According to an article this morning in Fast Company, there are certain things that successful people do or don’t do in their first hour of the work day. Here they are:
1. Don’t Check Your Email for the First Hour. Seriously. Stop That.
Guilty. In fact, since I use my smartphone as my alarm clock, that’s often the first thing I do before I get out of bed. Pretty pathetic, huh? I quickly scan my three accounts, THEN go to the bathroom. (I know… TMI).
Strike One
2. Gain Awareness, Be Grateful.
They suggest taking ten minutes to think of everything you’re grateful for.
Really? Ten minutes? Sounds like a great idea… but by the time I get up, read my email and go to the bathroom, I feel like I’ve already wasted the first five minutes of my day, so I’m unlikely, especially at this point, to do any deep pondering.
Swing and a miss. Strike two.
3. Do the Big, Shoulder-Sagging Stuff First
Sometimes I do this, but usually not so much. I’ll check in at my desk. Maybe write a blog post (like I’m doing now), go through my RSS feeds (the equivalent of my morning paper), or pick something quick and easy to check off of my list before I make breakfast.
I’m giving myself a ball on this one. Count is 1 and 2.
4. Choose Your Frog
Whatever the heck that means.
Actually, they actually mean to do the one thing you dread doing, and do it first. (Kind of like #3 to me), so I’ll give myself another ball.
Count is 2-2.
5. Customer Service
In other words, keep in touch, even with people you’re not working with on a current project. I feel like I do this pretty well, primarily using social media. But I could do better.
Ball three.
6. Ask Yourself if You’re Doing What You Want to Do
In other words, do what you like. I do that. Every day. Thankfully.
I’m am one fortunate dude that I get to do what I do. I work with incredible people, and get to serve Jesus and His church. I also get a paycheck that supports my family. How cool is that.
That’s a swing and a hit. Somedays it’s a single; some days it’s a homerun.
Truth is… I need to do better during the first hour of my day… but overall, I find fulfillment in what I do; and my only frustration is sometimes I don’t feel like I get enough done; or that I’m not making a big enough impact for the Kingdom.
And I bet I’m not alone.
How do you start the first hour of YOUR day?
Todd
Todd,
I am equally guilty. Do the same morning routine with the phone. The alarm goes off and then I blurry eyed check the email, and twitter feed.
I have heard the “do the thing you loath the most first” before other tasks. It does help giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Thanks for your thoughts on this, good challenge to start my day off.
(This is my first time on your blog. Well done!)
This may fall under the “well, duh…THAT goes without saying,” OR under, “well, yeah…THAT is the BIG THING I dread doing first each day” (gee…hope not), but I find my day inevitably goes better when I make it a priority to begin it with God (worship, prayer, and time in the Word). Okay, you got me…ALL of this AFTER the bathroom.
I realize we all have what works best for us, but order IS important.
One of the best tools I have used is to do 3 relatively simples tasks that take less than 10 minutes each. That way you achieve some “check marks” on your task list and you’ve gotten all your senses flowing. Just don’t spend more than 30 minutes until you tackle that “shoulder-drooping” task.