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5 Things to think about in the morning before you start work

Start your day off right

Before you get started on your work for the day there are a few things you should consider in order to be more productive. By taking these few minutes before you hit the grindstone every day you can organize your thoughts and needs for the day and really make a positive impact on your efficiency. Here is a short list of the questions I believe will help you in pursuit of that goal:

  1. What is the thing that you want to do the least that has to get done today? I know I’ve brought up this point before in a recent blog but I truly believe that once you identify your most undesirable tasking for the day and knock it out, your entire day afterwards seems downhill.
  2. You should write down the couple of things that you meant to do yesterday that you didn’t get to and make sure that you get them done today.
  3. What’s the most important thing you have to achieve this week and what is the next step you need to take to get you closer to that goal?
  4. What things am I doing today that are helping achieve the long term vision and mission of the organization? This point I covered extensively in recent blogs on the ideas of thinking big but starting small. It’s important to keep the big picture in mind when you’re doing things. You don’t want to get so bogged down in the minutia of the tactical world that you lose sight of your ultimate end game.
  5. Who can help me achieve the things that I need to get done today? Anything you need other people’s help on, you need to coordinate in the morning if you expect their help on it today. So getting people in motion early helps you be more productive without actually taking any more of your time.

These are just a few things I like to think about every morning before I start work in hopes that it can help make my day run a little smoother and efficiently. I’d love to hear anyone else’s thoughts on things they think I missed on this list or their morning routines.

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Priscilla Anderson

Joshua, I am printing this off and putting this on my wall – it will really help me out every day. Thanks so much!

Monique J Damiano

Thanks for the great information. These tidbits will go a long way in helping to better organize my day. I love your simple approach.

Brian Edward Murphy

This is a great way to get and stay organized! I like how it keeps the big picture in mind will also staying focused on the daily tasks that will keep one on top of his game. Mornings are always the best time for focusing on the most important tasks that need attention, especially during the day ahead.

Henry Brown

I have found some success by ending the day with these steps. Not only evaluating the accomplishments but doing a little “pre-planning” for the next days work…

William Thomas

Great List! Thanks!

I also like the Agile 3 for stand up meetings with my staff:

– What did you do yesterday?

– What will you do today?

– What obstacles are impeding your progress?

The thought involved in answering these three questions can really help focus on what needs to get done, and helps keep scope creep to a minimum. In addition, it keeps all of us aware of what others are doing and cuts back on duplicative efforts.

Samuel R. Lammie

Appreciate your post Joshua! Took me a long time to recognize tackling the hardest part of my day early was my own best regimen. On a flip side I’ve always favored exercising at the end of my day as a way to relax and settle in for the evening. I’m sure everyone has their own recipe. I think sometimes we understate an individual’s need to continually challenge (and oft-time failing) yourself mentally and physically in order to better understand what works for you. And at least for me, it hasn’t ended yet…

Diane Lucas

Joshua, I love your idea of picking the least desirable thing and doing it first. Sometimes, I spend more time agonizing over something I dread doing, than actually doing it. And when it is done, the release of the weight on my shoulders is so invigorating. Thanks for the insight!

Priscilla Anderson

Diane, I found the same with me – and Joshua’s suggestion has really helped me face what I didn’t want to do, and that really has helped me be more productive – really appreciate his insight, and knowing that others also share the same issues — Thank you both!