Morning is the Most Productive Time
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I haven’t always been a morning person but with a “regular” 9-5 schedule – I didn’t have a choice. So I’ve embraced it. Every morning before work I:
1. Read two newspapers
2. Practice yoga
3. Sip green tea
4. Eat a healthy breakfast
5. Read through and respond to several emails
6. Listen to news radio for 15 minutes
7. Check my Twitter and Facebook feeds
8. Take a shower and get ready
9. Walk for 15 minutes
Most people barely have enough time to jump in the shower, take the dog out for a walk and scarf down some breakfast before they get to work. I don’t do all of the things on that list because I HAVE to – I do them because I WANT to.
My husband thinks I’m crazy but I wake up at 6:05am every morning so I can do all of those things before work. It’s hours before I have to get to work but I love that time to be productive and do the things I want to do for myself.
I recently read an e-book called, “What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast” by Laura Vanderkam and it turns out a lot of successful people do exactly the same thing as me. They meditate, exercise, read, practice hobbies and do anything that they like way before they get to work.
As it says in the book — if you do things before work in the morning there’s a higher chance you’ll actually get those things done and out of the way to feel much more accomplished and productive before you sit down at your desk. You’ve all been there… you procrastinate, make excuses and get tired by the end of the day so you may never get to the gym. For me — I don’t like to be rushed. I like to give myself enough time to get ready and wake up.
Gretchen Rubin, author of “The Happiness Project” gets up an hour before her family to check email and headlines and start her day. I like to do the same thing so that when I actually get to work – I can start working right away and only have a few emails to distract me.
So what do you do in the morning?
I work from home and have two small kids, so getting up early is a fantastic way to start the day off with some quiet and with something accomplished while also allowing time to be mommy. I work with people in the time zone ahead of me, so I’m typically at my desk by 6:30am, which means the alarm goes off at 4:45am to have time for a workout, shower, cup of coffee, etc. I feel like I’m definitely most productive first thing – during those quiet minutes. It sets up the whole day. Best of all, I can take a break from work when my kids wake up and read a story with them, spend some time playing and getting breakfast before they are off to preschool. It’s definitely worth the 4:45am wake up time.
Hi Tami – wow, that is early! But I love that you are able to start your day at your own pace. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Again!
It’s always great to meet people who have the same tendencies.. Here is my morning in a nutshell:
1. Wake up at 7 -7:30 am
2. Stretch for 15 minutes
3. Bike ride and/or hoolah hoop until 8:00 am
4. Shower for 15 minutes
5. Put on music from my ipod or record player
6. Make Breakfast (Usually eggs/grapefruit juice)
7. Cook / Pack Lunch
8. Feed the cats
9. Clean the litter box
10. Put finishing touches of hair and make-up
11. Get to work by 10 AM 🙂
If I don’t go outside every morning before work, I definitely feel the consequences.
Oh I forgot one.
12. Make black tea at work, and sip it happily at my desk.
*That’s a successful morning for me*
Hi Jaclyn — thanks so much for your morning to-do list! Doesn’t it make you feel great to get all that accomplished first thing?