If you're working from home and wondering where the week went, don’t worry—we're wondering the same thing. But instead of sitting here thinking about what we haven't yet achieved, we're sharing tips on how to take the next day by the horns. (World domination from there—who’s with us?)
If you're currently lacking in the productivity department, grab some coffee and start making these successful morning habits part of your routine. Ahead, we’re outlining exactly what you need to do to eat the frog, get ahead, and hit all your goals. Feeling pumped? Keep scrolling for more.
1. Eat the frog.
Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the rest of the day knowing it can’t get any worse. That doesn’t mean you have to go and switch your soy latte for a frog—it simply means you should do your most important assignment first. Studies have shown that you have the most willpower in the morning, so harness your motivation mojo and master your most important task bright and early.
2. Scan for red flags.
Productivity experts recommend that you not spend your morning reading and answering emails (it can totally derail your good AM intentions). Focus your morning on what you need to get done—not the little things people need from you. Quickly scan your emails to see if there is anything high-priority that will affect your goals for the day, then keep the trains moving. As Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check Email in the Morning, told HuffPost, “Those requests and those interruptions and those unexpected surprises and those reminders and problems are endless… there is very little that cannot wait a minimum of 59 minutes.” So, if you want to be more productive throughout your day, step away from your inbox in the morning. Seriously.
3. Rally your to-do list.
Organizing your to-do list might sound like yet another thing to add to the chaos, but doing so is like creating a compass to get you to that golden “closing time” hour. How do you decide which task is “more important” than another? Use time management and productivity expert Laura Vanderkam’s advice and quickly ask yourself five questions: Does it take a step toward a big professional goal? Does your boss say it’s a top priority? Does it make you money? Does it lighten your mental load? Can it only be done today? Once you have your list organized, break down any big tasks into specific actions you’ll take to accomplish them.
4. Check-in with your team.
It’s small but mighty: Say hello to your colleagues in the morning. Not only will it help you start the day in a good mood, but they’ll be much more likely to help a friendly colleague than a Grumplestiltskin if you need help putting out a fire later that afternoon.
So, there you have it: The four things you should do to accomplish more throughout the workday. Drink coffee, eat a metaphorical frog, and get to work.
About the Author: Elana Lyn Gross is a freelance journalist and founder of the personal and professional development website, Elana Lyn. She has interviewed hundreds of businesswomen for her Career Profile series. Follow her here: @ElanaLynGross on Instagram and @ElanaLyn on Twitter.
This post was published on February 8, 2019, and has since been updated.
