By Peter Economy

What you do first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. Get things off to a good start every time.

We all know that waking up on the right side of the bed sets the tone for what’s going to happen the rest of the day. Check out these effortlessly simple ways to get your morning off on the right foot.

1. Don’t hit snooze.

You don’t actually need that extra five minutes of sleep. Don’t let your alarm clock trick you with its tempting snooze button. Avoiding the pitfall of going back to sleep–and waking up even groggier than before–is something we all should make more effort in doing. It’s important to remember that, in the grand scheme of things, we’ll be happier we got up first thing in the morning, revving and ready to go.

2. Meditate.

Clearing your mind to find some clarity before your hectic day is absolutely important for starting things off successfully. Reach a place of strong, unshakeable inner peace before looking at your colorful calendar or checking your 40 unread emails.

Put your mind first–after all, nothing works without it.

3. Get your gears turning.

For some of us, this means coffee. For others, this means a quick stretch or jog before work. Although we all have different ways of waking our bodies up, this is a crucial step in beginning our day well. Feed your body what it physically needs to get going, whether it is coffee, breakfast, or exercise. The rest of the day, it’ll thank you.

4. Drink water.

Having a glass of water first thing in the morning is a refreshing way to soothe that dried out throat after a long night’s sleep. For those of us who snore especially, water is key to hydrating our irritated sinuses and vocal chords.

5. Decide on an intention.

Even if it’s just one thing, make a decision to get something done today. As insignificant as it may seem, setting an intention about anything–regardless of how trivial the action–is a great way to begin as an active participant in your everyday life first thing in the morning. It is, if nothing else, a useful tactic for reminding us not to let life go by without seizing the day.

While Peter Economy has spent the better part of two decades of his life slugging it out mano a mano in the management trenches, he is also the best-selling author of Managing for Dummies, The Management Bible, Leading Through Uncertainty, and more than 75 other books, with total sales in excess of two million copies. He has also served as associate editor for Leader to Leader for more than 10 years, where he has worked on projects with the likes of Jim Collins, Frances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, and many other top management and leadership thinkers.