Would you like to jumpstart your day and stay in a state of high productivity throughout the day? Before you start your regular work routine, consider this: Many of the world’s most successful founders and CEOs (for example Tim Cook from Apple) have an advantage because they start their day while the rest of us are still asleep.
What time are we talking about? Four o’clock in the morning can be the most productive time of the day because before the sun comes up, there are minimal distractions, no emails or messages, and less to see on social media.
If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s one more way to set the stage for a productive day before distractions pile up and fires need to be put out. Follow these steps as a proven way to get through the rest of your day.
1. Meditate
Spend 15 minutes alone with deep breathing and some form of meditation. If 15 minutes seems too demanding, start with five, but be consistent. Cutting-edge brain research shows what monks have known for a long time – that meditation calms the mind and develops concentration. It can also increase the brain’s gamma waves, which are associated with attention, learning, memory, happiness, and the “aha!” moments we experience when we connect something complex.
2. Gain insight and learn something new
Gain insight into the world around you by spending some time each morning reading the news, books or listening to a podcast. As psychologist Dacher Keltner discovered, the people who take the time to listen and learn from others have the most influence in organizations because these actions instill trust. When we start the day with learning, we not only expand our knowledge, but we also learn to listen and learn.
3. Do a productive “start-up work ritual”
Once you’re done meditating, taking care of your body, eating a healthy breakfast, and learning something new, it’s time for your opening work ritual, where you map out the first 30 to 60 minutes of your work day. Look at your calendar for the upcoming week, update your to-do list, note down your top priorities for the day, clear your desk and get organized. Ask yourself what you need to do to start your day off right and how much time should you allocate to each task? Then do everything in your power to avoid tasks that rob you of your productivity.
4. Avoid morning distractions like email
The last thing that would boost your productivity is access to email. As soon as you open the mailbox, the game ends. Chances are, you’ll get caught up in the whirlwind of other people’s needs and “urgent” requests, and you’ll never get to your initial work ritual. So resist the temptation to open your email until you’ve mapped out your day. Get rid of other morning distractions too. Put your phone on airplane mode, or at least mute your notifications.
5. Drop the morning meeting
So now that you’ve mastered managing your mornings more comprehensively and are ready to hit the ground running, be aware of what drains your energy and focus the moment you open your laptop. One of the biggest culprits? Morning meeting. Your productive morning flow state can often be derailed by having to attend unimportant or unnecessary meetings that could easily be moved to noon or later. This is frustrating and demotivating for people whose creative mood and high-octane productivity are released in the morning. Managers need to recognize the importance of scheduling meetings later in the day and giving workers the opportunity to use the morning according to their work style and how their brains work optimally.
