12 Things You Can Do In The Next Hour To Turn An 'Okay' Day Into An Outstanding Day

Maybe your day started poorly.

It happens to me often.

Some mornings, my kids are more rebellious. Other days, I spill the majority of my office on my pants as I walk out the door. Other days, I'm just not feeling it.

Regardless of how crappy the day starts, you can still close the day strong.

Don't fall for the idea that your day has to start great in order for it to end great.

Here are a few ideas that only take an hour that could turn the day around for you.

1) Go to the gym and lift heavy things.

Get sweaty.

Release the toxins that have built up.

On the days I miss my morning run, I always find time on my lunch break to lift some weights in my garage.

I'm not trying to be fit. I'm just trying to stay in motion.

2) Read your Bible in a new translation.

Reading the Bible can be a monotonous task.

While monotony has value, sometimes we need to spice things up.

You can find spicy new translations like:

• Street Talk Bible: First off, nothing. No light, no time, no substance, no matter. Second off, God starts it all up and WHAP! Stuff everywhere! The cosmos in chaos: no shape, no form, no function—just darkness … total. And floating above it all, God’s Holy Spirit, ready to play. (Genesis 1.1-2)
• Cockney Bible: One day, God took a bit of a dirt from the ground, and ‘e made the shape of some geezer out of it. He then breathed into the fisherman’s hose of his geezer, and would you Adam-and-Eve it, the dirt geezer started to live; God had obviously breathed fork into ‘im! (Genesis 2.7)
• LolCat Bible: In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh Skiez an da Erfs n stuffs). (Genesis 1:1)

3) Learn a tiny thing in depth.

What is something you always wanted to know more about, but never had time to look into it?

Dial in and do a small deep dive.

It could be anything: origins of origami, Aristotle, fashions through the years, how to poach an egg.

There is a lot you can learn with an hour of focused time. The most important investment you can make for yourself is knowledge.

4) Message ten or twenty people.

This could be potential new clients or networking contacts to grow your business.

But it could also be a message of encouragement. I try to send one random encouraging message a day.

Today, I'm sending out ten.

5) Focus only on the three most important tasks for today.

I make long to-do lists.

It makes me feel important, accomplished, and useful.

The bad part is that I don't check everything off the list because it's extraordinarily long.

Pick three–the three tasks that, if completed, will make it feel like a productive day.

6) Clean off your office desk.

So many things are outside your control, and clutter can feel chaotic and stressful.

Cleaning your desk is

a) in your control

and b) an immediate stress relief.

7) Listen to good music.

There is a lot of garbage music out there.

Filthy messages. Filthy language. Filthy people. (wow, I sound like an old man).

Numerous scientific and psychological studies have shown that music can lift our moods, combat depression, improve blood flow in ways similar to statins, lower levels of stress-related hormones such as cortisol, and ease pain.

Here is my favorite work listen.

8) Go for a walk (even in the rain).

Walking is the easiest first step to a healthier lifestyle. It has physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

Here is your surefire way to start a walking routine:

• Give up one TV show a day.
• Find a good audiobook or podcast.
• Find a good walking trail.
• Get a good walking buddy.

And don't let rain stop you. It's actually more fun than you might realize.

9) Act as if.

Spend the rest of the day as if the first part of it was the best you'd ever experienced.

Life is all about perspective. The sinking of the Titanic was a miracle to the lobsters in the ship's kitchen. ~ Bevis and Butthead

One person's crazyness is another person's reality. ~Tim Burton

How does that line from Shakespeare go?

Life is neither good or bad, but thinking makes it so?

Life is a perspective game–play the game well, and things will turn around for you.

10) Call your parents.

Seriously, they miss you.

11) Create something expressive.

Humans were designed to create.

We are made in the image of God, who was the ultimate creator–we are pottery in the hands of the potter.

Create something without concerns of the consequences: a bad batch of bread, horseshoe figurines, a rap album.

You're free again.

12) Write a collection of letters to send to your friends.

Sadly, the handwritten note is something of a lost art, but it doesn't have to be for you.

Handwritten notes are the surprise parties of mail, making hearts soar higher than carrier pigeons on espresso.

In a digital world drowning in emails and "OMG kittens!!" Facebook posts, a letter with actual ink blots is the equivalent of finding gold on the beach.

Conclusion

So, there you have it.

Twelve ways to turn a crappy day into an epic one.

Before you do, ask yourself... which of these ideas resonated most with you? What's your go-to hack for salvaging a rough start?

Share your secrets in the comments below, and let's create a community of resilience together!

Remember, it's not about how you begin but how you choose to finish.