Form These Daily Habits For A More Productive Day At Work
Do you need a better morning routine to start your work day off right?
If yes, build these 7 easy steps into your daily habits to fuel your body and mind for a productive day. From prioritizing tasks to making time for creative thinking, this routine helps you take control of your schedule from the moment you start your day.
Read on to simplify and supercharge your mornings to set yourself up for success.
7-Step Routine To Start Your Work Day
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1. Eat A Nutritious Breakfast
Start your work day with a nutritious breakfast to provide the energy to power through your morning. Properly fueling your body in the morning will calm your nerves and lay the foundation for a productive day.
Fill up on foods like oatmeal with fruit, Greek yogurt, eggs, and whole-grain toast. These choices give you protein, fiber, and nutrients to stay focused and satisfied until lunch.
If your mornings are hectic, prep breakfast items the night before.
I rarely ate breakfast during my 20s. But after I got married, my wife convinced me to do so, and I’m glad she did.
Related reading – 15 Habits of Insanely Productive People
2. Make A Plan for Lunch
Take a few minutes to decide on your lunch plans to avoid unhealthy cravings and snacking later.
One option is to pack a balanced lunch from home with a sandwich on whole wheat bread, a salad or soup, and a piece of fruit. This saves money and portion control compared to takeout.
If you plan to dine out, order low-fat, nutrient-dense options like a salad with grilled protein when buying lunch. Avoid fast food and fried foods whenever possible. They will make you feel sluggish during the afternoon.
Your lunch plan prevents you from impulsively choosing unhealthy options when overwhelmed with stress and afternoon hunger. Besides, you need a break from work after a busy and productive morning.
I prefer to pack my lunch eating out only when professional commitments require it.
You make like this: How To Set and Reach Daily Goals.
3. Assess The Day’s Requirements And Possibilities
Review your calendar and to-do list for the day ahead. Identify key meetings, pressing deadlines, and highest-priority tasks that must be accomplished.
Write down and visualize what a successful and productive day looks like for you.
Being aware of your daily commitments allows you to be realistic with your time. As a result, you can better focus your efforts by starting with a clear perspective of the day’s priorities and possibilities.
Okay. We are making progress.
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4. Prioritize And Plan
Based on your day assessment, make a prioritized list of what needs to get done first. However, don’t fall into the trap of unrealistic to-do lists.
Segment tasks and budget your time accordingly.
Prioritize your most important work before emergencies and other people derail your day. Having a realistic, prioritized plan keeps you organized and on-task.
5. Delegate And Automate Where You Can
Evaluate the tasks that can be delegated to teammates or automated.
Managers should identify responsibilities that others can take on. For individual contributors, look for recurring tasks that can be automated or streamlined with technology and tools.
Working smarter and leveraging your time is ultimately more productive. Thus, don’t try to do everything yourself.
Delegating and optimizing free up the most valuable resource: your time. So, I encourage you to ask for help or investigate process improvements whenever you can.
Helpful Tips – 9 Traits of Successful Leaders
6. Tackle And Complete A Task
With your breakfast done, lunch planned, and priorities set, start your morning by completing one small to medium task from your prioritized to-do list. Choose an important task that is not overly daunting or complex.
Crossing something off your to-do list provides an early sense of achievement and builds momentum. Getting an easy win early in the day boosts your motivation and clears your plate for larger projects. Actively crossing off an item begins the day productively.
Conversely, suppose you start your morning reacting to emails and phone messages. In that case, it can quickly feel like you’ve lost control working on everyone else’s priorities rather than yours. Don’t let that happen!
Must read – 7-Day Routine to Boost Your Productivity
7. Problem-Solve Or Get Creative
Use any leftover morning time for creative thinking, brainstorming, or problem-solving tasks. We often push aside these activities when overwhelmed with meetings and deadlines. Hit one or more of these activities now before fatigue sets in later in the day.
If it helps, briefly walk away from your desk to refresh your mind. Try techniques like mind mapping and brainstorming to make new connections between ideas.
Getting into an innovative, strategic, or problem-solving mindset while the morning is fresh maximizes your mental muscles. Even 15-20 uninterrupted minutes can be highly productive when harnessed for creativity and problem-solving.
Thus, don’t neglect these high-value activities that often get pushed aside.
How To Correctly Start Your Work Day: Wrap-Up
Establishing a morning workday routine takes discipline, but the benefits are immense. Practice these 7 steps daily to take control of your mornings and have a highly productive day.
- Eat a nutritious breakfast
- Make a plan for lunch
- Assess the day’s requirements
- Prioritize and plan
- Delegate where you can
- Tackle and complete a task
- Problem-solve or get creative
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Author Bio: Tom Scott founded the consulting and coaching firm Dividends Diversify, LLC. He leverages his expertise and decades of experience in goal setting, relocation assistance, and investing for long-term wealth to help clients reach their full potential.