Stay out of my way in the morning!

by Joe Kuzma ( joe_kuzma) on October 26, 2018

I’ve never been a morning person. I don’t like crawling out of bed, I hate lacking sleep and I’m an overall grumpy person first thing when the rooster crows.

However, the real reason to stay out of my way first thing in the morning is that it’s my most productive hours of the day. I want to get at the day and attack what I can with a clear mind before distractions set in.

That can also be a reason for adding a “back after lunch” sign to your door too. Honestly, it’s nothing against others, but I tend to get derailed from my projects by answering calls, emails, and having to go on social media for my work: just one joke email or cat meme on Facebook can sidetrack your progress… and you may never regain that momentum.

So, here’s an exercise in what I do to be the most productive first thing in the morning: ignore everyone and everything. I know that sounds easier said than done, but if you can help it, a text message or email reply can wait. Even in this age of instant gratification, most things are not an emergency to address.

Settle in. Make that coffee. Attempt to ignore that inbox, and go directly to what it is you need to accomplish.

Within an hour or two, you will feel like your morning has become much more productive. Start stacking those mornings into days and weeks, and you’re going to be so efficient that you can afford to waste time filtering through your email inbox in the afternoon, a time when I generally lag.

If you need even more help with managing your time and productivity, don’t forget to head over the resources area of this website, where I outline some tools that will help save you time and stress, plus also keep your management and organization on track.

For those who need even more help with balancing their time, several computer and phone apps, many free to use, offer ways to track your time and keep you on pace with your goals. Even a simple stopwatch or kitchen timer can be the difference with sticking to a set time before jumping to your next task.

But when all else fails, stick to my adage: leave me alone in the morning! When you start thinking about distractions and how to limit them, I promise you’ll feel far less pressure throughout the day associated with the usual stress of not getting things done.

All because you took care of business first thing!