Do you want to get more done, reach more of your goals, and make a bigger difference?
If so, the morning is when that can all begin!
However you came to read these words, I’m confident you are interested in greater productivity, achievement and success. Perhaps you want that for yourself, or perhaps you want that because you lead others and you owe it to both yourself and them. Either way, this article will help you when you take action on what follows.
Before We Start
Before I share the ten ideas, a couple of caveats.
1. There is likely nothing on this list you haven’t heard before. That doesn’t make the list less valuable. In fact, it proves these ideas work if you use them!
2. You can’t do them all. I’ll say more on that at the end of the list, but don’t read thinking “I can’t do all of these,” because that would be missing the point of doing something.
Making the Time
None of these would have to be done in the morning though, from Ben Franklin to the present day, it has been proven that getting up earlier is a great way to accelerate your success (and “find” intentional time to do important things for you).
My intention with this list is to give you a list of things that you could do in 30 minutes or less each day. Trying to find 30 minutes in an already-packed-like-sardines-in-a-can day might seem daunting. That is one reason why I suggest creating a new morning habit.
Making a decision to change your morning routine and getting up 30 minutes earlier than usual is the first part of this habit. I am a morning person, and you may not think you are, and that’s ok. I’m not suggesting when you get up; just that you get up 30 minutes earlier than you have in the past!
Ok, now, on with the list!
The Ten Habits
The list is in no particular order. My point isn’t to prescribe one, rather to present them all. Any one of these actions, made into habit, can change your life for the better (and perhaps much sooner than you think).
Read powerful material. This could be spiritual or uplifting, it could be edifying to a goal or objective. I don’t mean the newspaper, your blog reader feed, or a celebrity magazine. Read intentionally, to put powerful and valuable ideas into your head at the start of your day.
Exercise. Exercise is good for your health and it releases powerful chemistry in your body for greater energy and productivity as well. If you are a lunchtime or after work exerciser, that is fine; just pick a different habit on this list!
Write Notes. Get out your pen and paper and write notes to people. It could be a thank you note to a client, colleague, or team member. It could be sharing a resource, article, or idea. It could be a letter to a family member. It could be appreciation or a note to let people know they are remarkable. All day, you will be on your computer. This habit is about personal, intentional, and handwritten communication and connection.
Review Your Goals. If you have goals (if you don’t, make that the first new habit —to write them), reviewing them daily is powerful. Look over your daily, weekly, short and long term goals. Review your bucket list ,or lifetime, goals. This can be a simple reading of the list and then allowing yourself time to soak them into your subconscious. While or after you read them, think about why these goals are important to you, too.
Plan Your Day. While a great point can be made for doing this in the evening for the next day, starting each day with a clear picture of what you want and need to accomplish is important. This short time will help you keep the important items on your mind and help you from falling completely into reactive mode all day long.
Meditate or Pray. Quiet your mind. Follow a process that you already know, or learn one. Especially if you are moving quickly past this one to find “something better,” for you this might be the most valuable one of all.
Think! Closely related to meditating or praying this is quieting your mind to specifically work on a challenge, a problem, or decision. This one might also be less of a singular habit, but one that is done in tandem with many of the others on this list.
Work on a Goal. What if you invested 30 minutes each day to progress you towards one of your goals? Do you think you would achieve more of your goals? Duh.
Reflect on Yesterday. One of the best ways to improve and get better is to make sure you are learning from your experiences. Making time to consciously ask yourself what you have learned, what you want to repeat, and what you want to change is a powerful productivity habit.
Journal. This one truly is a combination habit; it can be coupled with almost any other one on this list (yes, you can even journal about your exercise, keeping track of what you did each day, for example). When you write your thoughts you make them clearer. When you write you become more focused, learn more, and improve your results.
Final Thoughts
Pick one, two at the most. You may like all of these ideas. That’s fine, but you have to pick. Perhaps you will try two each day (some can be done in less than 30 minutes), or perhaps you will do one during the week and another on the weekends.
Find what works best for you.
And start today (or tomorrow morning, at the latest).
Great post, Kevin! I try to do a couple of these but am inspired to add another one or two more to the list.
Another point I’d recommend (which I’ve found to be a huge influencer of my most successful, productive days) is to start working on something productive and revenue-generating within 10 minutes of sitting down to my desk in the morning… the coffee can wait, my emails can wait, my voicemail can wait. But if I can do something productive and revenue-generating in the first 10 minutes, my days are usually far more productive.
Excellent point Aaron – Thanks for sharing.
Kevin 🙂
Hey Kevin,
Great information and well presented. Thank you for capsulizing these into some easily thought through initiatives. Have a great one.
Mark
You’re a man after my own heart Kevin. Excellent advice. It only works if you DO IT! Some of these are my daily practices too. Thanks for sharing. Stu
Great instruction Kevin. I’ve been practicing most of the items you mentioned for decades. I can tell you with great certitude that how you begin your day will significantly impact the results achieved during the day. One thing I’d add to the list is to get started early. I begin my day at 4:30am and can’t even imagine trying to start the day any later. Thanks for sharing Kevin.
I too am a big fan of rising early. While I didn’t say that in the post, I am sure it comes through at some level. thanks for your comments Mike.
Kevin 🙂
4.30 am!!! That’s a bit ambitious. I used to get up at that time when I was a milk boy! Not any more. I agree getting up an hour earlier than we’re used to can certainly help productivity but some of it depends if you are an AM or PM person. I’m definitely a PM person and do most of my best work AFTER 6pm. That’s the advantage of running your own business – you get to choose your hours. 🙂 Stu
Stu – while I too am a morning person, I wrote the piece as “get up earlier” rather than “get up when I get up” for the very point that some people peak times are different. Having said that using first thing in the morning time for these activities is incredibly powerful!
Kevin 🙂
Some great tips here Kevin. Thank you for putting them across so succintly.
I have been very ad hoc with my journalling and am hoping that a pocket size note book which I now carry round with me will help.
I don’t write notes /letters daily instead try and speak to someone – colleague / friend / relative on the phone – especially if I have been working alone or doing a lot of writing
Thank you for sharing
Vera
Like it. #11 – Call one of your high energy friends on your morning drive into work. I have 2 go-to guys. I find that every time I talk to them on the way to work – I get super-pumped and am better prepared to tackle the day!!!
Great post, Kevin! I would add that most people don’t have a “doing it” problem, they have a “starting to do it” problem. Once we “start” we’ll usually finish. And sometimes we need a “workaround” to engage our brain, so here’s one I have my clients experiment with: tell yourself you will do it for 5 minutes … just 5 minutes. Try it and let us know how it works for you!
Excellent post. Even if we work at it for only a half an hour a day, we can still achieve something every day to create our own success.
Well coffee did not make the list…surprise…Who would have the uncommon wisdom of drinking wellness coffee anyway? Why would you want to have a morning drink that helps you focus, center, think and feel better?