12 Things Successful People Do In The First Hour Of The Workday
Successful people greet their colleagues each morning.
The first hour of the workday is critical, since it can affect your productivity level and mindset for the rest of the day.
"Successful people understand the importance of having control over their mornings and know how to use that time wisely," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of " Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job ." "These people are able to weed out the noise in their first hour and focus on what matters."
Everyone has their unique method of prioritizing, she says. "B ut all successful people stay focused when they start their day, and with years of practice, they realize that many things can wait, and others cannot."
Here are 12 things successful people do in the first hour of the workday:
They step back and reflect. Taylor says it's important to take a moment to look at the big picture. "It's easy to jump in and 'just do it' when you get to work, but successful people look at their larger goals in order to better prioritize."
They strategize. Successful people take a few minutes at the start of their workday to think about where their career or business should be going, says Laura Vanderkam, author of " What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast ." " Few people spend much time on these questions to begin with, let alone when their brains are fresh. But pursuing strategic clarity is a worthy objective. It's hard to get somewhere if you don't know where you're going."
They check their to-do lists and calendars. You don't want to overwhelm yourself first thing in the morning, but it's important that you take a quick look at your to-do list and calendar to know what's ahead. Missing any early meetings or deadlines would likely cause stress and could ruin your entire day.
They update their to-do lists and calendars. "Without a plan, you can't spend your time wisely. But plans must be adaptable," Taylor says. Early in the day is the best time to update your schedule.
They acknowledge and plan for the tough projects. There are always difficult projects looming that get put aside. "Address how you're going to attack them first thing so they don't hang over your head all day," Taylor says.
They don't address "people conflict." Successful people know that timing is everything. If you need to resolve conflict with your peers or boss, don't engage first thing, Taylor says. "Your colleagues are likely overwhelmed when they arrive to work, so you'll want to wait a few hours until everyone is more relaxed, which is usually after lunch, " she suggests.