Not a morning person? These three morning rituals will help you get your day off on the right foot!
This year my most important professional goal is to be more efficient and effective in my work activities. I’m not talking about efficiency for efficiency’s sake. I want more me time. More 7AM paddle boarding sessions, more weekends spent enjoying instead of working.
If you’re a small business owner, I’m certain you know what I’m talking about. If this sounds like you…read on!
Here are three practical steps to incorporate into any morning routine to optimize your time at the office and maintain productivity all day long:
Most of us work long hours: 40, 50 or even 60 hours each week. But chances are, given distractions like online entertainment, office snacking habits and ill-designed time management, we’re only churning out high-quality work a portion of each day.
#1. 7 minutes of exercise.
Yep, not 10 — just seven. Why? It’s short enough that it won’t impact the rest of your morning routine and long enough to shake off any residual sluggishness from the night before — including that extra glass of wine. There are endless fitness routines to turn to,and yes, there’s an app for that.
#2. Pick 3 wins for the day.
While you’re waiting for that smoothie to blend, get ahead of the evening’s conversation with your significant other — you know, the one that starts, “How was your day?”
Decide on the three things that you’d like to accomplish in the next 12 hours in order for you to feel like the day was a success. Sure, not every day will be an epic win, but strategizing in this way will help to move the ball forward.
#3. Block your calendar to achieve wins.
One of the most common mistakes people make at the office is not turning to-do lists into time-bound, effective project lists. I’ve found that people who have mastered this hack are far more likely to deliver tasks on time.
It’s simple: For each of the big things on your list, block off the amount of time on your calendar that you estimate the task might take — and then add 33% more time just to be sure.
If a project is multi-day or has dependencies, break it up into digestible chunks. Use one block to plan and a second or third block to accomplish.
This simple method will help hold you accountable and immediately help you refocus on the tasks you’ve prioritized when you do get distracted. Too often, we let one distraction steamroll an entire morning — now you don’t have to let that client email derail you from your winning plan for the day.
Bonus
Power up after lunch. Take the 15 minutes right after lunch to refocus on the day — a kind of professional meditation. Get away from your computer, turn it off, go sit in a conference room and determine what you have on tap for the rest of the day.
Think about how the list you set in the morning is shaping up. Are you ahead of schedule? Behind schedule? You’ll find that these 15 minutes help you identify how you got derailed, what’s causing you distractions and help you to rediscover a rhythm to be productive all day long.
Source: 5 Morning Rituals to Keep You Productive All Day Long | Entrepreneur.com
