How to Make 2026 Your Best Year Ever by Dr. Dayo Adetiloye Part 3

10. Practice a Powerful Morning Routine (S.A.V.E.R.S)

How you spend the first hour or two of your morning often sets the tone for the entire day. Start it intentionally and positively, and you’ll be far more likely to have a productive, happy day. A chaotic or snooze-button-filled morning, on the other hand, can leave you feeling behind the curve. One highly effective framework to consider is the S.A.V.E.R.S morning routine, popularized by Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning. S.A.V.E.R.S is an acronym for six practices that many successful people incorporate into their early hours to get into what we might call “success mode.” Here’s how you can apply it each morning:

How to Make 2026 Your Best Year Ever by Dr. Dayo Adetiloye Part 1

Silence: Begin your day with a few minutes of calm silence. This could be meditation, prayer, deep breathing, or simple reflection – whatever suits you. The idea is to center yourself before the day’s bustle begins. Find a quiet, comfortable spot, close your eyes, and focus on your breath or a mantra. Even 5–10 minutes of peaceful silence can reduce stress, improve your mood, and sharpen your concentration for the day ahead. You’ll carry a sense of calm and control into your morning tasks instead of a feeling of rush or panic.

Affirmations & Gratitude: Next, spend time on affirmations – those powerful “I am” statements you crafted for your goals. Say them out loud with confidence and conviction. Remind yourself of who you are becoming and what you are capable of. Pair this with a quick gratitude recap: think of (or read from last night’s list) a few things you’re grateful for. By doing affirmations and gratitude in the morning, you prime your mind with positivity. You reinforce your goals and boost your self-belief right at the start of the day. This practice helps you build a resilient mindset, so that even if challenges arise later, you’ve already grounded yourself in positive self-talk and appreciation for the good in life.

Visualization: Our minds are incredibly powerful. Take a few minutes to visualize the success you want – both long-term (your biggest goals) and for the day ahead. Close your eyes and imagine in detail: see yourself succeeding, whether that’s crossing the finish line of a race, shaking hands at your business grand opening, or celebrating a personal milestone. Feel the emotions of that success – pride, joy, relief, excitement. Then also visualize your upcoming day: picture yourself going through your day smoothly and effectively – completing your top tasks, handling any potential difficulties with grace, maybe even seeing something unexpected and wonderful happening. This mental rehearsal prepares your brain to recognize opportunities and navigate obstacles. Many Olympic athletes and high performers use visualization as a tool – if you see it in your mind’s eye, you’re far more likely to create it in reality.

Exercise: Now, get your body moving. You don’t have to do a full intense workout at dawn (unless you want to), but do engage in some exercise to get your blood flowing and energy up. You could do a quick 20-minute yoga routine, a brisk walk or jog around the neighborhood, a set of bodyweight exercises in your living room, or even dancing to a few songs you love. The point is to shake off grogginess, get oxygen to your brain, and release those feel-good endorphins. Exercising in the morning has been shown to boost mood and cognitive function for hours afterwards. It also gives you a win first thing – you’ve done something great for your health before the world even demands anything of you. Plus, if you knock out your workout early, you don’t have to worry about it after a long workday when motivation might be low.

Reading: Feed your mind with reading that inspires or educates you. Spend 10-20 minutes reading something uplifting or relevant to your goals. It could be a personal development book, a biography of someone you admire, articles in your professional field, or spiritual literature – anything that contributes to your growth. Consuming positive, insightful content in the morning has a few benefits: it puts you in a learning mindset, it might give you new ideas or perspectives to use that day, and over time this habit means you’ll have read dozens of books or articles in a year, vastly expanding your knowledge. As part of your routine, keep a book or e-reader handy so you can jump into reading without friction. If you’re not a big reader, you can substitute audiobooks or educational podcasts while you exercise or during your commute. The key is to consistently expose yourself to wisdom and information that will help you grow.

Scribing (Writing): The final “S” stands for scribing, a fancy word for writing. This can take many forms, so tailor it to your needs. You might journal about your thoughts and feelings, which is great for self-reflection and clearing mental clutter. You could write down ideas or brainstorm solutions to a problem you’re working on – morning is when your mind is fresh and creative. Another effective practice is to rewrite and prioritize your to-do list for the day (remember that list of six you made last night?). Quickly review it, and mentally commit to your plan. You can also write affirmations or gratitude entries as part of this – some people keep a dedicated journal for affirmations/gratitude each morning. Writing things down solidifies them. It’s been said that “thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips.” In other words, writing brings clarity. Even if it’s just a few sentences, you’re solidifying your intentions for the day, acknowledging any emotions, and setting a focus.

Going through these six steps may take around 60 minutes (more or less, depending on how long you devote to each). If an hour feels too much initially, you can condense the routine – for example, 3 minutes of silence, 3 of affirmations, 3 of visualization, 10 of exercise, 5 of reading, 5 of journaling – that’s roughly 30 minutes. The key is consistency. Make it a non-negotiable part of your morning, and soon you’ll notice a big difference in your days. You’ll walk into each day feeling centered, motivated, and purposeful. One person who followed this routine said it allowed them to “start each day with purpose, positivity, and productivity” and set them up for success in all areas of life[7]. That can be you too.

Remember, the morning routine is for you – it’s your sacred time before you give your energy to the world’s demands. It nourishes your mind, body, and spirit. And practically speaking, it prevents you from immediately diving into emails, news, or social media that often create stress or distraction. Instead, you’re building yourself up first. Over the weeks and months, these mornings add up to tremendous personal growth. You might find yourself calmer under pressure, more optimistic, and more confident simply because you’ve started your day in a proactive, empowering way rather than a reactive way.

11. Take Action on Your Priorities (Use Your Daily Planner)

After a focused morning routine, you’ll likely feel energized and ready to tackle the day. Now it’s time for execution: take action on your top priorities. This is where that to-do list you prepared comes into play. Whether you’re heading to work, working from home, or dedicating the day to personal projects, approach your tasks with intention and discipline.

Start with your most important task (MIT), especially if it’s the hardest or most mentally demanding one. By attacking it first, you leverage your morning momentum and fresh energy. This strategy is often referred to as “eating the frog” (a term popularized by Brian Tracy) – meaning if you have to eat a frog, do it first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen the rest of the day! In our context, it means if you handle that tough or significant task early, you’ll feel accomplished and relieved, and everything else will feel easier by comparison. For example, if you need to write a report, make a difficult phone call, or work on your side-business plan, try to get at least a good chunk of it done before lunch. You’ll avoid the dread and procrastination that often come with pushing it off.

As you work through your list, stay focused. We live in a world full of distractions – emails, notifications, constant pings. Try using techniques like time blocking or the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes focused work, 5 minute break) to maintain concentration. During your planned work blocks, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, close unnecessary browser tabs, and remind yourself that this deep work is what will move you toward your goals. You made a plan; honor it. If unexpected things come up (and they will), don’t panic. Handle true emergencies as needed, but then get back on track with your next priority. Often you’ll find that many “urgent” interruptions can wait until you’ve finished what you intended.

Leverage tools like a Year Planner or calendar to keep sight of your long-term goals while you focus on daily tasks. At least once a week, maybe during a Sunday planning session, glance at your year’s big milestones. For example, if you aim to complete a certification by June or save X amount by October, break those into monthly or weekly targets and slot them into your planner. Using a planner helps ensure that the urgent doesn’t constantly overshadow the important. It’s easy to fill our days with busywork and then suddenly realize months have passed without progress on that book or business idea. A planner, whether physical or digital, can bridge the gap between daily tasks and yearly objectives. Each morning when you review your to-do list, also take a second to recall your bigger “why” – why those tasks matter in the grand scheme. This keeps you motivated and prevents the feeling of being a hamster on a wheel.

Now, an important principle to remember as you take action: the Law of Motion. In physics, Newton’s First Law says an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted on by an external force. In life, this translates to momentum. Once you get started on a task, it’s much easier to keep going. So if you feel resistance to starting something, promise yourself you’ll do just 5 minutes of it. That tiny action often breaks the inertia. Next thing you know, 5 minutes becomes 15, then 30, and you’re in flow.

There’s a wonderful proverb to keep in mind: “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” (Confucius). If your goal or task seems like a mountain, focus on the “small stones” – the little actionable steps you can take today. One by one, those stones add up. This is the “those who would remove mountains” reference in our framework – it’s about perseverance and breaking big challenges into manageable chunks. Don’t let the enormity of a goal paralyze you. Trust the process of continuous small actions. Each phone call, each page written, each workout completed, each dollar saved – they are the small stones of progress. Over time, you’ll look back and be astonished at how much you’ve accomplished.

While working on your tasks, it’s also useful to practice just-in-time learning. That means if you encounter something you don’t know how to do, take a quick break to learn that specific thing, then continue. For instance, if you’re working on building a website and get stuck, watch a tutorial or read a help article right then to solve the problem. This way, you grow your skills as you take action. You’re not procrastinating by over-preparing in advance, but you’re also not plowing ahead blindly without the knowledge you need. It’s a balanced, highly effective way to keep moving forward.

Lastly, adopt a mindset of completion and accountability. When you start a task, aim to finish it or bring it to a logical stopping point. Leaving too many things half-done creates mental clutter and stress. If you listed six tasks but realistically only can finish three today due to unforeseen events, consciously reschedule the remaining three for later (don’t just let them float). Hold yourself accountable to what you did promise to do. Some people find it helpful to have an accountability partner – maybe check in with a friend each evening to report one thing you finished. But even self-accountability (like checking off your list and maybe rewarding yourself with a small treat or relaxation time for completing a solid day’s work) goes a long way.

By combining focus, momentum, and smart use of planning tools, your daily actions will consistently align with your grand goals. Each day of diligent effort is like laying another brick in the house of your best year ever. And as the bricks stack up, you’ll start seeing tangible results: projects completed, skills acquired, goals reached – piece by piece.

12. Switch to “Success Mode” Every Morning

We’ve covered a lot of techniques – goal setting, affirmations, routines, focused work – but underlying all of these is a core habit of mind: the ability to consciously put yourself in a positive, proactive state at the start of each day. Think of it as flipping a mental switch – turning on your success mode. This concept is a bit abstract, but it’s essentially about mindset and attitude, and it ties everything together.

When you wake up each day, you have a choice: drift into the day reacting to whatever comes, or take charge and set the tone for how you’ll approach things. Success mode is about taking charge. It’s saying to yourself: “I am in control of my destiny today. I choose to be focused, disciplined, and optimistic. I will make things happen.” It’s an intentional decision to be the driver of your day, not a passenger.

Here are some tips to activate your success mode each morning:

Use Triggers or Cues: Sometimes a physical action or ritual can signal your brain that it’s go-time. For example, after you get dressed in the morning, you might stand in front of the mirror, look yourself in the eye, and give a personal pep talk or a power pose (remember the advice from social psychologists: standing in a confident pose for a minute or two can actually boost your confidence hormones). You could say something out loud like, “Let’s make today great,” or “I’ve got what it takes to crush this day.” This might feel silly at first, especially if you’re not a morning person. But such cues can create a powerful anchor. Another example: some people play a particular “pump up” song as they start their day to get into an energetic state.
Recall Your “Why”: Each morning, take a second to remind yourself why you’re doing all this. Is it for your family’s future? To break your own limits and see what you’re capable of? To live a life of purpose and not regret? Keeping your big why in mind is a great motivator. It connects the grind of daily tasks to a larger meaning. Maybe you have a vision board or a written statement of your life’s purpose – glance at it or read it in the morning. That spark in your eyes will ignite, and you’ll attack the day with more conviction.
Adopt a Can-Do Attitude: Success mode is very much about optimism and solutions. Decide that today, you will focus on what can be done, not on what can’t. Challenges will surely arise – perhaps an important meeting gets canceled or you get a rejection email that disappoints you. When in reactive mode, such events can ruin your mood or derail your plans. But in success mode, you immediately look for the lesson or opportunity: “Okay, meeting canceled – maybe I can use that hour to prepare even better for the next one,” or “Rejected? That’s one step closer to a ‘yes’ if I improve my approach. Let’s keep moving.” This mental judo – flipping negatives into positives – gets stronger with practice. It doesn’t mean ignoring problems; it means facing them with the confidence that you will find a way.
Protect Your Morning Energy: Try not to let negative input crowd your mind early in the day. That means being mindful of not reading depressing news or engaging in social media arguments first thing in the morning. Those can wait (or be skipped entirely) once you’ve solidified your own mindset. Remember, your morning routine and success mode are your time. The world and its noise can come later. It’s much harder for negativity to sink you when your mental ship is already sailing strong.
Be Adaptable: Being in success mode doesn’t mean you’re hyper-serious or rigid. It actually includes being mentally flexible. You start the day ready to give it your all, but also ready to adapt if plans change. Think of a surfer at the start of a day – they’re excited and prepared to catch great waves, but they also know they have to adjust to the ocean’s conditions. Similarly, you charge yourself up and set your course, but if you hit a bump (like an unexpected task or a minor crisis), you handle it with grace and then get back on course. Adaptability is a hallmark of long-term success because the only constant is change. When you’re in the right mindset, you won’t see changes as wrecking your day; you’ll see them as just new parts of the adventure.

If you’ve followed all the previous steps – getting enough sleep, using an empowering morning routine, knowing your priorities – you’ll find it much easier to flip on success mode. It becomes almost natural, because everything you do reinforces it. In fact, you may reach a point where not being in success mode feels weird. On those occasional mornings you slip and, say, scroll aimlessly on your phone in bed, you’ll notice how different (and worse) the day feels compared to when you intentionally set your attitude.

By switching to success mode every morning, you essentially program yourself for excellence each day. It’s like setting the operating system of your brain to “high performance” at boot-up. Sure, later in the day your energy might dip or you might face challenges, but because you started strong, you’re far more likely to finish strong. The morning momentum carries you through.

13. Conclusion: Make 2026 Your Best Year Ever, Starting Now

Imagine it’s December 2026, and you’re looking back on the year with a big smile, thinking, “Wow, 2026 truly was my best year ever!” What would you see in that reflection? Perhaps you see a collection of achieved goals – some big, some small. You see a person (yourself) who has grown in confidence, skill, and wisdom. You see healthier relationships, maybe a healthier bank account, and definitely a healthier body and mind. Most importantly, you see a happier you, who lived each day with purpose. That vision is not a fantasy – it’s something you can make real by applying the principles we’ve discussed.

To quickly recap the journey to your best year:

Dream big and set clear goals – know where you’re going and why it matters.
Believe in yourself – use affirmations, visualization, and identity shifts to build unshakeable confidence and zero doubt.
Move in silence – focus on doing the work rather than talking about it; let your results do the talking in the end.
Win each day – treat every day as a fresh start and an opportunity to inch closer to your dreams. Small daily wins compound into massive achievements.
Build systems and habits – success isn’t one moment, it’s the product of consistent routines (like your morning SAVERS and nightly planning) that keep you on track.
Take action and persevere – plans are great, but action is supreme. Do the work, even when it’s hard, and break big tasks into small steps to maintain momentum.
Master your mindset – start each day in success mode, ready to handle whatever comes with a positive, proactive attitude.

Through clarity, focus, and discipline, you truly hold the keys to transform 2026 into an extraordinary year. Clarity of purpose and goals gives you direction. Focus on priorities and the present task drives efficiency and progress. Discipline to stick with your habits and plans, even when motivation dips, ensures that progress is continuous. And underlying all those is the decision to be happy and grateful daily. Yes, work hard and be ambitious, but also remember to enjoy the journey. A year is made not only of achievements but of moments – a laugh with a friend, a beautiful sunset after a productive day, a quiet cup of coffee in the morning as you journal. Savor these daily gifts. As you strive for more, also appreciate what you already have.

Let’s make one thing clear: You have everything it takes to make 2026 your best year ever. The power to change your life is already within you. The strategies in this guide are just ways to unlock and channel that power effectively. None of this requires extraordinary talent or luck – just commitment and consistency. Even if you falter (which you will, being human and all), you now know how to get back on track: you reset the next day and keep going.

So start now. Right now – take a small step. Maybe that’s writing down one goal or setting your alarm a bit earlier for tomorrow or clearing out a corner of your room to create a conducive workspace. Every big success begins with a tiny step. Start walking your talk today.

As the New Year dawns, embrace it with open arms and a determined heart. Happy New Year in advance – may it be the happiest and most successful one yet! Stay positive, stay proactive, and remember to be happy daily throughout the journey. 2026 is your canvas – paint it with bold strokes of action, color it with joy and gratitude, and it will indeed become your masterpiece best year ever.

Now, go make it happen!