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The rich and successful plan their days, unlike most other people. This is why they are able to be more productive and accomplish their goals. But they are only human and you can plan your day to be productive too.
1 The Night Before
Planning your day can be done one of two ways, in the morning for that day or the night before. Doing it the night before means that when you are getting up you know exactly what you will be doing. Take the time the night before to plan what tasks you will do in the morning, how long they will take and then decide on 3 MIT or “Most Important Task” to get done for the day.
Also, at night you need to have a nightly routine where you can unplug and relax. This sets you up for a good night’s sleep which will start your day off right.
2 Do the Hardest First
Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
In other words, do the hardest MIT first for the day and everything else will seem easy. Of your top 3 MIT for the day determine which will be the hardest and put that at the top of the list. Be sure that you do that task before any other task except for those items in your morning routine.
When it comes to the top MIT be sure that you are working on it without interruptions. Schedule 1-2 hours to focus on getting the MIT done.
3 Consistent Morning Routine
Have a consistent plan for your mornings, even the weekends. The best activities for the morning are meditation, reading, journaling, exercise, eating a good breakfast and visualizing yourself completing your tasks and being successful.
Invest your first 30-60 minutes on your mind and body. Doing this will help you start your day off right, give you focus and clarity for your day. Only after you have done your morning routine will you start on anything else on the list.
When you decide which activities to add to your morning routine don’t get hung up on which ones you should do or trying to do them all. Pick what you feel will be best for you and what you think you will have time for.
4 Set 2 Alarms
Have one alarm for you to get up to in
5 Avoid Email and Social Media First Thing
Avoiding time wasters like this allow you to focus on what is important and what will move you towards your goals. Want to get even more done and faster? Avoid social media altogether.
For email schedule 1-3 times a day that you will check it. Don’t consistently check it on a whim or whenever your buzzer goes off.
6 Wake Up Early
Getting up early allows you to make time for your priorities. When you have 2-3 hours before you need to start work, with the plan of what to do, you will achieve what you set out to do and not end up rushing around at the last minute. It allows you to focus and function from a state of calm.
7 Limit Your Decision Making
Think of Steve Jobs turtle necks or Mark Zuckerberg and the the hoodie. They are not lazy or unfashionable. The are limiting the minor decisions that they make. This frees up their mind for other more creative thinking.
This is not limited to clothing. What you eat for each meal, where or when you exercise, or the time of day you get up and go to bed can be repetitive to save you the time to think about them. Free
8 Make a Detailed Plan
By planning out your week on a Sunday or whatever day works for you, you get ahead of the game. You have more perspective of what you want to accomplish for the week and on a daily basis.
9 Focus on What Is Important
A planned day should be more than just a suggestion of what you would like to get done for the day. It should be something that you stick to without fail. Unless there is a true emergency you do what is planned.
While most people focus on what is urgent to be done, successful people focus on activities that are important but not urgent. They won’t see instant results. There will be massive long-term results from a clear focus on the important and not the urgent.
10 Follow the 52-17 Rule
The people over at DeskTime, a productivity tool, did a study of their users and found something very interesting. They found the 10% most productive people were working 52 minutes and then taking a 17-minute break.
Taking a break helps your mind, attention span and your body by allowing you to get away from your desk. Read their full story
These are new habits to most people. If you are going to start any of these don’t try to do them all at once. Pick one that you feel you can easily add to your life now. Experiment with it and tweak as you go.
You will not likely do it the best way for you on the first try. Keep at it and don’t give up. If these habits work for the rich a successful then they can work for you.
