at fixed times of the day. I only do them 2-3 times a day - once in the morning, once at lunch, and one more as it gets toward the end of the day.

Go to bed early the night before. The right amount of sleep for you can range between 5 to 10 hours. Whatever is best for you, make sure you go to bed the night before to get the amount you need.

Not everything on this list is needed, such as reading the news or showering in mornings rather than at nights. Is there anything on the list that you think is most important? Is there anything that should be added to the list?