How to Have a Great Day

"Have a great day."

People say it all the time, like it's something they can give you. "Have a piece of gum. Have another cookie. " It's one big free for all, with strangers handing out great days like cheap lollipops at a flu shot clinic. The truth is, great days are hard to come by, and that's because having a great day takes some work. If you're sick of day after awful day, try a few of these tips:

1. Go to sleep earlier. If you sleep for seven hours, you might have an "ok" day. But who has ever said: "have an ok day." No one, unless it's a jerk speaking. True, jerks can ruin your day, but if you sleep EIGHT hours, you can have a great day, and even jerks won't be able to bring you down.
2. Take 10 HUGE gulps of water right when you wake up. Hold off on the coffee, 5hr Energy, Monster, or whatever other junk you currently pour into your system. If you are not capable of taking 10 HUGE gulps, then pour a tall glass and pound it down as soon as possible. Water makes days great.
3. Eat something. Preferably something other than a Monster and a bag of hot Cheetos from the mini mart.
4. Stretch and move. I read somewhere that we should take our cue from animals. What does a dog or cat do when they get up from a nap? Stretch-stretch-yawn-stretch. Cats and dogs definitely know how to make it a great day.
5. Say something nice, or do something nice for someone as soon as possible. Not a morning person? There's not really any such thing. We're all people in the morning. We don't wake up as a giant insect (unless you're in Kafka's Metamorphosis), and then transform into a human at noon. The question is, what KIND of a person are you in the morning? 
6. Whatever you do, do it well. If you don't know how to do it well, then make sure you get a little bit better every day. 
7. Smile at someone as you pass by. 
8. Have a mission for your life. Write it down. 

Now, go make your day great.

More ideas on how to make it a great day? Pass them on in the comments.