If my workday gets off to a bad start, I usually end up playing catch-up the rest of the day and the following day. Here are my tips for having a successful start to your workday.
- Start your day with “me” time. Although we can start our day by rolling out of bed 5 mins before logging on, we probably shouldn’t. Taking some time to yourself in the mornings helps ensure your mind is clear and ready to focus on the day ahead. I personally prefer meditation as a method to observe the self before I get started with my day but any form of quiet time will suffice.
- Review your calendar. – both personal and professional. Reviewing your calendar before the start of each day ensures at baseline, you know what to expect for the day and are not caught off guard for any meetings and potential deadlines. I choose to review my personal calendar during this time as well. If I have a Happy Hour date after work I need to know to be done by a certain time to ensure I make my engagement.
- Make a to-do list for the workday. Before I get started on any work assignments I make a list of everything that needs to be completed. This is essentially goal setting for the day. Now I have a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished and have a measurable way of judging success. At the end of the day I can review this list and see how much I achieved and how much I procrastinated.
- Assign a time limit to each task. After making your to-do list, take it a step further by assigning an estimated time limit it will take to complete each task. This has helped me tremendously. Many times we procrastinate on simple tasks that will legitimately take 10 to 15 minutes to complete. When you assign how much time each task should take, the tasks become less intimating and more digestible. What’s the point in procrastinating on something that will take you 20 minutes to complete?
I hope these tips help you as much as they’ve helped me.
