Each day always presents new opportunities and challenges. Determine your mindset and focus your expectations - Expect the best. Claiming your day really begins on the night before you go to bed. Think about the accomplishments of the day. Consider and write down what you are most grateful for. Plan your day. Know what worked for you and what did not. It is key to write things down – to measure your success and identify your challenges and opportunities. Documenting your experiences, dreams and expectations will cause you to ask yourself several questions as you plan your day.  This will help you to focus and identify: your strengths, weaknesses, fears, opportunities, threats, challenges and possibilities.

What are they?  Why are they there?  What meanings have you assigned to them? Are the meanings you have assigned real, perceived, helpful, harmful, what you want? What choices do you have to change the way you think about them?

These questions and your responses to them will help you to really surrender to your fears and conquer them bit by bit and day after day. Your responses will also help you to embrace all of your uncertainties and learn to trust your strengths to help you move forward every day.

Establish a daily ritual: morning, midday and evening. Begin the day with your best mindset and attitude to accomplish what you desire to get done for that particular day. Positive self-talk and affirmations will help you to claim your day and your life. Visualize your daily opportunities and pray without ceasing for the joys and challenges of the day - that all will go well.

Start your day being grateful and thankful. Be prayerful. Your morning ritual may look something like this:  When you open your eyes, say a prayer, stretch, be thankful for a great night’s rest, get up, meditate, exercise, drink a warm glass of water, have a healthy breakfast to fuel your day, review your gratitude notes from the night before, look at your to do list and intentionally take strategic actions throughout the day.

Learn to appreciate and celebrate the life you have been given and make the best of it. Realize that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens and inspires you to do great things and live in greater abundance. Work justly; love mercy (and to be merciful to others); and walk humbly with God throughout your day. Be ready and willing to forgive those who have harmed or attempted to harm you in any way. Hold on to your personal power. 

Every day generate a “To Do List” the night before (preferably). Think about how you desire to organize your life as well as your day and make great use of your time. Trust yourself and your ideas and the fulfillment of your dreams and goals.  Trust your decisions. Respect yourself – no matter what. Realize that God has given you ideas and dreams to pursue. Avoid becoming overwhelmed with activities. Be realistic in managing your time and set priorities for each of your action goals for the day. 

Have a response for positive people and ideas that enter your life for that day. Be an encourager! To the best of your ability, help others to achieve their goals and in turn you will realize your own goals. 

Have a response for negative people and ideas that enter your mind and life for that day. Decide which you will entertain and which you will not. If a situation or person causes you to experience negative emotions, ask yourself why? Question the meaning you have assigned to the emotion you experience and realize you have the ability to change the way you respond to what is taking place  - in your own mind by your own actions. You have free will and know how to think for yourself! Think about the impact of your response and actions to eliminate negative people and circumstances.

Decide which experiences you want to have as well as share with others.  Decide what success looks like for you? How will you measure it? How will you repeat your actions to achieve it again? How will you avoid the negative experiences that are within your power to control? Decide what happiness looks like for you.  How will you measure it? How will you repeat your actions to achieve it? How will you minimize and eliminate failures? Determine what and who is most important to you – for this day! Understand your core beliefs for the interactions you have planned for the day and for the people who will enter your life.

Journal your progress – it will tell the true story of really claiming your day. Journaling is probably one of the most important actions you can take to help you understand your progress, assess your strengths - weaknesses - opportunities - threats - challenges and possibilities. Journaling everything and be prepared to live and tell your story.

This is just a start.  You have the opportunity to finish writing your own story and claiming your day - every day. Just as you claim your day - always end it well and live life until you are fully satisfied. What will you do?