According to a recent Fast Company article, the most successful people use it to prepare for their day, knock out the hardest activities, gain awareness, and express gratitude.
The author, Kevin Purdy, has assembled some key concepts from, arguably, some of the most successful individuals of our time which outline the need for and the practice of taking the time we all need to begin our day. Much like homeroom was in high school, the first hour of our day should be spent thinking about our schedule, what we want to accomplish, and catching up with friends; a renewal of sorts.
The key concept that jumped off the page for me was to not check and respond to email during that first hour. This is time we need to accomplish something real. In the words of Mark Twain, “eat a live frog first thing in the morning , you’ve got it behind you for the rest of the day, and nothing else looks so bad”.
Pick the terrible, weighty thing that you don’t want to do, your frog, and do it first thing in the morning. This provides space from frustration and complication, allowing you to get more done. The article notes:
Choose Your Frog
"Choose your frog, and write it down on a piece of paper that you'll see when you arrive back at your desk in the morning, Tripani advises."If you can, gather together the material you'll need to get it done and have that out, too."
One benefit to tackling that terrible, weighty thing you don’t want to do first thing in the morning is that you get some space from the other people involved in that thing--the people who often make the thing more complicated and frustrating. Without their literal or figurative eyes over your shoulder, the terrible thing often feels less complex, and you can get more done.
Return to high school homeroom everyday and be refreshed, renewed, restored, and ready for each and every day!
I'm ready, how about you?
